Hell’s Kitchen Musical: Cast, Songs, Tony Awards & History
The Tony Award-Winning Musical
HELL’S
KITCHEN
Book by Kristoffer Diaz • Music & Lyrics by Alicia Keys
Directed by Michael Greif • Choreographed by Camille A. Brown
Shubert Theatre, Broadway — April 20, 2024
The Story of a Girl
On Fire
Hell’s Kitchen is a semi-autobiographical jukebox musical featuring the music and lyrics of 16-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys, with a book by Kristoffer Diaz (Pulitzer Prize finalist for The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity). Set in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood in the 1990s, the musical follows Ali — a 17-year-old girl full of fire and ambition — as she falls in love, discovers music, clashes with her mother, and begins to understand who she is and who she is becoming.
The show is, in Keys’s own words, “a love story between a mother and a daughter” — and a love story with New York City itself. It describes, Keys told Good Morning America, “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.” It features more than 20 Alicia Keys songs — including “Empire State of Mind,” “Fallin’,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Girl on Fire,” and “No One” — alongside new music Keys wrote specifically for the production.
The musical premiered Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in October 2023, transferred to Broadway’s Shubert Theatre on 20 April 2024, and ran for 767 performances before closing on 22 February 2026. It earned 13 Tony Award nominations, winning Best Leading Actress (Maleah Joi Moon) and Best Featured Actress (Kecia Lewis). A national tour launched in October 2025.
Alicia Keys and Broadway — The Road to Hell’s Kitchen
Keys’s journey to Broadway began in 2011, when she produced original music for Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond at the James Earl Jones Theatre — a critically acclaimed play about a Black family on Martha’s Vineyard that unfortunately closed after 92 performances due to box office difficulties. The experience planted a seed. Keys began developing Hell’s Kitchen that same year, and by 2011 Kristoffer Diaz was attached to write the book. Director Michael Greif — four-time Tony nominee for shows including Rent and Dear Evan Hansen — joined in 2018. Development continued through the decade until the Public Theater announced its world premiere in 2023.
The Characters of
Manhattan Plaza
The world of Hell’s Kitchen is centred on Manhattan Plaza — a real subsidised housing complex in Hell’s Kitchen that was historically home to artists, musicians and performers. The characters who inhabit it represent the community that shaped a young Alicia Keys.
A fierce, passionate, restless 17-year-old who wants more than the world around her seems willing to give. Semi-autobiographical stand-in for the young Alicia Keys. Played on Broadway by Maleah Joi Moon (Tony Award winner) — a role requiring extraordinary vocal and emotional range.
A working woman, a singer, a protector. Jersey is fiercely protective of Ali — partly because of her own painful experiences with Davis, Ali’s unreliable father. Played Off-Broadway by Shoshana Bean and on Broadway by Shoshana Bean — whose voice earned some of the production’s most ecstatic reviews.
A gifted pianist and resident of Manhattan Plaza who notices Ali’s ear for music and begins teaching her to play. Terminally ill and keeping it from Ali. A warm, profound presence — and the character who most directly opens up Ali’s musical life. Played on Broadway by Kecia Lewis (Tony Award winner). Later in the run by Yolanda Adams.
A talented, charismatic, deeply unreliable piano player who was the love of Jersey’s life and is Ali’s largely absent father. His visits bring joy and heartbreak in equal measure. Played on Broadway by Brandon Victor Dixon. Later in the run by Tank (Durrell Babbs), Christopher Jackson, and Ne-Yo.
A young bucket drummer who hangs out in the courtyard of Manhattan Plaza. Ali’s first love. Older than Ali, unaware she is only 17. His entanglement with Ali and its consequences drive much of the second half. Played by Maleah Joi Moon‘s real-life co-star Chris Lee in the original productions.
Ali’s two closest friends at Manhattan Plaza — providing comic relief, solidarity, and the social fabric of teenage girlhood in 1990s New York. It is Tiny and Jessica who urge Ali to pursue Knuck in the show’s early scenes.
The Story —
Hell’s Kitchen, 1990s
Ali welcomes the audience to Manhattan Plaza in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. She introduces us to the people in her life: the musicians who make the building what it is; her friends Tiny and Jessica; and her mother Jersey, a working woman and singer who supports Rudy Giuliani’s policing policies and watches Ali with anxious love. Jersey notices Ali talking to Knuck, a bucket drummer who hangs out in the courtyard, and forces them to break off their interaction. Ali expresses her frustration — she yearns for independence, for experience, for more than her mother’s protective walls can contain.
Act One — Falling
Ali’s friends urge her to make a move on Knuck. Her awkward attempt fails — he turns her down, and shortly after, Jersey calls the police and has the drummers removed from the building. A furious Ali storms out but is caught by a sudden rainstorm and takes shelter in the building’s Ellington Room — a music practice space. There she finds Miss Liza Jane practising piano. She is transfixed. Liza Jane notices her and offers to teach her. Something in Ali’s life shifts.
Ali tracks Knuck down and they begin seeing each other. Jersey warns her against dating a musician — she knows this story. She fell for Davis, a piano player, and it broke her heart. Ali doesn’t listen. She and Knuck eventually sleep together. She throws herself into music lessons and her relationship simultaneously, riding the high of first love and first music. Jersey comes home to find Knuck asleep on the couch with Ali — she ejects him, and a scuffle breaks out in the lobby. Jersey called the police, who arrive and draw their weapons. No one is hurt, but the damage is done: Ali discovers Knuck didn’t know she was only 17.
Act Two — Grief and Growth
The aftermath of the lobby incident ripples outward. Ali refuses to speak to Jersey. Liza Jane consoles her and shares, with quiet devastation, her reflections on the racism she has survived — urging Ali to keep playing, to carry forward a legacy of music. Ali tracks down Knuck, but police harassment has forced him to consider leaving for Atlanta to stay with family. Liza Jane privately reveals to Jersey that she is terminally ill — and has been keeping this from Ali.
Jersey, desperate to reach Ali, calls Davis as a last resort. He arrives, charismatic and unreliable as ever. A tempted Jersey turns him down. Davis bonds with Ali over the piano — a moment of real warmth and connection. But when he hedges on when they’ll meet again, Ali realises his unreliability runs deep. Jersey tracks Davis down and warns him away from their daughter.
Knuck tells Ali he is moving to Atlanta. They part amicably — and Ali, for the first time, feels she has made an adult decision. She returns home to find the building silent. Miss Liza Jane has died. At the memorial held in the Ellington Room, Davis plays a eulogy on the piano. Ali joins in. The community sings together. Jersey, taking a chance, invites Davis to dinner — and he fails to show. But Ali commends her mother for trying. They resolve they still have each other. Ali faces the audience: she still has music, she still has her city, she still has her community. This is where dreams begin.
Manhattan Plaza — The Real Heart of the Story
Manhattan Plaza, which opened in 1977, is a federally subsidised housing development at 42nd Street and Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen. Facing financial collapse and unable to fill units at market rate, the complex eventually agreed to house artists — musicians, dancers, actors — at subsidised rents. It became a landmark of New York’s creative community: residents included Tennessee Williams, Alicia Keys, Larry David, Terrence Howard, Angela Lansbury, and hundreds of working musicians and performers. The building and its Ellington Room (named for Duke Ellington) are real. The community of artists who lived there is real. Hell’s Kitchen is their story as much as Keys’s.
The Music —
Brilliantly Reimagined
More than 20 Alicia Keys songs appear in Hell’s Kitchen, woven into the narrative with remarkable care. Several songs were newly written by Keys specifically for the show, filling dramatic gaps that her catalogue alone could not provide. Orchestrations were by Adam Blackstone and Tom Kitt, with arrangements by Keys and Blackstone. Music direction was by Dominic Fallacaro.
The New York Times described the singing, arrangements, and orchestrations as “thrilling.” The Los Angeles Times wrote that the show “soars whenever the gifted cast is singing one of Keys’ brilliantly reinterpreted hits.” The Guardian gave it five stars, marvelling that “not a single tune feels obligatorily wedged in.”
Songs in the Show — Act One
Songs in the Show — Act Two
Production History
Alicia Keys begins developing the musical in 2011, inspired by her experience producing music for the Broadway play Stick Fly that same year. Kristoffer Diaz is attached to write the book. Director Michael Greif joins in 2018. Development spans over a decade, with Keys writing new songs alongside the reimagining of her existing catalogue to serve the story.
The musical opens at The Public Theater on 24 October 2023, directed by Michael Greif, choreographed by Camille A. Brown. Starring Maleah Joi Moon (Ali), Shoshana Bean (Jersey), Kecia Lewis (Miss Liza Jane), Brandon Victor Dixon (Davis), and Chris Lee (Knuck). Originally scheduled to close 10 December, the run is extended twice — first to 23 December, then to 7 January 2024 — due to audience demand. The Guardian gives it five stars. Keys announces a Broadway transfer on 4 December 2023.
Previews begin 28 March 2024 at the Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street). Opening night: 20 April 2024. The production retains the full creative team and most of the cast from the Public. Scenic design by Robert Brill, costumes by Dede Ayite, lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Gareth Owen, projections by Peter Nigrini. On 22 March 2024, Keys performs “Kaleidoscope” with Maleah Joi Moon and the company on The Tonight Show. The production closes 22 February 2026 after 23 previews and 767 regular performances.
Hell’s Kitchen leads the 2024 Tony nominations alongside Stereophonic with 13 nominations — tied for the most of the season. Wins: Best Leading Actress in a Musical — Maleah Joi Moon (Ali) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical — Kecia Lewis (Miss Liza Jane). The show also wins the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, the Drama Desk Award, Chita Rivera Award, and multiple Lucille Lortel Awards.
The role of Davis sees celebrated replacements throughout the run: Tank (Durrell “Tank” Babbs) — Grammy-winning R&B singer — makes his Broadway debut in the role (March 2025), followed by Christopher Jackson (Hamilton original cast, May 2025) and Ne-Yo — also making his Broadway debut (November 2025). The role of Miss Liza Jane is taken over by Jessica Vosk (Jersey) and ultimately Yolanda Adams — the four-time Grammy-winning gospel legend — who joins as Miss Liza Jane in the final run of the show. The role of Jersey also sees Jessica Vosk join the company.
The national touring production launches at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio on 10 October 2025, with tennis legend Serena Williams joining the producing team. Scheduled to visit 30+ cities in its first year. The tour retains the original creative team including Michael Greif and Camille A. Brown. Tour cast features Amanda Reid (Ali), Kelsee Kimmel (Jersey), Angela Birchett (Miss Liza Jane), Brandon Victor Dixon (Davis), and Lamont Walker II (Knuck). Knuck’s Atlanta destination is changed in the tour to whichever city the production is currently playing.
Box Office
& Impact
Hell’s Kitchen was one of the strongest-grossing new musicals of the 2023–2024 Broadway season. Its highest weekly gross — $1,800,887.57 in the week ending 23 June 2024 — came in the wake of its Tony wins, a pattern that held throughout the summer. Average capacity across the run was 91.31% and the average ticket price was $109.45. The total Broadway gross reached over $115.8 million across the run.
The show ran for 2 hours and 35 minutes including one intermission — and was recommended for audiences aged 8 and up, with guidance that it contains strong language and references to violence and sex.
Awards &
Recognition
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Hell’s Kitchen | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Book of a Musical | Kristoffer Diaz | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Original Score | Alicia Keys | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award ✦ | Best Leading Actress in a Musical | Maleah Joi Moon | Won ✦ |
| 2024 | Tony Award ✦ | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Kecia Lewis | Won ✦ |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Brandon Victor Dixon | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Direction of a Musical | Michael Greif | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Choreography | Camille A. Brown | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Scenic Design — Musical | Robert Brill | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Costume Design — Musical | Dede Ayite | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Lighting Design — Musical | Natasha Katz | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Sound Design — Musical | Gareth Owen | Nominated |
| 2024 | Tony Award | Best Projection Design | Peter Nigrini | Nominated |
| 2024 | Grammy Award ✦ | Best Musical Theater Album | Hell’s Kitchen Cast Recording | Won ✦ |
| 2024 | Drama Desk Award ✦ | Outstanding Musical | Hell’s Kitchen | Won ✦ |
| 2024 | Drama Desk Award ✦ | Outstanding Actress — Musical | Maleah Joi Moon | Won ✦ |
| 2024 | Drama Desk Award ✦ | Outstanding Featured Actress | Kecia Lewis | Won ✦ |
| 2024 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Production of a Musical | Hell’s Kitchen | Nominated |
| 2024 | Lucille Lortel Award ✦ | Outstanding Musical | Hell’s Kitchen (Off-Broadway) | Won ✦ |
| 2024 | Chita Rivera Award ✦ | Outstanding Choreography | Camille A. Brown | Won ✦ |
| 2024 | Theatre World Award ✦ | Outstanding Broadway Debut | Maleah Joi Moon | Won ✦ |
Critical Reception —
Best of its Kind
Both the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions were greeted with strongly positive reviews, with critics widely considering Hell’s Kitchen among the finest examples of the jukebox musical format. The performances of Maleah Joi Moon, Shoshana Bean, and Kecia Lewis were singled out across almost every major notice.
The Book — A Critical Conversation
The most common critical reservation concerned the book. The Los Angeles Times noted that Kristoffer Diaz’s writing has “a stakes problem that’s evident throughout” — perhaps, it suggested, because of his reluctance to intrude on areas so personal to Keys. The New Yorker’s Helen Shaw, in a mixed notice, wrote that the show “sometimes appeared as a private communication, one not meant to be shared more widely.” The New York Post felt the show “sounds great, lacks story.” Against this, many critics — and audiences, who responded with huge enthusiasm — felt the emotional and musical force of the production more than compensated.
Maleah Joi Moon — A Star Is Born
The production’s most consistent and unqualified triumph was Maleah Joi Moon’s performance as Ali. At the time of casting she was a relatively unknown performer — and her performance as a 17-year-old girl who discovers music, love, and herself over the course of one New York summer became one of the most celebrated Broadway debut performances in recent memory. Her Tony win for Best Leading Actress was not only unanimous in critical circles but represented a genuinely historic moment: she was one of the youngest recipients of the award in the category’s history. The Theatre World Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Grammy (shared with the company) completed an extraordinary sweep of the industry’s recognition.
