Alicia Keys and Roc Nation have energize a 7th grader’s drive to save the performing arts program at her school.
On Monday (March 18), TMZ reported that the singer-songwriter teamed up with the multidisciplinary company to donate $60,000 to the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City amid budget cuts that threaten to close their arts program for good.
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The cause, currently steered by 12-year-old Tennyson Artigliere, is also quite dear to Keys’ as she herself is an alumni of the school. The massive monetary push helps the student tremendously as she has now exceeded her goal of $102k, with her GoFundMe already having received over $56k and counting.
Actor Jeremy Allen White, who is also an alumni of the institution, previously made a donation too and even shared the link on his Instagram profile.
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Additionally, Alicia Keys and Roc Nation have vowed to help raise money for the program every year until the city is able to fund it themselves.
In other news, her musical Hell’s Kitchen will soon be making its move to Broadway as the main cast was recently finalized.
Announced via Deadline last month, the play will star Shoshana Bean (Mr. Saturday Night), Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton), Kecia Lewis (Ain’t Misbehavin’) and, in their Broadway debuts, Chris Lee and Maleah Joi Moon.
Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
Hell’s Kitchen got its start at the Public Theater last year, neding its run in mid-January. Next, it will transfer to the Shubert Theater on Broadway, with previews beginning on March 28 and the show opening on April 20.
Soon after the announcement of the Broadway debut, Keys said: “Good things take time and for 13 years, I’ve been dreaming, developing and finding inspiration for a musical based on my experience growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC.
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“Hell’s Kitchen is inspired by my life, but it’s not a biographical story. It’s a story about family relationships and identity: Who are we? Who do we want to be? Who are we becoming?”
She continued: “The score features new songs that I’m really excited to get out into the world alongside many of my album releases that you know but you’ve never heard like this – rearranged and reinterpreted.”
