Pop jazz pianist Alicia Keys, a 16-time Grammy Award winner, has ventured into a new art form: theatre. Her newest debut, Hell’s Kitchen, has just reached Broadway. Here’s what you can really expect from it and how to see if it’s worth watching.
Let’s start from the beginning.
I first heard word of Hell’s Kitchen from my friend, Gabby, an Alicia Keys superfan. In fact, it’s only fair to credit her for reviving my love of Alicia Keys and her music after we spontaneously decided to attend “The Diary of Alicia Keys – One Night Only” concert. Back in December 2023, this concert celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the release of her most famous album, Diary of Alicia Keys, at the one and only Webster Hall. And boy, was it a night to remember. From the intimate setting of her performance to her incredible audience engagement, this was hands down my favorite concert I’ve attended.
After this once-in-a-lifetime experience, it was only natural that when I heard word of a fresh new Broadway show made by the Alicia Keys, I couldn’t contain my excitement.
Every other day, a Hell’s Kitchen post would find its way to me, and even Gabby would hear her classmates raving about it. “Get ready to cry” and “HK will change your life” were just two examples of quotes from friends who had already watched it. Undoubtedly, this heightened my craving to watch it so I could form my own opinion. Could a Broadway show really be that good?
It became a habit that every day, at least one Instagram story of the playbill quoted with “A must-see performance!” or “I cried” made its way to my feed. I couldn’t escape this endless cycle of daily posts feeding into my subconscious. I fell into the dangerous hole of assuming and expecting.
Let’s back up…
Now, stay with me for a second. Yes, you are still reading an article about Hell’s Kitchen, but allow me to elaborate. A couple of weeks prior to watching it, Gabby and I had actually just watched MJ the Musical, an autobiographical show that follows Michael Jackson on his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. What you wouldn’t expect is how this experience shifted my perception of what to expect from Hell’s Kitchen. It subconsciously set my standard of what I presumed Hell’s Kitchen would be like, which was dangerous.
As an MJ fan, I was dropped into his world and followed him on his crazy life journey from the comfort of my own seat. I learned about his family, career obstacles, and who MJ was aside from his music career. While this was fantastic, I realized that MJ’s organization and storyline were what I began to expect of Hell’s Kitchen: an autobiographical narrative following Alicia Key’s rise to fame trickled with beautifully designed sets and costumes, an impressive cast, incredible music, and a surreal (somewhat) immersive experience. I assumed that I would be able to explore Alicia Keys’ life through the same lens; however, this wasn’t necessarily the case. My mistake for using MJ as the standard was that I set Hell’s Kitchen at the same standard, which resulted in my (slight) disappointment.
Here’s where it went wrong:
It wasn’t until the days leading up to the musical that Gabby and I looked up the official summary of the musical and realized that it wasn’t actually what we thought it would be. It wouldn’t be about Keys’ life but rather “closely related.” These two words completely did a 180 on my initial emotions. While we were confused, we shrugged it off and figured we could only wait and see for ourselves.
Walking into the Shubert Theatre and toward our seats, I noticed how beautiful the set was and how well the theatre complemented the space. It felt very intimate, not too big but not too small, and I had an impressive view from the balcony. The space on stage was utilized strategically. Looking closely at the stage’s edges, you can see the live musicians working their magic in real time.
The magic of Hell’s Kitchen
It was refreshing to see their excitement bursting through their instruments as they swayed to the beat. No stress, just pure bliss and relaxation. They didn’t seem nervous or scared to look into the audience, and watching their reactions to our reactions was priceless. Bringing these artists to the stage, even if it’s just the sides, was beautiful to say the least.
Regarding logistics, the set was strategically set up to look like a street corner in one scene, an apartment the next, and a piano room after that, unlike other shows such as Gutenberg! The Musical and Purlie Victorious, which both have a relatively static set.
Of course, as the show went on, our previous hesitations were confirmed. At intermission, I looked over at Gabby, and we both realized that this show wasn’t what we expected it to be — not bad, but different.
How might this be??
Hell’s Kitchen has been marketed as Alicia Keys’ life story. However, I only witnessed slight references and parallels to her life. Some aspects do ring true, such as her distant relationship with her father and love for the piano. But overall, the story is not really about her; in fact, the correlation between the two is quite a stretch.
As an Alicia Keys fan, I found the integration of her already-produced songs in the musical enjoyable yet also slightly disorienting. It was difficult to distinguish which parts of her life aligned with the musical. Even though incorporating her songs was fitting in terms of narrative placement and suitability, it seemed off-putting to listen to them, knowing the narrative wasn’t really about her.
There is good news
Being able to sing along to the show during my first time watching was something I hadn’t experienced before. I can confidently say that the audience interaction with the show was incredibly engaging, like nothing I’d ever seen before. This year, I had the chance to watch 7 Broadway musicals. None had the same level of audience responses and reactions as this one. After a relatable quote or incredible riff, they were followed by an “Ooooh,” “Yes!” or “Mmhmm” and claps, showing how all demographics truly could relate to and enjoy the show.
Moreover, this was my first time watching Shoshana Bean, and I was beyond impressed. She was my favorite character, and she does an incredible job both acting and singing.
The conclusion:
This show is definitely a story worth watching. It teaches many valuable lessons about friendships, relationships, family dynamics, appreciation, equality and injustice, and, most importantly, how to love. Despite the more critical approach this review took, I would recommend it to anyone. It’s an incredible story, just not the one I or many other Alicia Keys fans were expecting.
