The touring production of the original Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen” lit up The Fabulous Fox Theatre during its run from Jan. 27 to Feb. 8. The musical, which features more than twenty songs from R&B legend Alicia Keys’ body of work, is a semi-autobiographical depiction of Keys’ own upbringing in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan.
In the show, 17-year-old Alicia, or Ali, navigates adolescence with the help of a loving yet overbearing mother, a rebellious older love interest, an always-on-tour musician father and a self-appointed piano teacher who allows Ali to express herself and set her wide range of emotions free.
The show’s dance ensemble performed the choreography of five-time Tony nominee Camille A. Brown, dynamically and fluidly executing a mix of hip-hop, African and jazz styles to portray the rhythmic heart of New York City in the 1990s.
The equally impressive vocal ensemble supported the lead singers through Keys’ classics like “Girl on Fire,” “Fallin” and “Empire State of Mind.”
Maya Drake, who plays Keys herself, debuted in her first professional stage production. Despite her age, there was no indication that Drake is new to the scene, with her soaring vocals and immense stage presence. Drake portrayed a version of Keys that is younger yet equally talented. Kennedy Caughell, who played Keys’ mother, is an experienced theater pro who brings a traditional element of Broadway-belting to the score’s classic R&B numbers.
JonAvery Worrell as Ali’s love interest, Knuck, and Roz White as Miss Liza Jane perform supporting roles. Worrell’s Knuck is an alluring love interest to Ali as the two share a handful of ill-fated yet tender scenes.
Miss Liza Jane, played by the ever-talented White, becomes another mother figure to young Ali when she experiences dissonance with her own mom. Together, White and Caughell portray a multifaceted and unwaveringly supportive depiction of motherhood, a core theme of the show and a sweet tribute to Keys’ own mother.
While its body of talent is the show’s strength, its plot is definitely where “Hell’s Kitchen” falters. Exploring themes like parental abandonment, grief and police brutality, the plot touches on each for a brief yet poignant beat before quickly shifting to the next idea, character or song.
Ali’s friends, Tiny and Jessica; and Ali’s mother’s friends, Crystal and Millie, are introduced in the first act just to seemingly fade away in the second, almost as though they were created with the explicit purpose of furthering dialogue for the main characters.
Tiny and Jessica do, however, have some time to shine near the end of the first act in “Girl On Fire.” Despite their status in the contemporary cultural canon – and perhaps even because of it – certain songs like this still don’t fit quite right into the plot, even though they were altered from their original versions.
Additionally, the show has no real antagonist to help advance the plot, although at times, Ali may see her mother as one. All characters are portrayed in a somewhat sympathetic light, creating a sense of harmony that would be relieving to live out, but is less interesting to watch. One upside to this, however, is that the show paints a realistic picture of a teenager and their endless obstacles.
Despite a somewhat lackluster plot, “Hell’s Kitchen” is carried by its talented cast and iconic music. If you missed it at the Fox, the cast album is available in its entirety on Spotify and Apple Music.
