The 17‑time Grammy Award–winning singer‑songwriter and pianist Alicia Keys brings a slice of her life to the stage with the Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen,” inspired by her New York upbringing. The Tony Award–winning show made its St. Louis premiere this week at The Fabulous Fox as part of its national tour.
To most, Hell’s Kitchen calls to mind the Gordon Ramsay reality show. But in New York, it’s a vibrant, diverse neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side. Keys uses this musical to reintroduce the name as she’s always known it: a place where artists of every discipline collide.
With playwright Kristoffer Diaz, Keys blends her platinum hits — from “Unthinkable (I’m Ready)” to her Jay‑Z collaboration “Empire State of Mind” — with her lived experience in Hell’s Kitchen to craft a coming‑of‑age story that explores both triumph and the harsh realities of navigating life in her neighborhood and beyond.
With her music as the backbone, Keys weaves a story that drops audiences right into 1990s Hell’s Kitchen. Ali is introduced on her way to school. She described the music she would hear in the elevator on the way down—classical here, salsa there — a soundtrack to the neighborhood’s cultural mix. Baggy pants, athletic tops, and towering metal scaffolding further cements the audience in the era.
Songs like “Girl on Fire” pulls viewers deeper into that world, transforming the stage into a live‑action music video. Dancers climb and flip across the scaffolding, their breakdance‑driven movement capturing the neighborhood’s pulse. A rap break channels early‑’90s Queen Latifah energy, celebrating self‑love and women’s empowerment.
The audience becomes enchanted with “Hell’s Kitchen” early on, thanks in part to Camille A. Brown’s high‑energy choreography. And while the story centers on Ali, portrayed by Maya Drake, her mother Jersey drives the action. Kennedy Caughell commands the stage as Jersey, particularly in “Teenage Love Affair” and “Fallin’,” where she gives Keys’ R&B hits a Broadway‑ready twist.
Certain numbers within the production also reveal her complicated relationship with Davis, Ali’s father. Desmond Sean Ellington plays the charming ladies’ man so convincingly that one can feel both the spark of their romance and the sting when he lets her down.
The audience watches him win Jersey over — and the damage his fleeting love leaves behind. Cheers erupted when Jersey unleashed “Pawn It All,” cutting Davis down to size in the middle of a pivotal piano audition.
Another standout is Black Rep veteran Roz White as Miss Liza Jane, radiating warmth with every note. Through her lessons with Ali, the audience learns the history of the keys and the legacy of pianists like Hazel Scott. Hell’s Kitchen then carries its audience through Keys’ discography while threading in themes of hope and self‑discovery. Keys’ own career hints at where the story is headed, but the musical still leaves viewers wondering how Ali will build on the legacy of her mentor.
The St. Louis leg of the national tour of Hell’s Kitchen continues through February 8 at The Fabulous Fox. For showtimes, tickets and additional information, visit fabulousfox.com or metrotix.com.
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
