Over 20 years into her career, Alicia Keys is still reaching new heights. The 16-time Grammy winner’s stageplay, Hell’s Kitchen, has landed 13 Tony nominations, including Best Musical.
Keys posted an Instagram video of her stunned reaction to the news. Her husband, Swizz Beatz, filmed the early morning clip, and they were joined by their sons, Egypt and Genesis.
“Oh my gosh, guys, we just found out that Hell’s Kitchen was nominated for 13 Tony’s!” Keys enthusiastically shouted. Swizz Beatz then asked the kids what this moment meant. “She almost has more than her Grammys,” Egypt said. “She’s probably gonna win all of them,” Genesis added before congratulating her.
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In an interview with The New York Times today, Keys was still at a loss for words about the nominations. “Whoa! I’m definitely in a deep state of freaking out in a really great, awesome, grateful way,” said Keys. “I don’t know what’s happening to me — I’m a songwriter and I can’t put my words together, but I feel unbelievable. I’m so excited for everybody to be recognized.”
Hell’s Kitchen is a musical that Keys spent 13 years developing. The musical centers a teenage girl, Ali, who is wants to pursue her dreams in New York.
According to the official logline, “Ali’s mother is just as determined to protect her daughter from the same mistakes she made. When Ali falls for a talented young drummer, both mother and daughter must face hard truths about race, defiance, and growing up. Ali feels trapped, until the sound of a neighbor playing piano opens the door to an unexpected friendship and a radically different future.”
Keys told Playbill in an interview, “The inspiration has been in existence for over 10 years, which is just crazy to me. I wanted to be able to tell a story about a girl really finding herself, her path. And ultimately, it being a love story between a mother and a daughter. And to be able to create the stories that we don’t actually get to see, you know, the very real-life stories that just aren’t often told.”
The coming-of-age musical was written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, directed by Michael Greif and choreographed by Camille A. Brown. Of course, Keys wrote the music and lyrics, including the original song “Kaleidoscope.”
Hell’s Kitchen debuted at Newman Theater at The Public last October. Broadway performances at Shubert Theater began March 28, and officially opened April 20.
See the full list of Tony nominations for Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen musical below.
Best Musical
Produced by AK Worldwide Media, Inc., Roc Nation, DML Productions, Mandy Hackett, The Sunshine Group, Julie Yorn, The Jacobs Family, No Guarantees Productions, Front Row Productions, Sharpton Swindal Productions, Grove Entertainment, The Jaime Family, John Gore Organization, Terria Joseph, Andy Nahas, James L. Nederlander, Candy Spelling, Clara Wu Tsai, Universal Music Publishing, Independent Presenters Network, Della Pietra Spark Theatricals, TodayTix ARGU, Score 3 Partners and The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director)
Executive Producer: Aaron Lustbader
Best Book Of A Musical
Book by Kristoffer Diaz
Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Musical
Maleah Joi Moon
Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Musical
Brandon Victor Dixon
Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role In A Musical
Shoshana Bean, Kecia Lewis
Best Choreography
Choreographed by Camille A. Brown
Best Direction Of A Musical
Directed by Michael Greif
Best Orchestrations
Music orchestrated by Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone
Best Scenic Design Of A Musical
Scenic Design by Robert Brill
Projection Design by Peter Nigrini
Best Costume Design Of A Musical
Costume Design by Dede Ayite
Best Lighting Design Of A Musical
Lighting Design by Natasha Katz
Best Sound Design Of A Musical
Sound Design by Gareth Owen
The 77th Tony Awards will air live Sunday, June 16, at 8 p.m. ET on the CBS, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.