Alicia Keys is having a full-circle moment.
The 16-time Grammy Award winner has created musicals based on her experiences growing up in Manhattan, and has been nominated for 13 Tony Awards.
When Keys stopped by Studio 1A during Broadway Week today, Hoda Kotb greeted him with, “Hello, lady.” She said, “She didn't step onto Broadway, she jumped in with both feet.”
“We've been working on 'Hell's Kitchen' for 13 years, so it's been quite a journey and we've put a lot of time, energy and love into it,” Keyes said. She added that she was “shocked” to learn that she had been nominated for a Tony for the show.
“It’s your story; do not have It’s your story,” Savannah Guthrie said. “This is not an autobiography. It's not supposed to be 'The Alicia Keys Story.' But it borrows from and is inspired by your own childhood, especially your relationship with your mother. ”
“Ultimately, it's a love story between a mother and a daughter,” Keyes explained. “I'm grateful that this has been my best friend throughout my life,” she said of her mother, Telia Joseph.
Mr. Keyes said Mr. Joseph was born in Toledo, Ohio, and moved to Manhattan at age 19 “with dreams of becoming an actor.” “She did, and she raised me in this city. This story is inspired by her experiences growing up in New York City.”
The musical is set in Manhattan Plaza, a real building that still stands on the corner of West 43rd Street and 10th Avenue. It has achieved legendary status by providing subsidized housing to aspiring artists.
The story centers around 17-year-old Ali (played by newcomer Marea Joy Moon) and her single mother Jersey (played by Broadway veteran Shoshana Bean).
“When you saw Ali, did you go back to your younger self?” Jenna Bush Hager asked in Today's fourth hour.
“Obviously, we’re taking everyone who comes back, so I’m coming back,” Keyes said. “Not only do you remember who you were and where you were[in the '90s]but now you recognize who you are today. It's totally timeless in that sense.”
“Were you a musical theater kid? Did you just dream of being on Broadway and performing?” Jenna asked.
Keyes said her mother took her to see Broadway shows when she was young. “My mother was obsessed with Broadway, so we saw a lot of the most beautiful productions. We would stand in line for cheap tickets and get every ticket.”・I laughed as I remembered watching “In Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk,'' “Rent,'' and “Miss Saigon.''
“I remember watching a lot of movies that taught me to dream,” Keyes said.
“Was your mom boohooing when she saw that?” Hoda asked.
“Everyone was booing,” Keyes joked. “I can't help it! It's real, so I can't help it.”
