Through November 1
Hell’s Kitchen, straight from Broadway, has come to Cleveland’s Playhouse Square. It got a warm welcome from the packed State Theatre audience on the official Opening Night (October 15). It was well-deserved.
Whether it was stage-shakin’ dancing or soulful songs, the production did honor to the idea that it takes both grit and love to weld one’s life and dreams into a productive whole. Alicia Keys (music and lyrics), Kristoffer Diaz (book), Adam Blackstone (music supervision), Camille A. Brown (choreography), and Michael Greif (director) created the show, which is still running on Broadway.
The title refers not to Hell but to an area in Manhattan, actually a rather nice one (today) with views of the Hudson River and proximity to great food (Sullivan Street bakery comes right to mind—yum). Teen-age Ali (Maya Drake) and her long-suffering mother (Kennedy Caughell) live in a high-rise apartment building near Times Square (and the theatre district).
The plot, classic in its simplicity, illustrates a “hero’s quest,” where Ali, like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, must find her own power with the help of others she meets along the way. We see it’s a vibrant city right away when the show opens with everyone dancing—it seemed like hundreds, but dozens is more likely.
The set is both clever and simple and it’s delightful early on when Ali shows us all the floors as the elevator moves up. Each floor is a tiny town on its own, one full of vocalists, another packed with actors, the next with poets, and so on.
Drake is a perfect Ali. She makes us believe in her teen angst (and yes, recall our own) as she sings and dances her way through Keys’ hit music. Caughell, as Jersey (Ali’s mother), seems too young to be a mother, but that’s the point—or one of them. Her struggle to steer her daughter away from perils she herself knows all too well makes her a hero too.
Another hero is Miss Liza Jane (Roz White) who shows Ali how to make the piano soul-revealing and healing. She’s a piano teacher extraordinaire for a troubled teen and knows exactly how to motivate and comfort her young friend/student.)
We had a fun moment when Jonavery Worrell (as Knuck, the man Ali pursues) says he might move to Cleveland. Yes, I suspect that name changes as the show moves on, but the front row seats (and much of the audience responded so happily that I think I saw a few tears of laughter as Worrell stayed bravely in character.
Listen for Grammy-winner Keys’ songs such as “Fallin’,” “No One,” “Girl on Fire,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” and “Empire State of Mind.” Keys has also contributed new music too.
A small ensemble, mostly offstage, directed by Emily Orr, provided seamless musical backup. Some of us wished we’d remembered our ear plugs, but what’s new about sound problems? It’s hard to manage in such a huge venue.
The creative team also included scenic designer Robert Brill, costume designer Dede Ayite, lighting designer Natasha Katz, sound designer Gareth Owen, projection designer Peter Nigrini, hair and wig designer Mia Neal, and makeup designer Michael Clifton.
Bottom Line: Mesmerizing introduction to the wonders of Miz Alicia Keys. Go if you can.