SAN DIEGO — On Sunday, a large-scale exhibition of art owned by married music artists Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys named “Giants” closed at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla. But just two days later, a touring production of Keys’ Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen” will open at the San Diego Civic Theatre.

In an interview conducted with the Union-Tribune via email last week, Keys spoke about the odd convergence of her art collection and her theatrical masterpiece in San Diego County, where she and husband own one of several homes.

“To have two creative projects come to life in a city that holds such a special place in my heart is incredibly meaningful,” she said, via email. “While ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Giants’ are two very different art forms, they both explore identity, culture, and our shared human connection. I’m so grateful that San Diego has truly embraced ‘Giants.’ We wanted to match the city’s energy and create something that would make a lasting impact on the community. To feeling the love from the community has felt so genuine and pure and special! We adore you, San Diego! So excited ‘HK’ is up next.”

Keys sent answers to the U-T by email on Friday because she’s been traveling abroad, launching the first non-English-language production of “Hell’s Kitchen” in Seoul, South Korea.

“Hell’s Kitchen” is a semi-autobiographical jukebox-style musical featuring songs and lyrics by Keys, who has won 17 Grammy Awards since 2002, including one last year for “Hell’s Kitchen” in the category of Best Musical Theater Album.

The musical tells the story of Ali, a teenage girl struggling to find her voice and her purpose while living with her single mom in the Manhattan Plaza apartments in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in the 1990s. The dance-filled musical earned 13 Tony nominations and won two acting Tonys.

“Hell’s Kitchen” ran on Broadway from April 2024 to February 2026 and is now on tour. The local stop opens Tuesday and runs through Aug. 16 at the Civic Theatre.

Q: Can you talk about the Hell’s Kitchen that you grew up in during the 1990s, and why it was so important to you to name your musical after it?

A: Hell’s Kitchen wasn’t just where I lived. It truly shaped who I became. It’s a place of contrasts, the light and grit, the art and hardship, the ambition and the darkness. Growing up there you met everyone from all walks of life, and it showed what it means to have empathy, resilience and independence. You smelled the beautiful faraway homes of all the people that came here searching for a dream. Music was everywhere, from the apartments, to the churches, to the cars down the block to the subways, it all became part of the soundtrack of my life. Naming the musical Hell’s Kitchen honors the neighborhood itself as much as my own experiences. The show is really a love letter to New York City and to every person trying to discover who they are.

Q: I got to see “Hell’s Kitchen” on Broadway with my daughter in fall 2024. We both loved it. While it was inspired by your musical journey, Kristoffer Diaz’s book tells a fictional story about Ali. Can you talk about why you chose that direction, since so many other music artist-inspired musicals have been more biographical?

A: I’m so happy you got to see the show with your daughter! The bond between a mother and daughter is truly the heart of our show. The story of Ali is inspired by a lot of elements of my personal experiences and childhood in New York City, but we were very intentional on choosing to make Hell’s Kitchen not a traditional biography. It’s not just my story, it’s everyone’s story. This is a story of family, community, a young woman and everyone around her really finding their way, which ultimately represents all of us trying to find ourselves at any point in our lives. We knew from the beginning that Ali would never go beyond her 17th year. There’s so much to that! This is a story that everyone can relate to!

Q: I understand that “Hell’s Kitchen” took more than a decade of thinking and development. How did your plans for it change and transform in the years before its off Broadway production?

A: Great things take time. We were working on “Hell’s Kitchen” for about 13 years, so it’s been quite the journey. This really evolved as I evolved not just personally but as a mother, a musician, a producer and a storyteller. We started with Kris (the book writer) and I. Then (stage director) Michall Grief was introduced to us and brought such a clarity to our process! Then bringing it together with Adam Blackstone (music supervisor, Camille A. Brown (choreographyer, and Tom Kitt (music consultant) and the creative team transformed the project into something much bigger than I could have created alone. This has been one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life!

Q: What were the Broadway opening night and Tony Awards experiences like for you, having grown up in midtown Manhattan?

A: It was beyond anything I dreamed of. In so many ways, it felt serendipitous. My mother came to New York to study at NYU and that’s the reason why I’m here in New York! This isn’t only my dream, it’s my mother’s dream and it’s the actors’ on the stages, too! There’s something about pouring all your love and energy into something, then watching it comes to life and be performed on the Broadway stage just a few blocks away from where you grew up. It’s an incredible feeling. Then, being recognized for it with 13 Tony Award nominations was a whole different level. It was such a beautiful, joyful, shocking moment that I’ll cherish forever.

Q: The dance element of this show is extraordinary. Did you always want dance to be a big part of “Hell’s Kitchen”? The choreography seems to transmit the characters’ ambitions and resilience. What does the choreography say to you?

A: Dance is such an essential part of New York City, and Camille’s vision of it has been so keen and insightful. She brought in so many styles and deepened the narrative so much through dance. It evolves and pulls so many different roots! We wanted it to capture the energy, rhythm and spirit of the city itself. We were fortunate to work with Camille who understood that movement can express emotions in ways words sometimes can’t. Her choreography became the perfect complement to the music.

Q: Sometimes when musicals close on Broadway, they undergo a few changes before touring. Did you make any adjustments to the book or score before the tour began last fall?

A: Theater is living art, and every production continues to evolve. But the spirit and strength of the show is completely intact! Whether you see it in San Diego or Korea, you are seeing the powerful energy of the show extremely clearly! We made thoughtful refinements before the tour, always with the intention of strengthening the storytelling while still protecting the heart of the show. Touring brings its own rhythms, but ultimately our goal was to preserve the Broadway magic and make sure audiences everywhere experience the same emotional journey.

Q: Now that “Hell’s Kitchen” is touring, what has the experience been like for you seeing it performed in different cities across the country?

A: To see so many different cities embrace the show has been incredibly moving. Ali’s story is rooted in New York, but it’s completely universal. People everywhere understand what it means to find your voice and chase your dreams. It is beautiful to hear how many people, no matter what city you live in, identify with our characters and see pieces of their own lives reflected in the story. Everyone leaves this show touched, uplifted and singing!

Q: You’ve just opened a non-English version of “Hell’s Kitchen” in Seoul, South Korea. What was that experience like? Are other international tours planned?

A: Getting to see Hell’s Kitchen in Seoul was out of this world good! Seeing the story resonate with audiences across cultures made me very emotional! It’s a testament to how universal the story is and the way music has the power to bring people together. On top of that every song and the script is translated into Korean which is so beautiful! I would love to continue sharing the show with audiences around the world.

Q: How does it feel to bring “Hell’s Kitchen” to San Diego, and will you be able to stop by during its run at the Civic Theatre?

A: Bringing “Hell’s Kitchen” to San Diego is so exciting. Every city brings its own unique perspective to the show, and that’s one of my favorite things about sharing it with new audiences. There’s such a special spirit in San Diego, and I’m excited to experience the audience’s reactions firsthand and see how they connect with the story.

‘Hell’s Kitchen’

When: 7 p.m. Aug. 11 and 12; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13; 8 p.m. Aug. 14; 2 and 8 p. Aug. 15; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16

Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown

Tickets: $68 and up

Online: ticketmaster.com

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