"Hell's Kitchen"
Fisher Theatre
Detroit, Mich.
Through Dec. 14, 2025
“Hell’s Kitchen” has brought '90s R&B culture back to life at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre. The touring Broadway show is a semi-autobiographical jukebox musical, featuring a soulful mix of new and old music by Alicia Keys and a book by Kristoffer Diaz.
The show follows a transformative period in the life of 17-year-old Ali growing up in the rough yet creative neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen in New York City in the 1990s. When we meet Ali, she shows off her life in the Manhattan Plaza housing complex, describing the variety of inspiring musicians and dancers who live on various floors. We also meet her best friends as well as the bucket players outside the complex – including her crush Knuck – who thrill the girls but terrify Ali’s overprotective single mother.
Over the next few months, Ali falls in love with both Knuck and the piano, the former causing a feud with her mother and the latter offering solace and an emotional outlet for her struggles. We watch her chase her wildfire passions with abandon, leading to an exuberant rendition of “This Girl is On Fire” from a girl on top of the world. We also see her come down from that high, navigating the harsh realities of heartbreak, abandonment, racial discrimination, and death, partly caused by the person who loves her most.
In crop tops, wide-legged pants and '90s street dancing supporting a passionate and soulful score, the cast took me back to my own developmental years with a sense of nostalgia. Maya Drake, fresh out of high school, captured the excitement, energy and bright-eyed naivete of a teenager, with strong vocals to match.
Kennedy Caughell was a standout as Ali’s mother Jersey, especially in her fiery Act II performance of “Pawn it All,” where we felt the wrath of a single mother who has had enough an unreliable, absentee father. Starting a cappella, her power and vocal gymnastics brought down the house.
As the father in question, Desmond Sean Ellington was another standout performance as Davis. He encompassed the charming yet carefree musician whose love for his music trumped the love for his family. His sultry, jazzy rendition of Keys’ hit “Fallin’” was a highlight of the show, capturing the passionate, charisma of the character, despite his failings as a father.
While I wouldn’t consider myself a super fan, I enjoy Keys’ music. My favorite parts of the show were hearing the new interpretations of her biggest hits, especially watching them paired with '90s choreography.
At its crux, the show is a coming-of-age-story relatable to anyone who remembers the thrill and struggle of their teenage years. It is also about the complex relationships between parents and children and the collision of love, protection, fear, resentment and rebellion as those children transition into adulthood.
Click here to read a previous Midbrow review of the show.
