Review: HELL'S KITCHEN at Paramount Theatre

Alicia Keys can write the hell out of a song. Her catalog has been the soundtrack to heartbreaks and first loves for more than two decades. Hell's Kitchen, the Grammy winner's semi-autobiographical musical now at the Paramount Theatre, is a welcome reminder of just how singular her music really is. The R&B musical may stumble as a coming-of-age drama, but as a celebration of Keys' artistry, it's, well, on fire.

The musical follows 17-year-old Ali (Maya Drake), an aspiring musician growing up in a cramped Hell's Kitchen apartment with her fiercely protective single mother, Jersey (Kennedy Caughell). Loosely inspired by Keys' own upbringing, the story traces Ali's search for independence as her absentee father reenters her life, she develops a huge crush on a neighborhood guy, and discovers her artistic voice under the stern guidance of her piano teacher, Miss Liza Jane (Roz White). The show mixes Keys' greatest hits with several original songs written specifically for the musical, making this feel less like a traditional jukebox musical and more like a natural extension of her body of work.

This isn't one of those jukebox musicals where familiar hits feel awkwardly shoehorned into a plot. Keys' music has been thoughtfully rearranged and woven into the narrative so naturally that even longtime fans may hear these songs differently. Classics like "Fallin'," "You Don't Know My Name," "If I Ain't Got You," "Girl on Fire," "No One," and "Empire State of Mind" all land with renewed vitality, while the new material blends seamlessly alongside them. Whether "If I Ain't Got You" made it onto every one of your crush's mix tapes, or simply know the radio hits, hearing this catalog performed live is a reminder that she's one of the great songwriters and pianists of the last twenty-five years.

The performances only amplify that feeling. Maya Drake anchors the production with charisma and vulnerability, capturing the impatience, freneticism, and grief of adolescence. Kennedy Caughell balances Jersey's overprotectiveness with enough tenderness that she never becomes a caricature. Desmond Sean Ellington brings so much charisma to Davis that, despite him being an absentee father who repeatedly disappoints his family, you almost understand why Jersey keeps letting herself believe he'll finally change. It's still frustrating to watch her get fooled over and over again, but Ellington's velvety vocals make his charm entirely believable. JonAvery Worrell brings an easygoing presence to Knuck, and he and Drake share terrific chemistry together. It's a shame that the musical saddles their romance with a subplot about Ali lying about her age. It's an unnecessary complication that undercuts their one of their otherwise endearing relationship. If that detail disappeared entirely, Jersey would still have plenty of reasons to disapprove of the relationship and very little about the plot would change.

This is one of a few issues I had with the plot. Hell's Kitchen's story doesn't nearly have the punch as everything surrounding it. 

There's an odd tension at the heart of the production. It's clearly inspired by Alicia Keys' life, yet it never fully commits to being her story. Instead, it's about "Ali," a fictional teenager whose coming-of-age journey ultimately feels more conventional than revelatory. If we're going to suspend our disbelief that this isn't Alicia Keys' story, then the narrative has to stand on its own. It mostly does, but it never becomes particularly memorable.

The book, by Kristoffer Diaz, sometimes settles for telling instead of showing. Characters have a habit of announcing exactly what they're feeling rather than allowing those emotions to emerge naturally. At one point Davis literally shrugs, "I guess I'll just never learn, huh?" Moments like that flatten conflicts that deserve more nuance. The musical also rushes through some of its most interesting ideas. Ali's struggle to define herself as a mixed-race teenager being raised by her white mother, her complicated relationship with her father, and her grief all carry genuine dramatic weight. Likewise, the quiet scenes between Ali and Miss Liza Jane during her piano lessons are among the production's most affecting. Roz White gives the stoic teacher a commanding presence that gradually reveals warmth beneath her stern exterior. Those moments hint at the emotional depth the musical is capable of. It just never lingers there for very long.

That said, the ensemble is the production's secret weapon. This is one of the strongest groups of singers and dancers I've seen in quite some time. Camille A. Brown's choreography is unbelievably dynamic and cool. Also, Robert Brill's scenic design was incredibly clever. I loved the way he played with height and depth with screen projections,  apartment windows, balconies, and scissor lifts. It's a clever way to make the setting's buildings feel towering.

Hell's Kitchen never quite finds the emotional complexity its best ideas promise. But when this cast launches into another impeccably sung Alicia Keys banger, those shortcomings become surprisingly easy to forgive. If you've ever had a soft spot for Alicia Keys, this production will remind you exactly why she's such a treasure.

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