Hollywood is coming to New York City! Flushing Meadows is about to be graced by the biggest tennis stars in the world. But adding shine to the golden lineup is Alicia Keys, whose presence will be noted at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center tomorrow. While celebrities from all fields are expected at the US Open every year, Keys will rather be found on the stage on the night of August 26th!

The Opening Night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, which will also be broadcast live on ESPN, will feature a first-of-its-kind theme song of the Grand Slam. ‘Kaleidoscope’ will officially be the theme song tomorrow, as the USTA has announced a collaboration with Keys’ hit Broadway musical Hell’s Kitchen. Per Variety, the song will have a custom remix for the tournament, first played in the U.S Open Manifesto Video.

Hell’s Kitchen star Kecia Lewisn, the 2024 Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, will narrate this video. And, actor Shoshana Bean, who also starred in the 13-time Tony-nominated Broadway show, will sing the national anthem on Opening Night. It’s going to be a star-studded night no matter which direction you look! Featuring reigning champions Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic, as well as Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, the next two weeks are going to be a Slam to remember.

And that’s exactly what the USTA and ESPN are hoping for. Per QNS, “The collaboration is part of the US Open’s 2024 marketing campaign “Spectacular Awaits” and the theme of the 2024 competition “Celebrating the Power of Tennis”, which aims to bring tennis to new and different audiences.”

To bring together tennis and Broadway on one of the biggest nights is what New York City is all about! “To be able to feature the music of Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen perfectly reflects the New York vibe and feel of our event,” said Nicole Kankam, Managing Director of Pro Tennis Marketing and Entertainment at the USTA.

Hell’s Kitchen, directed by four-time Tony nominee Michael Greif, is based on Alicia Keys’ own upbringing in Manhattan and features songs and lyrics straight from the 16-time Grammy winner. Even the singer was overwhelmed at this opportunity, as she said in a statement, “We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the USTA and ESPN under the shared goal of reaching and inspiring new audiences and using the music of Hell’s Kitchen to create connections and celebrate the 2024 tournament.”

But this is not the US Open’s first dalliance with great musicians. Just last year, the venue hosted members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and before that, Novak Djokovic belted out a song from the Beastie Boys!

The US Open 2023 was all about the amalgamation of music and tennis, featuring Novak Djokovic

2023 was a special year for the Serbian as he won three out of four Grand Slams. While Carlos Alcaraz took away the opportunity of winning all four slams by beating Djoker in the Wimbledon final, the Serb was determined to win the final Slam of the year. After his quarterfinal victory over American favorite Taylor Fritz, the eventual champion took the microphone from the interviewer post-match, and sang ‘Fight for Your Right’ by the Beastie Boys. He even encouraged the crowd to join in.

Then before the finals, where Djokovic was set to face Daniil Medvedev, the acclaimed Met Opera Orchestra was announced to grace the stage at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The group was to sing two renditions of the national anthem on Sept. 10, accompanied by their music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. What a night, what a night!

Safe to say, music and tennis go hand in hand. Are you looking forward to Hell’s Kitchen collaborating with the US Open this year? Let us know what you would have chosen as the theme song if given the choice.