Alicia Keys Is in a Broadway State of Mind

This girl is on fire. Photo: Joan Marcus/all rights reserved

Alicia Keys will give her regards to Broadway. The singer’s musical Hell’s Kitchen will transfer this spring from the Public Theater to the Shubert Theatre. “What does it mean to have your dreams realized as the show moves to Broadway and be a part of this season and community?” Keys said in a voice note shared with Vulture. “Honestly, I just can’t believe it. I really can’t believe it. Because we’ve been working on this for so long.” “I’ve been working on Hell’s Kitchen for 13 years!!” Keys tweeted when the Public’s slate was announced on June 1. “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!!!!!!! 🌟 🌟 🌟” It’s her second theater project: She co-produced and wrote music for 2011’s Stick Fly. Hell’s Kitchen features music and lyrics by Keys. “When things do come together, and it is meant to be and you get to take things as far as you could imagine, even farther than you could ever imagine, it is fascinating,” Keys added. “It’s tremendously humbling and inspiring.”

The show is loosely based on the life of the Grammy-winning singer, who grew up in the musical’s eponymous Manhattan neighborhood, and features music from throughout her career alongside some original compositions for the show. The coming-of-age story follows Ali, a 17-year-old girl living in a tiny New York apartment who’s “chasing her New York dream, struggling to find herself, her voice, her identity,” Keys wrote. Tension between Ali and her protective mother arises when the teenager falls for a young drummer. It’s not until Ali hears the sound of a piano in a neighboring apartment that she begins to liberate herself through music — much like when we all heard the first chords of “Fallin’.” Hell’s Kitchen begins previews on March 28 before opening on April 20. Casting for the Broadway production has not yet been announced, but the Off Broadway run included Maleah Joi Moon in the lead role, Shoshana Bean and Brandon Victor Dixon as her parents, and Kecia Lewis as her piano teacher. The production was directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Rent). We can only hope that Broadway audiences will be fa-a-a-a-alllllllin’ in love with this show.