Alicia Keys Semi-Autobiographical Musical “Hell’s Kitchen” Headed to Broadway in Spring
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Alicia Keys’ music is coming to Broadway. Hell’s Kitchen, the semi-autobiographical musical by the highly-acclaimed singer-songwriter will transfer to the Shubert Theatre this spring.
Alicia Keys Broadway Musical Hell’s Kitchen to Debut This Spring
From its premiere at the Public Theater on November 19, the show will move to Shubert Theater starting March 28. The story is written by playwright Kristoffer Diaz and directed by Michael Greif. The choreography, on the other hand, was created under Camille A. Brown’s charge.
Hell’s Kitchen will feature Keys’ best musical hits. Some of these hits include “Fallin’,” “No One,” “Girl on Fire,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” and “Empire State of Mind.” There will also be four new songs by the singer in the musical.
Hell’s Kitchen follows the life of 17-year-old Ali who is the daughter of a white mother and a Black father. The story will zero in on the “societal issues facing young people about identity, belonging, and finding yourself” while navigating life and love. In the story, Ali grows up in a “cramped apartment” off Times Square. Subsequently, she will try her best to reach the New York dream.
“When Ali falls for a talented young drummer, both mother and daughter must face hard truths about race, defiance, and growing up,” the synopsis reads. “Ali feels trapped, until the sound of a neighbor playing piano opens the door to an unexpected friendship and a radically different future.”
As of writing, there’s no news about the casting yet. During off-Broadway though, principal cast included Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, Chris Lee, Kecia Lewis, and Brandon Victor Dixon.
She Admits Dreaming of Having a Musical About Her Life
In her recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Keys reflected on this recent milestone. Admitting that she’s been wishing to have an autobiographical musical, she stated that “good things take time.”
“For 13 years, I’ve been dreaming, developing and finding inspiration for a musical based on my experience growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC. Hell’s Kitchen is inspired by my life, but it’s not a biographical story. It’s a story about family relationships and identity: Who are we? Who do we want to be? Who are we becoming?” she said.
According to the singer, she’s excited to launch her new songs alongside some of the music in her discography. As a treat, Keys especially “rearranged and reinterpreted” the songs for the Broadway crowd.
“I loved going to the theater. I was inspired by it and the songwriting and the expression and the beauty and the way you could be transported,” she told The Associated Press. “But I never really put it together that maybe one day I would be able to have a debut on Broadway.”
