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| image =
| image =
| caption = ''Playbill'' of the Off-Broadway production
| caption = ''Playbill'' of the Off-Broadway production
| music = [[Alicia Keys]]
| music = [[Alicia Keys]] and others
| lyrics = Alicia Keys
| lyrics = Alicia Keys and others
| book = [[Kristoffer Diaz]]
| book = [[Kristoffer Diaz]]
| premiere_date = {{Start date|2023|11|9}}
| premiere_date = {{Start date|2023|11|9}}

Revision as of 20:22, 5 December 2023

Hell's Kitchen
Playbill of the Off-Broadway production
MusicAlicia Keys and others
LyricsAlicia Keys and others
BookKristoffer Diaz
PremiereNovember 9, 2023 (2023-11-09): The Public Theater, New York City
Productions2023 Off-Broadway
2024 Broadway

Hell's Kitchen is a stage jukebox musical, co-conceived and directed by Michael Greif with songs by Alicia Keys and a book by Kristoffer Diaz. It is based on the Alicia Keys life and career.[1] The choreography were by Camille A. Brown.

Development

On June 2023, Alicia Keys announced she had written her first jukebox musical Hell's Kitchen inspired by her own life and career in New York City.[2][3] The Public Theater annunced that the musical previewed on October 24, 2023 with an opening night of November 19 until December 9 as a Off-Broadway production.[4] Subsequently, dates were added until January 14.[5] On December 4, 2023 Alicia Keys annunced that the production will transfer to the Shubert Theatre on Broadway starting March 28, with an opening night on April 20.[6]

Musical numbers

Instrumentation

The show's Tony-nominated orchestrations by Adam Blackstone and Tom Kitt, with arrangements by Keys and Blacksone.[7] Kitt figured as music consultant, with music coordination by Kristy Norter and music direction by Dominic Fallacaro.[7]

Production

Off-Broadway

The Off-Broadway production was directed by Michael Greif . The scenic design were made by Robert Brill, costume design by Dede Ayite and lighting design by Natasha Katz.

Cast and characters

Character Off-Broadway
2023—2024[8]
Ali Maleah Joi Moon
Jersey Shoshana Bean
Davis Brandon Victor Dixon
Ray Chad Carstarphen
Tiny Vanessa Ferguson
Crystal Crystal Monee Hall
Junio/Q Jakeim Hart
Millie Mariand Torres
Riq Lamont Walker II
Knuck Chris Lee
Jessica Jackie Long
Miss Liza Jane Kecia Lewis
Ensemble Reid Clarke, Chloe Olivernaz Davis, Nico DeJesus, Timothy L. Edwards, David A. Guzman, Raechelle Manalo, Sarah Parker,Niki Saludez
Understudies Desmond Sean Ellington, Badia Farha, Gianna Harris, Jade Milan, Onyxx Noel, Susan Oliveras, Aaron Nicholas Patterson, William Roberson, Donna Vivino, Oscar Whitney Jr.

Critical response

The Off-Broadway production received mostly positive reviews, being considered among the best examplesjukebox musical.[9][10][11] The performances by Maleah Joi Moon of Ali and Shoshana Bean of Jersey were praised by critics both for acting and singing.[12][13][14][15]

In a 5 out of 5 star review, Lauren Mechling of The Guardian wrote that "If this show doesn’t bullet to Broadway, we should all give up", appreciating the set design, choreography and the songs lyrics and rhythms, which "have been refreshed for the purposes of the story, and not a single tune feels obligatorily wedged in".[10] Sara Holdren of Vulture stressed that Hell’s Kitchen "is unquestionably a slick commercial machine" and "able to pull off the feat of making the musically familiar feel brand new", avoing the "and-trite as often as it does because of the sheer force of its performances".[16]

Aramide Tinubu of Variety described the musical as "a sparkling story paying homage to New York, to that beautiful and heartbreaking transition between girlhood and womanhood", telling both "mother/daughter relationships" and " the issues underlying New York City in the ’90s, [...] and over-policing in communities of color". Tinubu affirmed that even if "sometimes feel cliché, bordering on corny", the cast "dynamism keeps the show from falling into pure melodrama", becoming "a quintessential musical".[17] Charles McNulty of Los Angeles Times wrote that Hell’s Kitchen "made a believer of this jukebox musical denier", pointing out that it "soars whenever the gifted cast is singing one of Keys’ brilliantly reinterpreted hits.", which were "artfully reimagined". Nevertheless, McNulty emphasizes that the book "has a stakes problem that’s evident throughout" probably because Kristoffer Diaz "not wanting to intrude into areas that are so personal to Keys".[12]

In a mixed review, Helen Shaw of The New Yorker wrote that the musical sometimes appeared as "a private communication, one not meant to be shared more widely", assimilating it to The Gardens of Anuncia by Michael John LaChiusa because of their "certain cipher-like quality" and narration about "women with precocious success look back at their driven childhoods and edit out their grind and ambition in favor of a warm appreciation for their caretakers".[18]

References

  1. ^ "Here's Your First Look at Alicia Keys's 'Hell's Kitchen'". Vogue. November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (June 1, 2023). "Alicia Keys Musical Hell's Kitchen, Suzan-Lori Parks' Sally & Tom, More Will Play The Public in 2023-2024 Season". Playbill. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  3. ^ Mier, Tomás (June 1, 2023). "Alicia Keys Announces Opening of Musical Loosely Based on Her Life, Featuring Her Hits". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Evans, Greg (June 1, 2023). "Alicia Keys Musical 'Hell's Kitchen' Set For Fall Opening At New York's Public Theater". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  5. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (June 1, 2023). "Alicia Keys's Musical 'Hell's Kitchen' Sets Its Premiere Date". Forbes. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  6. ^ Huston, Caitlin (December 4, 2023). "Alicia Keys Musical 'Hell's Kitchen' to Open on Broadway This Spring". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Rosky, Nicole (October 3, 2023). "Alicia Keys Says the Goal is Broadway for Hell's KitchenI". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (October 12, 2023). "Alicia Keys' Hell's Kitchen Extends Upcoming World Premiere at The Public". Playbill. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  9. ^ Rubins, Dan (November 20, 2023). "'Hell's Kitchen' Review: Alicia Keys's Flimsy Jukebox Musical". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Mechling, Lauren (November 20, 2023). "Hell's Kitchen review – Alicia Keys jukebox musical is a marvel". The Guardian. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  11. ^ Snyder, Diane (November 20, 2023). "Hell's Kitchen: Alicia Keys' songs and story make for a real beauty of a jukebox musical". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  12. ^ a b McNulty, Charles (November 29, 2023). "Not another jukebox musical, 'Hell's Kitchen' artfully reimagines Alicia Keys' songs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  13. ^ Isherwood, Charles (November 23, 2023). "'Hell's Kitchen' Review: Alicia Keys's Musical Coming of Age". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  14. ^ Oleksinski, Johnny (November 20, 2023). "'Hell's Kitchen' review: Alicia Keys' show sounds great, lacks story". The New York Post. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  15. ^ Hofler, Robert (November 20, 2023). "'Hell's Kitchen' Review: Alicia Keys Celebrates an Apartment Complex". TheWrap. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  16. ^ Holdren, Sara (November 19, 2023). "Hell's Kitchen: A Familiar Diary of Alicia Keys". Vulture. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  17. ^ Tinubu, Aramide (November 20, 2023). "'Hell's Kitchen' Review: Alicia Keys Soundtracks a Powerhouse Cast in Vibrant Off Broadway Depiction of Teen Girlhood". Variety. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  18. ^ Shaw, Helen (November 21, 2023). ""Hell's Kitchen" Brings Alicia Keys's Musical Power to the Public". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
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