After 40 years on Broadway, Keshia Lewis earns first Tony nomination for 'Hell's Kitchen'

In the Broadway musical Hell's Kitchen Kissia Lewis plays Teacher Liza Jane, 17-year-old Ali's mentor and piano teacher. Inspired by the songs of Alicia Keys and her experiences growing up in New York, Ali (Maria Joy Moon) longs to break free from her mother's shackles. She longs to discover the world outside her Manhattan Plaza apartment in Hell's Kitchen. Ali must find where she fits in.

As the saying goes, there are diamonds in your own backyard, and Manhattan Plaza resident Lisa Jane, “the heart, soul and conscience of the building,” is the crown jewel. She nurtures Ali's passion and imbues him with a deep strength and inner wisdom.

Liza Jane Lewis plays Ali as doting but never controlling, strict but always caring. “You deserve your anger,” she tells Ali. “But you can't let it defeat you.” She helps Ali find her wings. In fact, after 40 years on Broadway, Lewis was nominated for her first Tony Award. Hell's Kitchen(The show, currently playing at the Shubert Theatre, has been nominated for a total of 13 Tony Awards.) And Lewis has already won a Lucille Lortel Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk Award.

“I've been a performer for 40 years, and now, being nominated for my first Tony, I feel like I'm being recognized and noticed in a way that I haven't been before,” Lewis says. “I've been very fortunate to have been able to work pretty consistently over the years – in TV, theater and a little bit of film – so I feel like I'm doing a good job. People who work in this industry know what it takes to do what we do – six days a week, eight shows – and they say, 'You've done a great job, congratulations, we want you to know that we appreciate you.'”

For Lewis, the joy of playing Miss Liza Jane is being able to remind audiences of the mentors, teachers and inspirations they had in their lives. “Most of us had people in our lives who looked at us when we were younger and really saw us and did or said whatever they could to encourage us,” says Lewis, who has played Miss Liza Jane and Mister Liza Jane.

“I'm so grateful for all they've poured into me. Every single one of them has contributed to making me who I am as an actor and as a person,” says Lewis, a performing arts high school graduate who made his Broadway debut in the musical “As A La La La.” Dream Girl Lewis first appeared in Miss Liza Jane when she was 18 years old. She loves seeing how people respond to Miss Liza Jane. “I get to talk to people at the stage door and they often tell me I remind them of their piano teacher or their voice teacher or their grandma or grandmother,” Lewis says. “And that's wonderful.”

Jeryl Brunner: What went through your mind when you heard about “Hell's Kitchen” and the possibility of being on the show?

Keshia Lewis: The first time I heard Hell's Kitchen,It has passed [the show’s director] Michael Greif. We've known each other for many years. Michael and I worked together on a Broadway show in 1986. Big Riverwhere he was assistant director, and we've worked together in workshops since then, but never together in a full production.

He contacted me in early 2021 and told me he was working on a new piece. He thought I'd be a perfect fit for the role and asked me to do a reading. I read the script and loved it, but didn't know that Alicia Keys was involved in any way. When I did the reading, I found out that Alicia had been working on this project for about 11 years. I was asked to do another reading, then I went to a workshop, which continued until I was part of the original off-Broadway cast at the Public Theater. The whole experience was so amazing and unlike anything I'd ever experienced before.

BRUNER: In many ways, Lisa Jane Hell's Kitchen Someone who opens up a new world to Ali. In what ways do you think you and Ali are similar?

Lewis: I'm kind of similar, I love mentoring people and I've been doing that for a long time. I mentor young singers and young actors, and sometimes I do life coaching for my peers. I do that a lot in the theater because it's really fun. We have a lot of young people in our show. Most of the cast is making their Broadway debut. So I'm always asked for advice. I really love it. It's an honor to have people who are interested in what I have to say and take it to heart. I'm grateful to have that kind of respect from the industry and from other young people.

Brunner: When did you know you had to perform it?

Lewis: I was an only child growing up, and I watched a lot of TV, not just because I was a babysitter, but because I loved TV. I loved getting lost in different worlds and watching people's scenarios. The Carol Burnett Show Maybe when I was seven or eight years old, I saw her and she was kind and funny and she sang and danced and brought joy to people and I wanted to be like that too because I saw her and it brought me so much joy.

Brunner: Where were you when you heard you were nominated for a Tony?

Lewis: Our stage manager hosted a Zoom party online for all the cast members who wanted to be there to hear the nominations together and be together. That's how I found out. We were all watching, and by the time the third or fourth nomination for our show was announced, I was already in tears and so happy. When I heard my name, I literally had to hold my face because I did a really bad, ugly cry.

As an actor, you hope to hear your name, but you never know for sure. And I tried to keep that in my mind. So, I was a little surprised, but I was happy and excited when I found out. And it was really great to have that moment with my co-stars. I think someone recorded it. I remember before we started the Zoom, everyone asked if they could record the Zoom. So, I believe it's out there somewhere, and I would love to see it someday.

Brunner: Working in this industry is like a marathon, but you've been successful. What motivated you to continue on your path, especially during the difficult times?

Lewis: I'm a Christian and I pray every day. I also had good people in my life who talked me out of quitting when the work wasn't coming my way. I had a few people talk me out of quitting. I called a friend who's an actress and she was like, “What else are you going to do? You can't do anything else.” That made me laugh and get out of that situation. I didn't really want to do anything else.

BRUNER: I read that you raised your son as a single mother.

and othersEwis: I was a single parent for most of my son's life. There was a time when I hadn't worked for about six months and my unemployment benefits were running out. I thought I had to create something to get a job. So I wrote Cabaret for myself, and it opened up another world to me. If you come to this island My good friend LaChanze, who was also my co-director, If you come to this islandI was a guest performer at the show and it went really well. I think we sold out three shows. It's been a while since I've performed, but it's been really rewarding for me to create something for myself and write.