In a surprising twist, the much-talked-about reunion of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys at the Tony Awards, which seemed like a live performance of “Empire State of Mind,” was actually pre-recorded. This revelation came from a show official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
The appearance of Jay-Z, supporting Alicia Keys’ musical “Hell’s Kitchen,” generated a wave of excitement in the arena. However, it turns out that this moment was a product of Hollywood magic, challenging the Broadway community’s commitment to live performances.
Attempts to get comments from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and White Cherry Entertainment, the show’s producer, were unsuccessful. A senior publicist for the telecast also did not respond to requests for clarification.
“Hell’s Kitchen,” which won two awards that night for stars Maleah Joi Moon and Kecia Lewis, is inspired by Keys’ upbringing in Manhattan. The musical features both old hits and new songs from the singer-songwriter. Although Keys is a producer, she does not appear in the show. The performance concludes with a powerful rendition of “Empire State of Mind.”
Each nominee for Best New Musical at the Tony Awards gets a chance to perform. “Hell’s Kitchen” was the first to take the stage, with the cast performing a medley of songs, including Keys’ hit “Fallin’.”
Keys then appeared at the piano on the stage of the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, starting to sing her and Jay-Z’s 2009 hit. She soon left the piano, descended the stage steps, and exited the auditorium, telling the crowd, “Had to do something crazy. It’s my hometown.” Moments later, she seemingly joined Jay-Z on some marble steps, to the audience’s wild applause. Jay-Z ended the performance with, “Brooklyn, New York City in the Tonys tonight!”
Despite the audience and media being present in the auditorium, no live photos of the two performers have surfaced. The final part of the song was broadcast to the TV audience and shown on a video screen inside the venue. Keys wore the same outfit she had onstage, but Jay-Z was never seen entering the packed auditorium.
While some parts of the Tony telecast are pre-taped, such as technical awards and advertising segments, the general expectation is that musical performances are live, reflecting what audiences will see on Broadway. This incident has sparked discussions about the authenticity of such performances.
New York Magazine was the first to report that the segment had been pre-taped.
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
