HELL'S KITCHEN Reviews — Page 2

Really puzzling to me how so many of the reviews mention them fixing the show since the Public run, but a week ago when I went, the show seemed virtually unchanged.

Unless I missed something. Is it just me?

Associated Press is mostly negative:

Theater Review: Not everyone will be ‘Fallin’ over Alicia Keys’ Broadway musical ‘Hell’s Kitchen’

https://apnews.com/article/hells-kitchen-alicia-keys-theater-review-6a9637aa992636c7771b7382263b1f62

"“Hell’s Kitchen,” the coming-of-age musical about a 17-year-old piano prodigy named Ali, has wonderful new and old tunes by the 16-time Grammy Award winner and a talented cast, but only a sliver of a very safe story that tries to seem more consequential than it is.

It wants to be authentic and gritty — a remarkable number of swear words are used, including 19 f-bombs — for what ultimately is a portrait of a young, talented woman living on the 42nd floor of a doorman building in Manhattan who relearns to love her protective mom.

...

That Keys is a knockout songwriter, there is no doubt. That playwright Kristoffer Diaz is able to make a convincing, relatable rom-com that’s also socially conscious is very much in doubt."

Huh. I was not expecting this good of a response, strictly based on WOM from people here. Interesting...

I wonder how much $$$ that critic’s pick cost Alicia and the team, because there’s no way they saw the same show I did…

I don't remember the last season in which there has been this much of a dichotomy between my thoughts and the critics' thoughts. I saw this Off-Broadway and thought it was truly terrible. For this and Water for Elephants to get critic's pick seals but for Suffs not to... To each their own, I guess.

Oprah and Michelle Obama were in the house....AMAZING NIGHT!!!!!

Best juke box musical ever.

The off-Broadway reviews:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-Alicia-Keys-Musical-HELLS-KITCHEN-Opens-Off-Broadway-What-Did-the-Critics-Think-20231120

Mostly the same, slightly more positive off-Broadway than on. Vulture went from positive to mixed. NT Stage Review went from one positive, one mixed to two mixed.

Kad said: "Unless I’m mistaken, aren’t these reviews more or less in line with the largely positive reviews it received at the Public?"

I remember the critics last fall saying the book was horrible but everything else clicked so hopefully they could fix it...

i dont think they fixed it, but the critics seem to be pretending they did, so

CoffeeBreak said: "Odd BroadwayWorld accumulative reviews page and DidTheyLikeIt don't include the AP review as it will be around most of the US papers."



True!

AP News Theater Review: Not everyone will be ‘Fallin’ over Alicia Keys’ Broadway musical ‘Hell’s Kitchen’

https://apnews.com/article/hells-kitchen-alicia-keys-theater-review-6a9637aa992636c7771b7382263b1f62

David Gordon didn't write the Theatermania review, so I thought this was an interesting take.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "David Gordon's tweet reminds me of Harvey Fierstein's eloquent explanation for how Jerry Mitchell turned KINKY BOOTS around in early previews out-of-town. Without big textual or structural changes, he refocused and calibrated the performances, scenesand musical numbers to entertain while moving the story forward and putting character first.

That's not enough for EVERY show, but it certainly helps some shows."

Exactly this. The HK team smartly leaned into what was so enjoyable about the off-Broadway production (the performances, the choreography, and the music) and it's all the better for it uptown.

Conversely, the SUFFS team, rewrites and all, seemingly doubled-down on what made it a bit of a slog off-Broadway and...here we are.

Updated On: 4/22/24 at 10:35 AM

Does anyone know about how Maleah Joi Moon's attendance has been? I saw the show and she was out last week and honestly I'm very mad because I heard she was the best thing about the show. Planning to go again next week but scared she's gonna be out again.