Even before Hell's Kitchen opened at the Public Theater last fall, a jukebox featuring music inspired by and inspired by the life of Alicia Keys, one of today's most widely admired pop and R&B stars. -It seemed inevitable that the musical would move to Broadway. But in some ways, the downtown venue was a more natural location for “Kitchen,” the story of an uptight teenage girl's growth as a woman and an artist.
Nevertheless, the show arrived at the Shubert Theater with an excellent principal cast (lovingly directed by Michael Greif) and a lively book and score intact, making the transition seamless for the most part. It feels like. The troupe is led by the bubbly Marea Joy Moon, who made her professional debut on the public stage as 17-year-old Ali, a character based on Ms. Keyes in her youth, but with a notable There is a difference. Keys had already graduated at the top of her class at the Professional Performing Arts School, and three years later she had secured a sensational record deal.
In contrast, Ali focuses more on a young man on his feet who plays drums on a corner near the building where he lives with his single mother, a haven for artists in need of affordable housing. Masu. “Kitchen,” like all of her work, appears to be a love letter to Keyes' own single mother. Here she is described as a hardworking and fiercely protective woman, known as Jersey.
We also meet Ali's father, Davis. Davis is a fascinating musician who appears on screen and disappears, rarely appearing when needed. He and Jersey are played by formidable singers Brandon Victor Dixon and Shoshana Bean, respectively. Mr. Dixon's lustrous voice, in particular, lends itself well to the soulful songs written by Mr. Keys and his many collaborators. (Unfortunately, her numerous co-authors are only listed on the back of the flyer.)
Ms. Bean, by contrast, is very likable in the role, though she tries a little too hard. Although primarily a Broadway stage actress whose previous roles include Elphaba in Wicked and regionally Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, the actress can easily slip into vocal melodrama. These songs are often accompanied by over-the-top pop embellishments. Singers have regularly enjoyed this song since Mariah Carey's early heyday.
In a recent preview, Jersey performed a song expressing her dissatisfaction with Davies, but Ms. Bean had what might best be described as a melismatic meltdown and looked as if she was about to stomp on him. He was bending notes and shouting. To be fair, the audience loved it. There's no easier way to win the hearts of modern Broadway audiences than to make some loud noises and sing at the top of your lungs.
At the beginning of this performance, Ms. Moon's own wonderful vocals seemed to be considerably overamplified, but Gareth Owen's sound design works well throughout the numbers, which are interspersed with new songs. . The same can be said of Camille A. Brown's choreography, which captures the aspirational, if sometimes frenetic, energy of Ms. Keyes' work.
Christopher Diaz's books, like any book made for jukebox outings, can be too cutesy or too obvious when woven into his work. When Ali's friends teasingly point out that her eventual lover, Nack, hasn't noticed her yet, one breaks into “You Don't Know My Name.” Later, an affair begins when Jersey and Davis meet to discuss her daughter's problems, and the two break into “Fallin'.”
Some settings feel less contrived and more convincing. Miss Liza Jane, the older woman who sparks Ali's interest in the piano, played by a poignant and authoritative Kecia Lewis, comforts the young woman in a moment of devastation and offers her a “perfect way to die.” , the perfect way to die.” ” A poignant account of grief and resilience. And “Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)” becomes a lovely showcase for the budding romance between Ali and Chris Lee's sensitive and adorable Knack.
The show inevitably ends with the eternally inescapable “Empire State of Mind.” It's presented here as a crazy production number that's simultaneously cheesy and unsettling. This is a vehicle made for Broadway, so I think it will be used there for a while.
