Yolanda Adams on Realizing Her Broadway Dreams in Hell's Kitchen, Musical Mentors & Where She Keeps Her Grammys

When Hell’s Kitchen composer Alicia Keys stepped on stage at the curtain call of Yolanda Adams’ first performance as Miss Liza Jane, the audience realized something special was happening. “Have you ever heard her sing?” Keys exclaimed in a pre-show Instagram clip. “Do you know what this means? I’m freaking out!” Adams, after all, reigns as queen of contemporary gospel, for recordings that have sold 10 million copies and earned four Grammy Awards among 16 nominations, including a 2026 nod—her record Sunny Days is up for Best Gospel Album. She has sung at the White House and the Super Bowl, and her music deftly pairs smooth R&B melodies with lyrics declaring her Christian faith and belief in the power of prayer.

The role of Hell’s Kitchen’s tough-minded piano teacher represents Adams’ Broadway debut as an actress, but she is already a Tony nominee for contributing to the score of SpongeBob SquarePants. (Her gospel-tinged anthem “Super Sea Star Savior” was sung by Danny Skinner as Patrick, the starfish leader of a cult of sardines.) Adams’ busy touring schedule has dictated a six-week limited engagement as Miss Liza Jane, and she is savoring every moment on stage and backstage at the Shubert Theatre.

Welcome to Broadway! How are you feeling about making your debut?
It’s a dream come true. As a kid who did theater in junior high, high school and college, it feels like home. My body remembered the promise I made that I would be on Broadway one day.

What did you love about Hell’s Kitchen when you saw it before being cast?
First of all, how amazing everyone sounded. Broadway has phenomenal singers, and I should have known that with Alicia’s acumen, [the show] would be no less than that. But everything about it was amazing—the acting, the singing, the dancing, the emotions of people trying to figure their lives out. I just loved it.

Hell’s Kitchen was smart to tap a star like you to follow Tony winner Kecia Lewis. Did she give you any advice?
Oh my gosh, Kecia is such a doll. When I trailed her, she was like, “Follow the stagehands, because they’re here for your protection. We have sliders and things that drop from the ceiling, and we don’t want any accidents.” Watching her interaction with [young heroine] Ali was eye-opening, as well. Our director [Michael Greif] was firm that my character not feel totally different from the way Kecia did it, while respecting the fact that I am my own person with my own voice. There were key changes that needed to happen because Kecia has that smoky, beautiful contralto, and although my speaking voice is lower, I am definitely a soprano.

Did you have a musical mentor like Miss Liza Jane?
My mom, who was minister of music at our church [in Houston, Texas], was my first mentor. When other folks didn’t want to sing, she would say, “All right, Yolanda, let’s do this song.” After that, I had Miss Brenda Waters, a phenomenal music teacher and preacher. I’ve had great people in my life who resemble this character.

What’s been the biggest challenge or surprise about acting on Broadway?
That my brain still works? [laughs] Becoming another person is all about making sure the character is believable and the interactions with other people on stage appear seamless. For me, it’s making sure not just that I get the words right but that I get the feelings right.

Speaking as a composer yourself, what makes Alicia Keys’ music special?
It’s timeless. Most of these songs are five or 10 years old, and to have them embody a musical [inspired by] her life, you can see where some of those ideas came from. I thought that was brilliant.

You get to sing one of her most emotional songs, “Perfect Way to Die.”
That song takes me back to the social justice Alicia always fights for. I remember where I was when I heard about Trayvon Martin. I remember where I was when I heard about Sandra Bland. These songs are eye-openers.

Your 2018 Best Score Tony nomination for SpongeBob SquarePants is a fun fact. Did you attend the ceremony?
Absolutely! My daughter and my musical director went with me, and we were so excited. It was great to get that recognition—and then to find out that I was the first Tony-nominated gospel recording artist. What?

You could have been just as successful as a pop or jazz singer—the “gospel” in your music is in the lyrics. What led you in that direction, and why have you stayed loyal to the genre?
I grew up in a household where we listened to everything—Bach, Beethoven, blues, bluegrass—because my mom was a music major. But even as a kid, I just loved the way I felt singing gospel music, and the reaction I got. People were crying, so much so that I asked my mom, “Am I doing something wrong?” She said, “No—crying can be an expression of joy and the feeling that God is with you.” There was no requirement in my home to do anything I did not want to do. I grew up in an environment of artistry and authenticity, and my mom and dad said, “Find your passion and pursue it.” Now, because I am so many people’s favorite artist on the gospel side, I get the chance to honor them in tributes. Lionel Richie? I’ve honored him. Chaka Khan? I honored her. Anita Baker, Diana Ross, James Brown—I’ve gotten to do every genre I love, and all these years later, I’m still traveling, still doing concerts, and now I’m on Broadway. I mean, wow!

A lot of people may be unfamiliar with what 21st-century gospel music looks and sounds like. Your album covers, for example, are very glam—you’re not wearing a choir robe! What is your vision for gospel in 2025?
Exactly what we’ve been doing: progressing with the times and making sure people can relate to us. Some churchy-churchy people get mad at me, but I always say that God is for everybody. I don’t have to have the same view of God as you do in order to touch your heart with something I sing, because God should not be put in a box. Some people say “He,” and I honor that. Some people say “She,” and I honor that. Some people say “The Universe,” and I honor that. It’s about a relationship, not a religion that keeps you stuck in one place.

You’ve won four Grammys, and you’re up for another in February. Where do you keep them, and what does that recognition mean to you?
The Grammys are in my home office. You know, I still get giddy about the Grammys, just like people on Broadway get giddy about the Tonys. I know from doing concerts that people love the music, but for my peers to say, “You’re still relevant and we love what you do” is phenomenal.

You sang “A Change Is Gonna Come” at the White House, with President Obama swaying along, and “America the Beautiful” at the Super Bowl. Does Broadway tick off another spot on your career bucket list?
Oh, absolutely. It was one of the top spots on the bucket list.

This is a brief run, but could you see yourself returning to Hell’s Kitchen?
We’ve already planted those seeds!

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