New Musical HELL'S KITCHEN, Based on the Life of Alicia Keys, to Premiere This Year

Ooh, this sounds interesting! I don't know if this would be possible but Maiyah Quansah-Breed (OG Parr in Six in London) would be great for this role.

Her writing has become hit or miss over the years, but that tends to happen with most songwriters who need to write *hits* not just good songs. Still, I'm keeping an eye out for this. It needs a better name, though. If this is about her childhood and not a love letter to her neighborhood, then that title tells us nothing.

I think this will do better than some expect. She's well liked by many in a similar way to Groban or Bareilles but unlike them, she was Billboard's 5th biggest pop star of the 2000s and in the top 20 for the 2010s, so her name reaches further.

(I'm a bit of a pophead in addition to my love of theatre if you couldn't tell lol)

BETTY22 said: "Please let this be an original score by Alicia. She is a brilliant songwriter and should be welcomed with open arms by the theatre community.

I'm hoping, this is not her greatest pop hits sort of show."

I second this and hope its more in like with Sting's The Last Ship, were is was mostly an original score telling a semi-autobiographical tale with a few of their hits that make sense worked in, as I have to imagine Girl on Fire will be worked in and maybe Empire State of Mind, but I really hope this is mostly an original score.

It looks like this is a workshop... which likely will not be open to the public. I'm excited about the prospect but a production could be far, far off.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/shoshana-bean-brandon-victor-dixon-to-lead-alicia-keys-musical-hells-kitchen_1704134/

The season’s musical is Hell’s Kitchen, a world premiere with a new score by Alicia Keys, book by Kristoffer Diaz, choreography by Camille A. Brown, and direction by Michael Greif. Running October 24-December 10, the loosely autobiographical piece follows Keys’s teenage years living near Times Square as she attempts to figure out her dream.

Leading the company is Maleah Joi Moon as Ali, alongside Shoshana Bean as Jersey, Brandon Victor Dixon as Davis, Chris Lee as Knuck, Kecia Lewis as Miss Liza Jane, Lamont Walker II as Riq, and an ensemble that includes Chad Carstarphen, Reid Clarke, Chloe Davis, Nico DeJesus, Timothy L. Edwards, Vanessa Ferguson, Crystal Monee Hall, Jackie Leon, Rachelle Manalo, Sarah Parker, Niki Saludez, Mariand Torres, and understudies Badia Farha, Gianna Harris, Onyxx Noel, William Roberson, and Donna Vivino.

Updated On: 6/1/23 at 02:13 PM

This is a a strong fit for Grief after he saved The Notebook. Excited to see it with this cast too!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Video-Alicia-Keys-Teases-New-Musical-HELLS-KITCHEN-on-GOOD-MORNING-AMERICA-20230607

Jordan Catalano said: "Tix onsale now and unless they're holding a lot back, this is going to sell out FAST. Got a decent pair of tickets but there's not a lot to choose from."

Thanks for flagging this! I was able to get two tickets for November. Excited!

hearthemsing22 said: "Jordan Catalano said: "Tix onsale now and unless they're holding a lot back, this is going to sell out FAST. Got a decent pair of tickets but there's not a lot to choose from."

Think they'll hold any for rush...lottery?"

Yes... not sure why that's a question anymore. Every show as of late, no matter how big of a hit it's been, has held some tix for rush or lottery. Music Man, Merrily, Prima Facie, Suffs (for a Public example) all had at least some form of discount ticket initiative.

Full cast & creative team announced; run extended another two weeks

wrote the music and the story is inspired by her life

All the evening performances, even weekends, start at 7pm. This doesn't work for me, as the day I was looking at I'll be Uptown until almost 6. I can see why they do it though, as more older audiences really aren't interested in being out late.

I guess if this is any good, I'll have plenty of opportunities to see it sometime in the future.

All the discussion in the Days of Wine etc thread makes me curious about what Grief's direction will be like here? I guess he came up with the idea of just using scaffolding 30 years ago. Too bad that's become such a cliche. Yet at the same time, I don’t know that there's another city where scaffolding is so prevalent? Will he reuse the mirror & catwalk from If/Then? He's really from the old school of "park & bark" for so many of his shows. I guess if you've got an Idina Menzel, why not use her like you would Ethel Merman? It's almost enough to keep audiences happy.

I found a video of the actress here the other day, and she does have a sweet voice.