NEW YORK – Alicia Keys is sending her semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age Broadway musical out into the world. Like any proud parent, she plans to check in from time to time.
The musical, titled “Hell’s Kitchen,” has assembled a fresh cast in Cleveland, ready to embark on a national tour. This tour promises to take audiences on a journey across the South, Midwest, and West, with a remarkable 28-city schedule stretching through 2026.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to know that this production will reach audiences all over the country, especially for those who can’t make it to New York City or catch a Broadway show,” says Keys. “And this new cast? They’re absolutely phenomenal.”
For those planning to catch “Hell’s Kitchen” on its nationwide trek, there might be a delightful surprise in store. Keys has hinted that she might make guest appearances at select performances, stepping into the role of a fairy godmother as the musical travels coast to coast.
“I find immense joy in sharing my energy with fellow artists. It’s a deeply fulfilling experience,” Keys shares. “So, I’ll be playing fairy godmother. You never know where I might pop up.”
This coming-of-age story is set to enchant audiences nationwide, leaving an indelible mark as it journeys beyond the bright lights of Broadway.
“Hell’s Kitchen” is about 17-year-old New York piano prodigy fueled by Keys songs like “Fallin’,” “No One,” “Girl on Fire,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” as well as several new songs, including “Kaleidoscope.”
It centers on a young woman named Ali, who like Keys, is the daughter of a white mother and a Black father and is growing up in a subsidized housing development just outside Times Square in the once-rough neighborhood called Hell’s Kitchen. She learns to hone her music skills, falls in love and reconciles with her sometimes overbearing mom.
Keys hopes audiences will come for her music, the story and the diverse cast: “It’s really exciting to be able to go somewhere and see yourself on the stage or to see your experience played out.”
The Ali on tour is 18-year-old Maya Drake, a recent high school graduate from San Jose, California, who endured a long, rigorous audition process. She was a fan of Keys before the musical popped up on her radar.
“The fact that I get to be in a show with somebody else’s music and, of all the people, it gets to be her — I got so lucky with that,” says Drake. “Just to have that connection is so special, and it makes the show feel 10 times more enjoyable.”
As part of her audition process, Drake came to New York to watch “Hell’s Kitchen” on Broadway, starring Jade Milan as Ali. “It’s a lot seeing it for the first time and she never leaves the stage,” says Drake, who remembers thinking: “To be a part of something that big would just be crazy.”
After the tour cast was announced, the actors were invited onstage at the Shubert Theatre to cheers after a performance, and Drake got to meet and speak to veterans like Jessica Vosk and Kecia Lewis, who won a Tony Award in the show.
“That was a really special moment,” she says. “Sharing advice and getting insight from the people that are currently doing the show helped us understand what you’re about to get into and some things that can help.”
The tour coincides with the publication of “Hell’s Kitchen: Behind the Dream,” a photo-heavy book that charts the show’s 13-year evolution — from crafting the show with book writer Kris Diaz and director Michael Greif to how it would end up with costumes, casting, choreography and staging.
Life on the road
After Cleveland, the tour goes to Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Denver, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, San Diego and other cities.
Drake is, naturally, looking forward to the show going to California, especially the stop in San Francisco, the closest stop for friends and family from San Jose. She’s also excited to be on the road.
“I really have not traveled a bunch of my life, which is kind of ironic because I’m about to do a lot of traveling,” says Drake, who trained at the Children’s Musical Theater San Jose. “I’m definitely excited to go everywhere.”
Keys, who watched the show win two Tony Awards and the 2025 Grammy for best musical theater album, thinks the musical about her old New York neighborhood can thrive away from the Big Apple.
“This is a story inspired by my experiences growing up in New York City, for sure. And, yes, it is a New York story, 1,000%. The thing is, though, the story truly is timeless,” she says. “It’s such an emotional, honest, raw, authentic story that it doesn’t matter if it’s in Cleveland, or if it’s in Detroit, or if it’s in Manhattan or Atlanta.”
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