Английская Википедия:Hell's Kitchen (musical)

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Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Infobox Musical Hell's Kitchen is a stage jukebox musical, co-conceived and directed by Michael Greif with songs by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys and a book by Kristoffer Diaz. It is inspired by and loosely based on the early life of Alicia Keys in Manhattan Plaza. The musical ran from October 24, 2023, to January 7, 2024 as part of The Public Theater's 2023–24 season.

Development

In 2011 Alicia Keys was involved as one of the producers and music composer of the 2012 Broadway musical Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond. Although it was critically acclaimed, the musical closed due to financial failures in the box office at James Earl Jones Theatre after 24 preview performances and 92 regular performances. In a 2023 interview for Ebony, Keys explained that she was inspired by its "story about a Black family in Martha's Vineyard" and that at that time "there was less diversity in so many ways, particularly in film and television, and definitely in theater".

Plot

Act 1

Ali, a 17 year-old girl, welcomes the audience to Manhattan Plaza in the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan and introduces the people in her life: the musicians who make up the artist housing in Manhattan Plaza; her friends, Tiny and Jessica; and her mother Jersey. Jersey notices Ali interacting with Knuck, a bucket drummer who is part of a group that hangs out in the building, and forces them to break off their interaction ("The Gospel"). Ali expresses frustration over her mother's protective efforts and yearns for independence ("The River"). Jersey defends her protectiveness to Ray, the building manager, and her friends Crystal and Millie, pointing out that Ali is only seventeen years old and is still naïve and impulsive ("Seventeen").

While hanging out, Ali and her friends notice Knuck and the drummers practicing in the building's courtyard: Tiny and Jessica urge her to make a move ("You Don't Know My Name"). Ali's attempt by putting on an affect proves unsuccessful, with Knuck turning her down; shortly after, he and the other drummers are kicked out of the building, due to Jersey calling the police to lodge a noise complaint. Ali throws a tantrum and storms out of the apartment, but is prevented from leaving the building due to a sudden rainstorm. Hiding in the building's Ellington Room (a music practice room) she notices one of the building's residents Miss Liza Jane practicing piano, and becomes enamored with what she hears; Liza Jane notices her and sternly but sincerely offers to teach her to play ("Kaleidoscope"). Ali tracks Knuck down to a paint job in Gramercy Park, where he hesitantly agrees to potentially see her again in a romantic setting ("Gramercy Park"). Jersey again tells Ali not to see Knuck, warning against dating a musician due to her own personal experiences: she recalls falling for Ali's father, Davis, over his piano playing in Tompkins Square Park ("Not Even the King") but laments his continued broken promises and inability to keep plans. Ali continues to pursue Knuck, eventually sleeping with him at his apartment ("Teenage Love Affair"). She stumbles into the Ellington Room on accident where she meets Miss Liza Jane, who makes her sit down for a lesson, teaching her some basics of playing piano. Ali once again finds herself enamored with the music ("Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)").

Ali rides the high of her relationship and her newfound love of music with the encouragement of Jessica, despite Tiny warning her of the danger if Jersey finds out ("Girl on Fire"). She invites Knuck over while Jersey is at work; Jersey returns home to find them asleep on the couch and angrily ejects Knuck from the apartment. While leaving, Knuck is shocked to learn that Ali is only seventeen. Jersey chases Ali as she follows Knuck down to the lobby, where he gets into a brief scuffle with Ray as he and his fellow drummers try to leave. Ali once again yells at Jersey for interfering in her life, accusing her of ruining her relationship because Jersey could not keep her own; Jersey slaps her in response. They are interrupted by the arrival of the police, who immediately draw their weapons, terrifying the lobby crowd (who, with the exception of Jersey, are all people of color). In the aftermath, which saw Knuck briefly held in police custody, Ali refuses to speak to her mother and retreats to the Ellington Room, where Liza Jane consoles her by pointing out the situation could have been much worse; she reflects on the racism she herself has experienced and urges Ali to continue learning to play so that she may continue a legacy of music ("Perfect Way to Die").

Act 2

The residents of Manhattan Plaza expressed their shared struggles and goals, while Miss Liza Jane is escorted by Ray from a doctor's appointment ("Authors of Forever"). Ali continues to refuse to speak with Jersey ("Heartburn"). Jersey confronts Liza Jane in the Ellingtom Room to assert her role as Ali's mother, but Liza Jane reveals she has been hiding from Ali that she is terminally ill and likely does not have much longer to live. Ali arrives for her lesson and angrily throws Jersey out, later admitting to Liza Jane sometimes she would prefer if she was her mother. Liza Jane elects to end the lesson, telling Ali she should appreciate the time she has with her mother. Jersey tries to get Ali to talk to her, but is refused ("Love Looks Better"); as a last resort, she reaches out to Davis to come talk to his daughter. Ali tracks down Knuck at his paint job ("Work on It"), but is rebuffed: he tells her after being handcuffed by the police they kept surveilling him and made it impossible for him to continue his daily activities, resulting in him escaping to Atlanta to spend time with family for several weeks.

Davis arrives at the apartment, where Jersey unloads her guilt over having nearly risked Ali and the other residents' lives by calling the police, as well as having put Knuck through the ordeal when it was Ali she was trying to punish. Davis tries to offer his support, but mainly flirts with Jersey ("Fallin"). Though tempted, Jersey turns him down, and points out he has continually been absent in Ali's life. Ali heads to the Ellington Room but finds Miss Liza Jane absent and falls asleep there; when she wakes up she discovers Davis, who tries to bond with her and gauge her piano skills by playing a song together ("If I Ain't Got You"). Ali is cheered up by spending time with her father, but soon realizes his unreliability when he pushes off meeting up again due to prioritizing an audition. Jersey consoles Ali afterwards, and encourages her to go talk to Knuck. She then tracks down Davis at his audition and warns him to stay away from Ali, refusing to let him hurt their daughter as he has hurt her ("Pawn It All"). Ali meets with Knuck and convinces him to sit down and talk; Knuck reveals he is planning to move in with his family in Atlanta, due to having found community there ("Like You'll Never See Me Again"). The two part on amicable terms; though Ali is saddened that they no longer have a chance at a relationship, she finds solace in realizing she has made a decision as an adult for the first time ("When It's All Over"). When she returns home, however, she discovers the normally music-laden building silent; arriving at her apartment, she encounters Jersey who tearfully informs her of Miss Liza Jane's passing.

They attend the service held in the Ellington Room, where Ali refuses to engage with the other mourners. Davis arrives and offers a eulogy expressing gratitude for Liza Jane for helping his daughter, and plays a tune on the piano. Ali eventually joins in, leading the mourners in a song ("Hallelujah/Like Water"). Jersey takes a chance and invites Davis to have dinner with her and Ali the following Friday; to their disappointment, Davis fails to show up. Ali finally commends her mother for trying her hardest, and the two resolve that they still have each other ("No One"). Ali tells the audience their relationship continues to be rocky, but they are on steadier ground. She admits sorrow over Knuck's departure and Miss Liza Jane's passing, but continues to pursue music and expresses fondness for her community in Hell's Kitchen ("Empire State of Mind").

Production history

Off-Broadway (2023)

Keys began developing the play in 2011, and that year Diaz was attached to the project. In 2018, Greif, was appointed as the musical's director. By February 2023, the main roles were cast, and casting call for remaining roles was released on February 6 and auditions were held on February 17, 2023, at Actors' Equity New York Audition Center.

In June 2023, Keys announced she had written her first jukebox musical Hell's Kitchen inspired by her own life and career in New York City. According to Keys, the musical is a "love story between a mother and a daughter", and in an interview on Good Morning America, Keys stated that the play describes "the experience of growing up in New York City, really chasing a dream, trying to find who you are, discovering your identity, and really following your heart, ultimately". Tickets went on sale in August 2023. The production was originally set to run from October 24 to December 10, 2023., but on September 12, a two-week extension to December 23, was announced. In October 2023, another two-week extension to January 7, was announced. The play will feature some of Keys's best known songs, as well as new music written by Keys specifically for the play. The musical began previews on October 24, 2023, at The Public Theater with an opening night of November 19. The off-broadway production is directed by Michael Greif . The show features choreography by Camille A. Brown, scenic design by Robert Brill, costume design by Dede Ayite and lighting design by Natasha Katz.

Broadway (2024)

On December 4, 2023, Alicia Keys announced that the production will transfer to the Shubert Theatre on Broadway. The show is expected to begin previews on March 28, 2024, with an opening night scheduled for April 20, 2024. Casting was announced on February 7, 2024. Further casting was announced on February 26, 2024, with Rema Webb joining the cast as Crystal, Nyseli Vega as Millie, and Takia "Tiki" Hopson joining the ensemble. The rest of the cast is the same as the Public.

Musical numbers

Act I

• "The Gospel"
• "The River"
• "Seventeen"
• "You Don't Know My Name"
• "Kaleidoscope"
• "Gramercy Park"
• "Not Even the King"
• "Teenage Love Affair"
• "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"
• "Girl on Fire"
• "Perfect Way to Die"

Act II

• "Authors of Forever"
• "Heartburn"
• "Love Looks Better"
• "Work on It"
• "Authors of Forever (Reprise)"
• "Fallin"
• "If I Ain't Got You"
• "Pawn It All"
• "Like You'll Never See Me Again"
• "When It's All Over"
• "Hallelujah/Like Water"
• "No One"
• "Empire State of Mind"

Instrumentation

The show's orchestrations are by Adam Blackstone and Tom Kitt, with arrangements by Keys and Blackstone. Kitt figured as music consultant, with music coordination by Kristy Norter and music direction by Dominic Fallacaro.

Cast and characters

Character	Off-Broadway
	2023
Ali	Maleah Joi Moon
Jersey	Shoshana Bean
Davis	Brandon Victor Dixon
Ray	Chad Carstarphen
Tiny	Vanessa Ferguson
Crystal	Crystal Monee Hall
Junio/Q	Jakeim Hart
Millie	Mariand Torres
Riq	Lamont Walker II
Knuck	Chris Lee
Jessica	Jackie Leon
Miss Liza Jane	Kecia Lewis

Critical response

The Off-Broadway production received mostly positive reviews, being considered among the best examples jukebox musical. The performances by Maleah Joi Moon of Ali and Shoshana Bean of Jersey were praised by critics both for acting and singing.

In a 5 out of 5 star review, Lauren Mechling of The Guardian wrote that "If this show doesn't bullet to Broadway, we should all give up", appreciating the set design, choreography and the songs lyrics and rhythms, which "have been refreshed for the purposes of the story, and not a single tune feels obligatorily wedged in". Sara Holdren of Vulture stressed that Hell's Kitchen "is unquestionably a slick commercial machine" and "able to pull off the feat of making the musically familiar feel brand new", avoing the "and-trite as often as it does because of the sheer force of its performances". Jesse Green from The New York Times commented that "over the course of 11 songs, the first act does the work of ambitious first acts everywhere: expanding the show's horizon to the larger world in which the action takes place" while the songs "fit into the story (and into the mouths of a variety of characters) without too much jimmying. If they don't, the situation is acknowledged effectively" and described the singing, arrangements and orchestrations in the musical as "thrilling".

Aramide Tinubu of Variety described the musical as "a sparkling story paying homage to New York, to that beautiful and heartbreaking transition between girlhood and womanhood", telling both "mother/daughter relationships" and " the issues underlying New York City in the '90s, ... and over-policing in communities of color". Tinubu affirmed that even if "sometimes feel cliché, bordering on corny", the cast "dynamism keeps the show from falling into pure melodrama", becoming "a quintessential musical". Charles McNulty of Los Angeles Times wrote that Hell's Kitchen "made a believer of this jukebox musical denier", pointing out that it "soars whenever the gifted cast is singing one of Keys' brilliantly reinterpreted hits.", which were "artfully reimagined". Nevertheless, McNulty emphasizes that the book "has a stakes problem that's evident throughout" probably because Kristoffer Diaz "not wanting to intrude into areas that are so personal to Keys".

In a mixed review, Helen Shaw of The New Yorker wrote that the musical sometimes appeared as "a private communication, one not meant to be shared more widely", comparing it to The Gardens of Anuncia by Michael John LaChiusa because of their "certain cipher-like quality" and narration about "women with precocious success look back at their driven childhoods and edit out their grind and ambition in favor of a warm appreciation for their caretakers".

External links

• Official Website