Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The hugely entertaining HELL’S KITCHEN lands on Broadway, shinier, more focused, and more emotionally resonant than before

• By drediman
• April 27, 2024
• No Comments

Last night at the flagship Shubert Theatre, I had the opportunity to catch the Main Stem transfer of Hell’s Kitchen, otherwise known as the Alicia Keys jukebox musical. Admittedly, I was a tad underwhelmed when I caught the new musical last fall when it premiered Off-Broadway at the revered Pubic Theater — I felt that its “slight” book lacked gravitas and a real reason for being. Well, I’m eating my hat as I type out this review. On its trip uptown, Hell’s Kitchen has become shinier, more focused, and more emotional resonant. It’s also that much more entertaining.

In actuality, the musical — which is loosely based on Keys’ experience as a teenager growing up in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, particularly with respect to her turbulent relationship with her mother — hasn’t changed fundamentally from its Off-Broadway days. I credit director Michael Greif and his superb cast (more on them later) for expanding and sharpening the musical for the Great White Way. Indeed, the staging hits just the right tone for the piece. Throughout, Keys’ thrillingly re-orchestrated songs viscerally hit the mark, thanks in large part to Gareth Owen’s enveloping, much improved sound design. This second time around, I now also more fully appreciated the sensitivity and relatively modest scale of Kristoffer Diaz’s book. Too many new musicals attempt to tackle too much; here, Diaz seamlessly weaves in pressing contemporary themes into the narrative without hitting the audience over the head, all the while thoughtfully developing characters and their relationships. In my mind, the special sauce that holds everything together is Camille A. Brown’s exhilarating choreography — her dance ensemble, which seemed cramped at the Newman, is allowed to breathe on the larger Shubert stage — is a pure joy to watch, bringing a kinetic energy that’s reminiscent of the city in which the musical is set. Unsurprisingly, he musical ends as a heartfelt love letter to the Big Apple, sending audiences out into the streets of the Theater District inspired and alive.

The sensationally-sung performances have also become punchier and more finely-etched. As I mentioned in my review of the Off-Broadway production, Moon is simply a star. If you can imagine, her performance as Ali is now even spunkier and more lovable; she holds the Broadway stage effortlessly. As her concerned mother, the ever emotive Shoshana Bean acts and sings the heck out of the role. Most importantly, the scenes between Bean and Moon are grounded and deeply human. Rounding out the cast are the commanding Kecia Lewis as Ali’s piano teacher, the smooth-voiced Brandon Victor Dixon — who gets the award for most improved player — as her charismatic if inconsistent father, and Chris Lee doing disarming work as her tough-looking love interest.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

HELL’S KITCHEN
Broadway, Musical
Shubert Theatre
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run