Alicia Keys found it "cathartic" to turn her life story into a Broadway musical.

The 43-year-old singer - who is known for hit singles like 'New York' and 'If I Ain't Got You' - has incorporated her back catalogue into the semi-autobiographical jukebox musical 'Hell's Kitchen' and following its opening at the Shubert Theatre, she explained that she really wanted to "open the door" to those who may not have seen a Broadway show before.

She told People: "One of the goals of Hell's Kitchen was is to really open the door to those who have never stepped foot in a Broadway theater ever before.

"So I'm excited that when I look around — because I am in that theater often — I see so many different people in so many different walks of life. I love that so much and that's really important.

"This is all of our stories. That's what I get from it; I get this ability to understand each other and to find our way. And it's cathartic. You're laughing, you're singing, you're crying — you're a mess in this show. But you feel seen. And I think it's really, really beautiful."

The show stars Maleah Joi Moon as budding singer Ali - a character moulded on Alicia herself - and the Grammy Award-winning songstress explained that even though the show is set in her native New York, audiences will be able to identify with the story wherever they are from.

She said: "This story is meant to welcome you. It's incredible to see a New York story in New York City, but no matter where you're from, you'll find yourself there. And there's something really special about that."