December 29th 2023.
Alicia Keys' Hell's Kitchen has been setting The Public Theater ablaze since its world premiere on November 19th. It has been met with overwhelming praise, selling out show after show. Now, the popular musical loosely based on the 15-time Grammy Award-winner's life is headed to Broadway.
Set in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, the play follows a 17-year-old biracial teen, Ali, as she struggles to find her identity and independence while bumping heads with her overprotective single mother, Jersey. When Jersey catches Ali getting intimate with an older Black man, tensions reach an all-time high.
Ali's development as an artist is highlighted in the musical when she meets Miss Liza Jane, a stern piano teacher who helps Ali nurture her musical gifts and find her voice. Lewis, the director, particularly loves the line “You are here because the voices of your ancestors have requested your presence”. She notes that this speaks to the collective strength of a people who have survived and persevered against all odds.
The songs of Alicia Keys' robust catalog have been artfully reimagined and reinterpreted for the play. While exploring complex issues of race, sex, and family relations, TheaterMania has called Hell's Kitchen "easily the best new musical at the Public since Hamilton".
Keys serves as the lead producer and composer of the musical. After conceptualizing the story more than a decade ago, she worked with Emmy and Grammy Award winner Adam Blackstone, Tony-nominated choreographer Camille A. Brown, director Michael Greif, and Pulitzer Prize-finalist playwright Kristoffer Diaz to bring the story to life.
After a successful run at The Public Theater, Keys announced on December 4th that Hell's Kitchen will debut on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in the Theater District in the Spring. Previews begin on March 28th, with opening night on April 20th. Until then, you can catch Hell's Kitchen at The Public Theater until January 14th.
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