It害羞草研究所檚 fitting that Kecia Lewis has had her most successful theater season while playing a mentor.

The Broadway veteran 害羞草研究所� now celebrating 40 years in the business 害羞草研究所� portrays the formidable piano teacher Miss Liza Jane in 害羞草研究所淗ell害羞草研究所檚 Kitchen害羞草研究所� who inspires the show害羞草研究所檚 young heroine to embrace music.

害羞草研究所淪it. Learn,害羞草研究所� she says to her new teenage pupil, a role loosely based on Alicia Keys. The youngster looks at the older one at the piano and says: 害羞草研究所淚 see in her, for the first time in my life, I think, what I might someday be: powerful. Regal. A queen.害羞草研究所�

Lewis is like that cool, no-nonsense wise head who radiates skill, warmth and professionalism, helping rising star Maleah Joi Moon make her Broadway debut in the main role.

害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 an earthy and royal woman and she brings a sense of powerful groundedness to every room she walks in,害羞草研究所� Moon says. 害羞草研究所淚 knew from our first conversation that I wanted to learn as much as I could from her.害羞草研究所�

Lewis is having a special spring. Her musical has garnered 13 Tony Award nominations and she has earned her first Tony nod. She has already won awards from the Outer Critics and Lucille Lortel.

害羞草研究所淭his is all I害羞草研究所檝e ever wanted to do since I was a child. This is the only thing that I害羞草研究所檓 truly trained in,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 be faking it in any other profession. I love what I do. It doesn害羞草研究所檛 feel like work to me.害羞草研究所�

Lewis made her Broadway debut at 18 in the original company of 害羞草研究所淒reamgirls害羞草研究所� in the mid-1980s and went on to 害羞草研究所淭he Gospel at Colonus害羞草研究所� with Morgan Freeman, 害羞草研究所淏ig River,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淎in害羞草研究所檛 Misbehavin害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 and 害羞草研究所淥nce on This Island.害羞草研究所�

The world of the theater almost lost her. She left 害羞草研究所淥nce on This Island害羞草研究所� early to do a TV pilot that didn害羞草研究所檛 pan out and was heartbroken. For six years, she taught fifth and sixth grades, worked at a magazine and at a shelter for young women who were pregnant and homeless.

Her love of performing gnawed at her until she decided to return to auditions in 1991. She knew she was rusty, so she auditioned for things she knew she害羞草研究所檇 never book, like a role in 害羞草研究所淭he Sound of Music害羞草研究所� at the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera.

害羞草研究所淚 thought, no one will ever cast me in 害羞草研究所楾he Sound of Music.害羞草研究所� And I got it. I was cast as the Mother Abbess. And that got me started,害羞草研究所� she says.

The Ventura County Star critic was impressed: 害羞草研究所淎s the Mother Abbess, Lewis blows open the lobby doors with her 害羞草研究所楥limb Every Mountain.害羞草研究所� Intermission comes just in time: Her booming finish to the song would be a hard act to follow.害羞草研究所�

That role led to a string of Rodgers and Hammerstein shows 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淪outh Pacific害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he King and I害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� and interesting parts. 害羞草研究所淎nd then I was clear, 害羞草研究所極K, you were supposed to go back,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 she says.

Since her returns, Lewis害羞草研究所� roles have included Broadway 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Drowsy Chaperone,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淐hicago,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淟eap of Faith,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淐inderella害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淐hildren of a Lesser God害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� and off-Broadway in 害羞草研究所淢other Courage,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Skin of Our Teeth害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淢arie and Rosetta.害羞草研究所� Her TV parts include 害羞草研究所淭he Blacklist,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淢adam Secretary,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淩oyal Pains害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淏lue Bloods.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 feel like I have a whole encyclopedia I could write about 40 years in this business,害羞草研究所� she says.

Michael Greif, the director of 害羞草研究所淗ell害羞草研究所檚 Kitchen,害羞草研究所� knew Lewis from their days working on 害羞草研究所淏ig River害羞草研究所� and thought she害羞草研究所檇 be perfect for Miss Liza Jane.

害羞草研究所淜ecia is a great teacher on and offstage,害羞草研究所� Greif says. 害羞草研究所淪he brings her considerable experience, wisdom and generosity to every encounter with Maleah and to our incredible ensemble, many of whom are making their Broadway debuts.害羞草研究所�

Lewis initially read the script not knowing that Keys害羞草研究所� songs would be used or that the teen at its center shared connections to the Grammy winner.

The show is set in Manhattan Plaza, an apartment complex in the Hell害羞草研究所檚 Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan where Keys grew up and which offers affordable housing for people in the arts. It has a multipurpose space with a piano 害羞草研究所� the Ellington Room 害羞草研究所� where, in the musical, the heroine discovers Miss Liza Jane, an amalgamation of Keys害羞草研究所� mentors.

Lewis knows both the complex and the room well. She went to high school nearby, and one of her closest friends lived in Manhattan Plaza. She even sang at a memorial for her friend害羞草研究所檚 dad in the Ellington Room.

Keys personally worked with Lewis on her two big songs 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淧erfect Way to Die害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淎uthor of Forever,害羞草研究所� both already released 害羞草研究所� and the team paid for piano lessons so she could look the part.

On a deeper level, Lewis also connected to the musical害羞草研究所檚 coming-of-age story of a young woman with a single mom negotiating the tough streets of New York.

害羞草研究所淚 was a single parent of a son. My son is 20 now and in New York. So I understood on a very personal level a lot of what was being said and what was trying to be conveyed. She allowed me to bring all of that along with what she gave me and just let me fly on my own.害羞草研究所�

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Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press