Review: Heavenly voices in ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ at Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Mayank Keshaviah
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
The Public Theatre in New York City may be the theatrical equivalent of Max Martin or Quincy Jones in terms of its hitmaking history. The shows it has sent to Broadway over the years have included iconic, award-winning works like “Hair,” “A Chorus Line,” “The Normal Heart,” “Topdog/Underdog”, and more recently “Hamilton,” “Fun Home,” “Fat Ham,” “Suffs” and, yes, “Hell’s Kitchen.”
With humble beginnings in the “concrete jungle where dreams are made of,” the Public has a story similar to that of Alicia Keys, whose upbringing in the gritty titular midtown Manhattan neighborhood is the subject of her jukebox musical, which she began developing in 2011 with fellow New York native Kristoffer Diaz, who wrote the book.
In the opening number (“The Gospel”), Ali (an amazing Maya Drake in her national debut) introduces the audience to the people in her life, all of whom live in or around Manhattan Plaza, a residential apartment tower in the midtown Manhattan neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen. That includes her friends Tiny (Gigi Lewis) and Jessica (Marley Soleil), her mother Jersey (a powerhouse Kennedy Caughell), the musicians who live in the subsidized artist housing in the building, and the bucket drummers who hang out outside.
The angular, metallic grid-like structures within Robert Brill’s set design immediately evoke The Big Apple. Natasha Katz’s lighting and Peter Nigrini’s projections combine to create a striking visual effect of the elevator descending from the 42nd floor of the building, where Ali and her mother live. Dressed in an oversized orange FUBU jersey, complete with baggy jeans and Timbs (courtesy of costume designer Dede Ayite), Ali and the rest of the cast energetically execute Camille A. Brown’s 1990s hip-hop choreography, opening the show with NYC verve and attitude.
Because Ali’s father Davis (a velvety-voiced Desmond Sean Ellington) has been largely absent from her life, Jersey has become even more protective of her 17-year-old daughter, at times suffocating her independence. But as a typical teenager, Ali doesn’t give in easily, and a big part of her rebellion takes the form of a pursuing a relationship with Knuck (a soulful JonAvery Worrell), a charismatic 26-year-old street drummer who plays in her building's courtyard and works odd jobs around the city. A funny rendition of “You Don’t Know My Name” is the soundtrack to the first time she flirts with him.
When chasing after an older man isn’t occupying her mind, Ali is drawn to the piano, after she hears Miss Liza Jane (a charismatic and vocally potent Roz White) playing in the Ellington Room of Manhattan Plaza (“Kaleidoscope”). Recognizing Ali’s raw talent, Miss Liza becomes a mentor, surrogate grandmother, and confidant, but with an old-school stricture and sense of decorum.
The songs in the show are largely from Keys’ catalogue, though she wrote “Seventeen” for the musical, and two other numbers were previously unreleased tracks of hers. More than a few are beautiful duets, with standouts that include “Not Even the King / Teenage Love Affair,” which showcases how Ali’s parents first met, “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready),” which marks a major milestone in Knuck and Ali’s relationship, and “If I Ain’t Got You,” which Davis plays on the Ellington Room piano to try to reconnect with his daughter.
At the same time, the rearrangements of some of Keys’ iconic numbers lose elements that made them such bangers. “Girl on Fire” misses its classic crescendo and beat that goes hard, while “Fallin’,” though jazzier, loses its piano foundation and gospel-tinged chorus.
While the mother-daughter relationship is the spine of the story, Diaz’s book doesn’t shy away from the racial and political realities of former mayor Rudy Giuliani’s New York City in the late 1990s. Things come to a head when Jersey calls the police on Knuck and his friends, after which Ali refuses to speak to her mother, retreating to the Ellington Room. Miss Liza Jane finds Ali there, telling her, “Your rage is real. Your rage is earned. But I won’t let it defeat you.”
Michael Greif’s direction (among the show’s 13 Tony Award nominations) is excellent, as he maintains the frenetic energy of “the city that never sleeps.” His blocking, which keeps the ensemble ever present in and around more intimate scenes, reflects a place that is built up, not out, where your neighbors are always on top of you and in your business. The cast is stellar across the board, not only vocally, but in term of bringing the chutzpah and edge of true New Yorkers.
On opening night, Alicia Keys was in the house, and gave a curtain-call speech during which she thanked the company, designers, and crew, but also the audience for “supporting diverse voices and people on the stage.” As she put it, “It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s powerful, it’s unstoppable, it’s completely relatable…this show is for every generation, it’s for everybody.” I would have to say I agree.
“Hell’s Kitchen” continues through June 21 at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, with shows Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. For tickets and other information, visit BroadwayinHollywood.com or call the box office at 323-468-1770. Run time is 2 hours and 35 minutes, including intermission.