Hell's Kitchen

Synopsis: Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys and Pulitzer Prize-finalist playwright Kristoffer Diaz bring their exhilarating coming-of-age musical Hell's Kitchen to The Public this fall.

In a cramped apartment hanging off the side of Times Square, 17-year-old Ali is desperate to get her piece of the New York dream. Ali’s mother is just as determined to protect her daughter from the same mistakes she made. When Ali falls for a talented young drummer, both mother and daughter must face hard truths about race, defiance, and growing up. Ali feels trapped, until the sound of a neighbor playing piano opens the door to an unexpected friendship and a radically different future.

Choreography by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown, direction by Tony Award nominee Michael Greif, and book by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Kristoffer Diaz, Hell's Kitchen is an unforgettable new show loosely based on Alicia Keys’ personal experiences, featuring both newly created music and many of her soulful, iconic songs.

Artistic Statement: With Hell’s Kitchen, Alicia Keys makes a triumphant entrance into the world of theater. The story of a young woman coming of age in New York is in the great tradition of the Public’s Chorus Line and Hamilton. The support of the Edgerton Foundation enabled us to create Camille Brown’s astonishing choreography. We spent over a year in workshops that produced one of the most exciting uses of dance in the modern theater.

Grant Statement: The Edgerton Foundation’s generous support enabled The Public to augment the Hell's Kitchen rehearsal schedule, allowing the cast to have more time with the full creative team before the production began performances. For a complexly structured new musical with a large and dynamic cast, this extra rehearsal time was crucial in helping to foster a constructive, unrushed developmental process.

Creative team:
Choreography: Camille A. Brown
Directed: Michael Greif
Scenic Design: Robert Brill
Costume Design: Dede Ayite
Lighting Design: Natasha Katz
Sound Design: Gareth Owen
Projection Design: Peter Nigrini
Hair and Wig Design: Mia Neal
Prop Manager: Claire M. Kavanah
Fight Direction: Thomas Schall
Music Supervision, Orchestrations: Adam Blackstone
Orchestrations, Music Consulting: Tom Kitt
Music Coordinator: Kristy Norter
Music Director: Dominic Fallacaro
Production Stage Manager: Danny Maly
Stage Manager: Anthony Rigaglia
Stage Manager: Tiffany N. Robinson
Stage Manager: Luisa Sánchez Colón

Cast:

Jersey: Shoshana Bean
Ray/Ensemble: Chad Carstarphen
Ensemble: Reid Clarke
Ensemble: Chloe Davis
Ensemble: Nico DeJesus
Davis: Brandon Victor Dixon
Understudy: Desmond Sean Ellington
Understudy: Badia Farha
Tiny/Ensemble: Vanessa Ferguson
Ensemble: David Guzman
Crystal/Ensemble: Crystal Monee Hall
Understudy: Gianna Harris
Junior/Ensemble: Jakeim Hart
Ensemble: Timothy L. Edwards
Knuck: Chris Lee
Jessica/Ensemble: Jackie Leon
Miss Liza Jane: Kecia Lewis
Ensemble: Raechelle Manalo
Understudy: Jade Milan
Ali: Maleah Joi Moon
Understudy: Onyxx Noel
Understudy: Susan Oliveras
Ensemble: Sarah Parker
Understudy: Aaron Nicholas Patterson
Understudy: William Roberson
Ensemble: Niki Saludez
Millie/Ensemble: Mariand Torres
Understudy: Donna Vivino
Riq/Ensemble: Lamont Walker II
Understudy: Oscar Whitney Jr.

Award Wins and Nominations

Tony Award®
Best Musical
2024 Nominee
Produced by AK Worldwide Media, Inc. , Roc Nation , DML Productions , Mandy Hackett , The Sunshine Group , Julie Yorn , The Jacobs Family , No Guarantees Productions , Front Row Productions , Sharpton Swindal Productions , Grove Entertainment , The Jaime Family , John Gore Organization , Terria Joseph , Andy Nahas , James L. Nederlander , Candy Spelling , Clara Wu Tsai , Universal Music Publishing , Independent Presenters Network , Della Pietra Spark Theatricals , TodayTix ARGU , Score 3 Partners and The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director)
Executive Producer: Aaron Lustbader

Best Book Of A Musical
2024 Nominee
Book by Kristoffer Diaz

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Musical
2024 Nominee
Maleah Joi Moon

Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Musical
2024 Nominee
Brandon Victor Dixon

Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role In A Musical
2024 Nominee
Shoshana Bean
Kecia Lewis

Best Choreography
2024 Nominee
Choreographed by Camille A. Brown

Best Direction Of A Musical
2024 Nominee
Directed by Michael Greif

Best Orchestrations
2024 Nominee
Music orchestrated by Tom Kitt and Adam Blackstone

Best Scenic Design Of A Musical
2024 Nominee
Scenic Design by Robert Brill
Projection Design by Peter Nigrini

Best Costume Design Of A Musical
2024 Nominee
Costume Design by Dede Ayite

Best Lighting Design Of A Musical
2024 Nominee
Lighting Design by Natasha Katz

Best Sound Design Of A Musical
2024 Nominee
Sound Design by Gareth Owen

Theatre World

Award
2024 Recipient
Maleah Joi Moon