Alicia Keys musical HELL’S KITCHEN - Opening Night Reviews- Page 2

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:02pm

Observer:

Review: Alicia Keys Is in a ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ State of Mind at the Public

Part juke-box musical and part feel-good empowerment fable, this musical from Alicia Keys hungers for a home on Broadway.

https://observer.com/2023/11/review-alicia-keys-is-in-a-hells-kitchen-state-of-mind-at-the-public/

"A teen rom com that morphs into artistic awakening and resolves as a sentimental tribute to mothers and New York as the city of dreams, Hell’s Kitchen has a warm and spirited book by Kristoffer Diaz that nevertheless struggles to justify its songs by the second act. Apart from a brief appearance by menacing cops and a manipulative cancer twist, the story drags out its family angst as long as it can."

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:03pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "DramaTeach said: "Can’t read it. What’s the gist?"

Wonderful first hour, messy second act, but ultimately satisfying.

It’s basically in the same shape asLempickaat this point."

 

this is a significantly better show then Lempicka 

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:04pm

Wow - these reviews are MUCH more mixed than i expected them to be. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:06pm

Washington Post:

The Alicia Keys musical, ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ is nice, and nothing more

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2023/11/19/hells-kitchen-alicia-keys-public/

"You’re never quite allowed to forget over the 2½ hours of “Hell’s Kitchen” that a musical built on “found” music has a limited toolbox. Greif, Diaz and Brown line up the ensemble at the top of Act 2 for a heartwarming “Authors of Forever”: “So let’s celebrate the dreamers/ We embrace the space between us,” they sing — a scene that seems patterned on “Seasons of Love,” the unforgettable Act 2 opener of the Greif-directed “Rent.” The end devised for Miss Liza Jane, graciously embodied by Lewis, also feels like something taken from the Guide to Inspirational Characters.

Keys’s fans probably won’t hold the musical to account for these rather standard-issue elements, as the orchestrations by Adam Blackstone and Tom Kitt, arrangements by Blackstone and Keys, and music direction by Dominic Fallacaro so exuberantly reproduce the tunes they love. It’s all in service of something short of fabulous. Just, you know, nice."

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:14pm

Theatremania is positive:

Review: Hell’s Kitchen, a Coming-of-Age Musical Set in Alicia Keys’s New York

https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-hells-kitchen-a-coming-of-age-musical-set-in-alicia-keyss-new-york_1721623/

"Grounded in reality, but with anthemic melodies soaring overhead, it is easily the best new musical at the Public since Hamilton."

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:17pm

Theatrely:

Alicia Keys’ Charts Broadway Beginnings in HELL’S KITCHEN — Review

https://www.theatrely.com/post/alicia-keys-charts-broadway-beginnings-in-hells-kitchen-review

"If there are reasons to be skeptical about an Alicia Keys jukebox musical titled Hell”s Kitchen, all are banished the second its cast starts singing. With a book based on Keys’ teenage years by Kristoffer Diaz, this new work at the Public Theater is one of the most freshly sung productions in memory, featuring a breakout performance from Maleah Joi Moon in their professional stage debut."

[sppunk]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:26pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Wow - these reviews are MUCH more mixed than i expected them to be."

It’s a show with very strong choreography and great singing but really weak characters and corny story.  They meet what I imagined. I can’t misfire this transferring - it’s a weak overall jukebox musical. Not bad and lI am glad to have catched the 3rd performance but it’s nothing remotely special. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:37pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "DramaTeach said: "Can’t read it. What’s the gist?"

Wonderful first hour, messy second act, but ultimately satisfying.

It’s basically in the same shape asLempickaat this point."

From what I've heard they've really worked on Lempicka-Act2 since LA Jolla this last year so we shall see when it opens in the spring. As for HK, these reviews read a hit in the making but the book (Act2) needs work before it's the hit they want it to be as all the elements are in place along with a star making peformance by the girl that plays Ali.

Updated On: 11/19/23 at 10:37 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 10:38pm

An encouraging review from Green, since he obviously sees the makings of a great show there but the 2nd act lets him down so much. I wonder if they will put the work in on improving the 2nd act.

Congrats to Brandon Victor Dixon on being called "a human aphrodisiac."

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 11:20pm

Ditch the narrator. That’s such lazy storytelling. 

 

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/19/23 at 11:28pm

MemorableUserName said: "The Wrap

‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Off Broadway Review: Alicia Keys Celebrates a Big Apartment Complex The songwriter makes her legit stage debut with a jukebox musical about a songwriter

https://www.thewrap.com/hells-kitchen-alicia-keys-off-broadway-review-manhattan-pla/

"It’s an admirably slim, self-effacing story: an overly protective mother, after being seduced by a lover (Brandon Victor Nixon in great singing voice) is abandoned and left with a child, Ali, whom she doesn’t want to repeat Mom’s mistake. Most of the songs in “Hell’s Kitchen” are Keys standards. It’s nice to hear them sung so well — the exception being the angry “Pawn It All,” which Shoshana Bean caterwauls to such an extreme that it surpasses Leslie Rodriguez Kritzler’s parody of a caterwauling diva in the recently opened “Spamalot” revival.

“Pawn It All” and the nearly 20 other Keys songs from her many albums are not book songs. They effectively, but merely, encapsulate an emotion or a state of mind — which means the narrative, which is already slight, stops cold so characters can express what they’re feeling. Greif’s direction beefs up these moments by enlisting choreographer Camille A. Brown to overpopulate the stage with dancers who stomp, wave, thrust, swivel and perform other exercises.""

This review, mostly referring to the slight book, awkward song fit, and over enthusiastic choreographic makes this sound like Alicia Keys’ “Jagged Little Pill”

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 12:12am

Holdren/Vulture: Hell’s Kitchen: A Familiar Diary of Alicia Keys

https://www.vulture.com/2023/11/theater-review-alicia-keyss-hells-kitchen.html

"Though it sticks to the tried-and-true in its form, Hell’s Kitchen manages to avoid “-and-trite” as often as it does because of the sheer force of its performances. They take Keys’s remarkable solo work and fill it out, expanding its feeling of context and community. A jukebox plays what you’ve heard before, and though Hell’s Kitchen is unquestionably a slick commercial machine, it’s also, with admirable frequency, able to pull off the feat of making the musically familiar feel brand new."

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 6:43am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "An encouraging review from Green, since he obviously sees the makings of a great show there but the 2nd act lets him down so much. I wonder if they will put the work in on improving the 2nd act.

Congrats to Brandon Victor Dixon on being called "a human aphrodisiac.""

I doubt that they will be taking their marching orders from Green, of all people.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 7:22am

MemorableUserName said: "Holdren/Vulture: Hell’s Kitchen:A Familiar Diary of Alicia Keys

https://www.vulture.com/2023/11/theater-review-alicia-keyss-hells-kitchen.html

"Though it sticks to the tried-and-true in its form,Hell’s Kitchenmanages to avoid “-and-trite” as often as it does because of the sheer force of its performances. They take Keys’s remarkable solo work and fill it out, expanding its feeling of context and community. A jukebox plays what you’ve heard before, and thoughHell’s Kitchenis unquestionably a slick commercial machine, it’s also, with admirable frequency, able to pull off the feat of making the musically familiar feel brand new.""

Holdren's review reminds me of the JAGGED LITTLE PILL reviews. That show got raves for "breaking the mold" on jukebox musicals. However, while both JAGGED LITTLE PILL and HELL'S KITCHEN may veer away from the formulaic jukebox musicals that have been on Broadway recently, I still found both shows to be trite beyond belief and chock full of cliches. Both shows felt like Lifetime movies to me.

[BJR]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 8:21am

I'm also not so clear on how either broke any mold.

(Havent seen HK yet, just PILL and judging HK from reports and reviews.)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 9:48am

“Hell’s Kitchen” doesn’t break any mold but it’s a SIGNIFICANTLY better show than “JLP”.

[BETTY22]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 1:39pm

Very gentle reviews.

Maybe, Alicia will write more new original songs before the show moves to Broadway. 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 1:42pm

This show I think is one that, like A Beautiful Noise (though from all reports and reviews, HK is the far superior show) will be largely review-proof on Broadway. Whether it can survive an a house as large as the Shubert where signs are pointing to, who knows, but I don't think these reviews change it's plans to come in this Spring.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 1:48pm

Maybe, Alicia will write more new original songs before the show moves to Broadway."

Absolutely no need. People love her songs and they all fit into the show seamlessly. I haven't seen people leap to their feet the second a show ended like that in a very long time. It's cool, fun, diverse, and will be a huge hit next year. 
 

Updated On: 11/20/23 at 01:48 PM

[inception]

Posted: 11/20/23 at 3:38pm

Is the hype at the point yet where I could scalp my single ticket and make enough to pay for my whole trip?

/s

[Skip23]

Posted: 12/31/23 at 3:06pm

I love the JAGGED LP references.  This felt just like it. 

SUCH a corny, trite story.  I really don't care about a teenager's angst anymore.

But I said to a mate as I was leaving, that I can't wait for the Cast Album.  Such talent !

And why does Shoshanna Bean always get saddled with the sad-sack, downer roles.  She's one of the great performers.  Give her some meat!  (No, I don't mean Dixon!)