The hit Broadway musical “ Hell’s Kitchen ” features the music of the singer-songwriter-pianist Alicia Keys (“Fallin’,” Girl on Fire”) and has a semi-autobiographical story that was inspired by her early life growing up in New York City. It debuted on Broadway last year and continues to run in New York, and a first North American tour will bring it to Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre this week.

Keys, the winner of 18 Grammy Awards, spoke by phone from Los Angeles. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: How did you want your music to be used in “Hell’s Kitchen? Big stars like yourself have different approaches to their music being on Broadway. Did you want the arrangements of your music to be familiar from the recordings?

A: I love this show, obviously. But one of the

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