Hip-Hop blessed the Tony Awards this year. The 2024 ceremony on Sunday kicked off with an electrifying performance courtesy of Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. After an opening number from Oscar winner Ariana Debose, the cast of Hell’s Kitchen, the current Alicia Keys musical on Broadway, took to Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater stage to celebrate their multiple nominations.
There were probably more performers of color on stage than the Tonys have seen in the show’s 77-year history. Is this a sign of the often buttoned-up (and mostly white) ceremony embracing more Hip-Hop in the future?
To be clear, this is certainly not the first time Hip-hop has taken center stage for the Broadway community, (Lin Manuel-Miranda’s “Hamilton” and “In the Heights” are both Tony Award winners and “Holler If Ya Hear Me,” a musical based on the music of Tupac Shakur, opened on Broadway in 2014). And Black culture in general has been celebrated in the American musical theater canon with shows like “Dreamgirls,” “The Color Purple” and “The Wiz” (which is enjoying a revival this season).
Still, seeing Keys and Jay kick off the ceremony feels like a possible change in tides in terms of Hip-Hop talent venturing further into and cementing themselves on the “Great White Way.” Perhaps we’ll see more Hip-Hop and R&B talent venture into musical theater and like Keys, may choose to tell their life story in the theatrical medium.
The performance included a medley of songs from the musical performed by the cast, including now Tony Award-winners Maleah Joi Moon and Kecia Lewis. The medley ended with a rousing rendition of the Grammy winner’s hit song, “Empire State of Mind.” Bringing the crowd to its feet, Keys started on the piano before running into the audience while belting out the New York City-inspired track, saying, “I had to do something crazy — it’s my hometown.”
Just as the performance reached its peak, the feed cut to the staircase outside of the show’s venue, where Jay-Z performed his iconic verses in the song. Keys joined the rapper outside, where the two closed out the performance together.
Viewers on social media seemed delighted to see Jay and Keys during the show, with some writing that it was “iconic” seeing them reunite to perform the signature hit.
Some viewers had some questions for Jay — wondering why he was able to show up for The Tony Awards this year and for Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony but not for any of the Hip-Hop 50 performances in 2023.
Keys certainly was a winner last night. Hell’s Kitchen took home multiple Tony Awards, including two Moon and Lewis for Best Performance By a Leading Actress in a Musical and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. Check out the performance below: