In a surprise twist, Jay-Z made an unexpected appearance at the 2024 Tony Awards in New York on Sunday night. He rapped his hit Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys.

JAY Z AT THE TONY AWARDS

The duo joined forces to support Hell’s Kitchen, a jukebox musical produced by Keys, featuring her songs.

Despite their collaboration, Jay-Z’s appearance wasn’t exactly as fans had hoped, according to Daily Mail.

Instead of performing on stage, Jay-Z rapped from outside the venue via video.

This left many in the audience both shocked and amused.

One fan joked, “Jay-Z was like yea I’ll come perform outside the Tonys, I’m not trying to hang out with theatre people….and I don’t blame him.”

Another quipped, “Why didn’t they let Jay-Z in the actual theatre??”

JAY Z AND ALICIA KEYS

Hell’s Kitchen is based on Keys’ early life and music and was nominated for 13 Tony Awards.

The musical’s inclusion of Empire State of Mind brought an added buzz to the event.

Before the performance, Alicia Keys walked the red carpet with her parents and three sons, Kasseem Jr., 17, Egypt, 13, and Genesis, 9.

She made a statement in brown-patterned Gucci trousers and a matching jacket.

Jay-Z sported baggy dark denim, a white shirt, and a Louis Vuitton jacket, according to the Washington Post.

JAY Z AND THE SIZE OF THE STAGE

Ramin Setoodeh, co-editor-in-chief for Variety, explained on social media that the size of the stage inside the David H. Koch Theatre prevented the crowd from seeing Jay-Z perform in person.

“The stage at Lincoln Centre is so small, we never saw Jay-Z perform in person at the #TonyAwards.

He and Alicia Keys sang the end of the song in the lobby.”

This unusual setup led to some hilarious reactions online, according to Billboard.

HELL’S KITCHEN

One user joked, “How do we get people in Iowa to buy Broadway tickets?

ANSWER: make them think Jay-Z and Alicia will be at the actual performance of Hell’s Kitchen.”

During the performance, dancers showcased choreography on stage as a large screen behind them displayed Jay-Z and Alicia performing.

Despite not being inside the main theatre, Keys hyped up the crowd.

She exclaimed, “Let me see ya! We are in New York City tonight!

We are at the Tony Awards tonight! Had to do something crazy, it’s my hometown!”

THE TONY AWARDS

At the end of the song, Jay-Z called out, “Brooklyn, New York City in the Tonys, tonight!”

Jay-Z has been busy recently, even performing at Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, Hell’s Kitchen premiered off-Broadway last year and moved to the Schubert Theatre on Broadway this April.

The musical garnered 12 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Maleah Joi Moon, and Best Direction of a Musical for Michael Greif.

FOR THE LOVE OF THEATRE

Last month, Keys shared with her thoughts on the show’s success, stating, “This is all of our stories.”

“That’s what I’ve learned creating and watching Hell’s Kitchen; that there’s so much that connects us all.

Even though we have different versions, we all go through things that are quite similar.

Ultimately, we’re just all trying to find where we belong and who we are.”

Keys added, “It’s cathartic. You’re laughing, you’re singing, you’re crying – you’re a mess in this show.

A WONDERFUL TWIST

But you feel seen. And I think it’s beautiful.”

Jay-Z’s surprise appearance at the Tony Awards may not have gone exactly as fans expected. However, it certainly added an unforgettable twist to the evening.

His collaboration with Alicia Keys on Empire State of Mind brought the house down, even if he did it from just outside the venue.

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Source: Los Angeles Times