When the curtain rises on a new musical inspired by Alicia Keys on Broadway Saturday night, there will be San Diegans in the audience who have a deep personal interest in the play.
That San Diegan is Robert Brill, a professor in the Department of Theater and Dance at the University of California, San Diego, who designed the stage set for the play “Hell's Kitchen.''
This is not Brill's first Broadway play. But considering the 16-time Grammy winner is on board, this could be one of his most talked about projects.
“I think it's going to be a great opening that has been in the works for such a long time,” Brill said. “Alicia and the book's author, Christopher Diaz, have been collaborating on this project for over 10 years. The buzz around the production is truly incredible.”
The play has been in previews this month, but Saturday is its opening day, and Brill will be sitting in the audience at the Shubert Theatre.
It will be a long and unexpected journey for Brill, who grew up in Salinas, far from the bright lights of Broadway.
At an early age, he became interested in magic and puppetry and was supported in his activities by his parents. In high school he started studying graphic design, then he studied drafting and architecture. He attended the theater through a friend of his, and soon his interests in magic, theater, and architecture “merged into stage design” and set him on the path to a new life.
“On stage, we’re building a world,” he said. Just as architects consider design, function, and form, we create spaces for storytelling. ”
By the time he arrived at UCSD in 1983, he knew he wanted to major in theater. He began working in the industry, including working on plays for the famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He also lived in New York City for a while, worked on an off-Broadway play and several Broadway plays, and was nominated for a Tony Award three times. He helped found the Sledgehammer Theater in San Diego, where he performs in and around downtown San Diego.
In 2015, he returned to UCSD, this time to teach. He teaches several classes in stage and stage design and uses his theater work to share real-life experiences of the theater industry with his students.
In the fall of 2022, I received a call from an old friend who was directing a new play inspired by Alicia Keys' life growing up in New York City. Although not an autobiography of her, and Keyes herself does not appear in the play, the play is inspired by her upbringing in New York's rough-and-tumble Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, her relationship with her mother, and her musical discovery. It has become something like this.
Brill drew inspiration from Keys' memories and made the stage environment dark and gritty. For his research, he took photos of streets and landmarks while in New York. He was also helped by the fact that when he lived in New York in the mid-1990s, he lived near Hell's Kitchen and raised his daughter there.
“It’s a complicated journey to navigate,” he said. “It's always difficult to portray New York on stage, especially when the footsteps are far away. I think it's more about the dynamic, ever-changing experience of the city. It's a collage, a collection of vivid fragments. We hope audiences will be able to immerse themselves in that kaleidoscopic experience.”
He emphasizes that he is not doing it alone. He says that creating the world of “Hell's Kitchen” was a collaboration with the creative team, including costumes, lighting, and sound.
“Together we are creating an experience, an event for the audience,” he said.
And, of course, his work is guided by Keys and her music.
“When I started this project, I started by immersing myself in her music, even before I had the script,” he said.
I first spoke to Mr. Keyes in an online conference. But then he began working directly with Keyes, who owns a home in La Jolla, not far from Brill's office at UCSD.
“She is an incredibly kind and thoughtful collaborator,” he said. “Throughout the process, Alicia was consistently on point, offering both praise and constructive criticism, even when we presented her with an overwhelming amount of information. We were able to stay inspired and understand what was important to her.”
Brill has been working on the play, which began off-Broadway, for more than a year and a half. He was excited when he saw banners advertising the play around the Shubert Theater during his last visit to New York.
variety says of this play: A brilliant story with iconic music and absolute powerhouse vocals. This show feels like watching a great tapestry come together. ”
Brill's next project is closer to home. He is working on the stage design for “The Ballad of Johnny and June,” a musical about singers Johnny and June Cash, scheduled for its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in May.
Brill, 60, said of his job: It's truly a privilege. ”
