Hell’s Kitchen
Fisher Theatre
Tuesday, Dec. 2
A jukebox musical is a tricky thing, especially when you’re telling the story of a superstar who's still in the cultural zeitgeist today.
Alicia Keys makes it look like magic with Hell’s Kitchen, which kicked off a two-week stint at the Fisher Theatre Tuesday night.
Is the source material up to the task? No doubt. There’s depth to Alicia’s catalog, which is lyrically rich and interpretative enough to move the plot along without feeling forced or lazy. And that’s coming from someone who really only knows the super-sized hits, like “Fallin’,” an absolute stunner of a break-out hit from 2001, or NYC anthem “Empire State of Mind.”
Meet Ali, the 17-year-old character stand-in for Alicia’s own stunning story. It’s an admittedly over-the-top Broadway-fication that hits all the right notes of growing up and figuring it out. Ali is stretching her wings and learning to make it through New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in an apartment building filled with music.
We watch her navigate love with a new flame (Alicia’s 2003 hit “You Don’t Know My Name” is played wonderfully here with laughs and teenage emotion as Ali is initially ignored by her burgeoning crush), on top of finding forgiveness for an absentee father and making it work with her hard-nosed mother that just wants the best for her.
There are smart moves here with the music-as-narrative force, like turning “No One” into a bonding moment between mother-and-daughter instead of the straight-ahead love song it is. While actors mime playing the piano on stage with great authority, you can see the actual piano player on stage -- a lovely nod to the very real musicianship on full display here (literally).
Maya Drake is a stunner as Ali, especially when you consider it’s her professional debut as a recent high school graduate. It was a treat to see the theater legend Roz White as Mizz Liza Jane, the tough teacher that shows Ali the way on the piano. (Some major Nina Simone vibes here.) Kennedy Caughell damn near steals the show vocally as Jersey, Ali’s mom, and that’s no surprise. She previously helmed the role of Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, one of the best jukebox musicals.
Hell’s Kitchen is right up there with Beautiful. It’s proof that Alicia Keys songs are big enough for the Broadway stage. Is anyone surprised by this?
By intermission, I was telling myself I’ll be going back to see Hell’s Kitchen again before it leaves Detroit. You’ll be doing the same after witnessing the story of Alicia Keys before she was a household name and the magic of her story along the way.
