Alicia Keys has announced a new musical based on her life titled Hell’s Kitchen. The singer/songwriter has been developing the project for more than a decade and is finally ready to open the show this fall.
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The musical will debut at the Public Theatre in New York. It’s the same place smash hit musicals Hamilton and A Chorus Line received their debut.
So far, the cast features Broadway heavyweights Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Chad Carstarphen, Reid Clarke, Chloe Davis, Nico DeJesus, and more. Keys has tapped Michael Greif and Camille A. Brown to direct and choreograph the numbers respectively.
Previews for the show will begin on October 24. The opening night of the show is slated for November 19 with subsequent shows running through December 10. Find ticket information HERE.
“I’ve been working on Hell’s Kitchen for 13 years!!” Keys shared on social media. “Now, it’s finally making its world premiere on October 24th at the ICONIC @PublicTheaterNY in the heart of NYC this fall is a DREAM COME TRUE!!!!!!!
“Don’t let ANYBODY tell you your dreams can’t be real!!” she continued. “It may take TIME and WORK but it is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 percent possible!! HELL’S KITCHEN tells the story of a 17-year-old girl chasing her New York dream, struggling to find herself, her voice, her identity! Inspired by my own personal experiences growing up in this city. This show is NY’s Finest!! It’s everything to me and it’s going to touch your SOUL!! I can’t wait for you to experience it!”
A synopsis for the show reads, “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,” the description continues. “Ali feels trapped until the sound of a neighbor playing piano opens the door to an unexpected friendship and a radically different future.”
The plot is inspired by Keys’ life. A New York native and a piano prodigy herself, it’s easy to make connections between “Ali” and the “If I Ain’t Got You” singer.
The music for the show will be derived from Keys’ beloved pop catalog. Though no songs have been announced just yet, if Keys goes with her biggest hits, the audience can look forward to dramatized versions of “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Girl on Fire,” and “Empire State of Mind.”
Photo credit: Ramon Rivas (from RCA Records)
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