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Alicia Keys‘Semi-autobiographical, coming of age broadway The musical is all about growing up and leaving the nest. And, like any happy parent, Keys may be there occasionally.
“Hell’s Kitchen” has assembled a new cast cleveland for a national tour that will take them across the South, Midwest and West in 28 city parades through 2026.
Keys says, “It’s great to know that it’s going to go all over the country and this artist, let me tell you, is out of control. They’re that good.” “Obviously, not everyone can reach new york City. Not everyone can go to Broadway.”
Those listening to music on the road may also be in for an extra treat. Keys says she may appear as a fairy godmother at certain stops while traveling across the country.
“As an artist, I love bringing my energy to other artists. It’s a really gratifying feeling. So, I’ll be the fairy godmothering. You never know where you’ll see me.”
a coming of age story
“Hell’s Kitchen” is about a 17-year-old pianist from New York who is inspired by Keys songs such as “Fallin’,” “No One,” “Girl on Fire,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” as well as several new songs including “Kaleidoscope.”
It focuses 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 a rough area called Hell’s Kitchen. She learns to hone her musical skills, falls in love, and sometimes reconciles with her overbearing mother.
Keys hopes audiences will come to see her music, story, and diverse cast: “It’s really exciting to be able to go somewhere and see yourself on stage or see your experience represented.”
Ali is 18-year-old Maya on tour FlyA recent high school graduate from San Jose, California, who endured a long, rigorous audition process. She was a fan of Keys before music came on her radar.
Drake says, “The fact that I get to put on a show with someone else’s music and of all people, it happens to be his – I’m very lucky with that.” “Just having that relationship is very special, and it makes the show 10 times more entertaining.”
As part of her audition process, Drake came to New York to see “Hell’s Kitchen” on Broadway, starring Jade Milan in the role of Ali. “It’s so cool to see it for the first time and she never leaves the stage,” says Drake, who remembers thinking: “It would be crazy to be a part of something that big.”
After the tour cast was announced, the cast was invited on stage at the Shubert Theater for a post-performance cheer, and Drake got a chance to meet and talk to legends like Jessica Wosk and Ksenia Lewis, who won Tony Awards in the show.
“That was a really special moment,” she says. “Sharing advice and getting insight from people currently doing the show helped us understand what you’re going through and some things that can help.”
The tour coincides with the publication of “Hell’s Kitchen: Behind the Dream”, a photo-heavy book chronicling the show’s 13-year development – from crafting the show with book writer Chris 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 visits Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Denver, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, San Diego and other cities.
Drake, naturally, is looking forward to the show heading to California, especially a stop in San Francisco, which is the closest stop for friends and family from San Jose. He’s also excited to get on the road.
“I haven’t really traveled much in my life, which is kind of ironic because I’m supposed to travel a lot,” says Drake, who trained at the Children’s Musical Theater San Jose. “I’m definitely excited to go everywhere.”
Keys, who saw the show win two Tony Awards and a 2025 Grammy for best musical theater album, thinks a musical about her old New York neighborhood could take off in the Big Apple.
“It’s definitely a story inspired by my experiences growing up in New York City. And, yes, it’s a New York story, 1,000%. The thing is, though, the story is really 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.”