Over the years, New York City has undergone such radical transformation. Gentrification has left a lasting imprint on the natural fabric of the Big Apple and transplant culture has overtaken the spirit of the city. Nowadays, there’s a higher likelihood of coming across visitors and tourists in the streets of NYC than occupants who were front and center during the notorious 03’ Black Out or when street phones were a standard go-to. However, Alicia Keys’s popular musical “Hell’s Kitchen” reminds us of the good ole’ days.
Whether one favors nostalgia or prefers to bask in the more viable fruits of its evolution, there’s been a palpable shifting of the guard that can sometimes feel bittersweet. The “new & improved” aura of the city takes precedence, oftentimes diminishing the richness of its former self. The raw NYC grit-and-grain that has turned it into a universal emblem is subsiding, leaving us with the sole prospect of embracing it. This energy can feel hyper-glossy and downright perfunctory especially when compared to how things used to be. However with the advent of “Hell’s Kitchen,” there’s finally a brilliant conduit present to indulge the savory elements of New York City’s gorgeous past.
As a native New Yorker herself, the musical follows a semi-autobiographical plot about Keys and her upbringing in the 1990s. When it comes to capturing this moment in time, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ excels at distilling the true essence of NYC during this time with all its edgier components: the project houses, people congregating outside of buildings, adolescents roaming the streets and NYPD on-call rolling up at a moment’s notice. While some have attempted to depict that authentic NYC energy in the past, Keys and her fabulous ensemble have been able to cultivate their own ethereal canvas.
Led by a crew of outstanding talent, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ paints a vivid backdrop of the nostalgic vivacity of the beloved city. Loosely based on the precocious upbringing of Grammy Award winning multihyphenate Alicia Keys, the story is centered around a love connection between Ali (Maleah Joi Moon) and Knuck (Phillip Johnson Richardson) as they traverse the watershed moment that is “teenage love.” At its core, it is a simple tale that has and always will stand the test of time. In addition, this narrative coincides with the most exciting elements of being from NYC. The relatability and universality of experiencing the city is what lends itself to the magnificent ardor that people feel once they’ve found themselves engulfed in the Big Apple. The indescribable magic of being on the train for the first time or navigating the thrill of rush hour in NYC. Another facet of being a native New Yorker is the concept of subverting expectations and understanding the underrated value of not judging a book by its cover. Without giving too much away, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ anchors itself in that reality.
Phillip Johnson Richardson, who plays Knuck, talks about the plight of being misjudged in his personal life and how he was able to find parallelism between the two.
“I have been misjudged so many times, as we all do as Black men. You know people automatically assume a lot about us. You know what I’m saying. I’m like ‘hey bruh, that’s not really who I am.’ I feel like I’m the same person I was in middle school. The inner feel has been similar. That was really my “in” for me. I’m kinda settled into who I am but everybody else thinks I’m a certain way, so I’m staying true to me. That was my big “in” into this character.
The on-stage chemistry between Ali and Knuck emanates a visceral rawness that is truly reminiscent of what adolescent love feels like. Irrespective of one’s race, color or creed, there’s a certain relatability present that bypasses the blockage of differences and brings us closer together.
“I have a lot of friends who come and see the show and they are like ‘no bro, I really feel for these characters,’” Richardson said. “And then there’s the heartbreak of it all. Heartbreak is such a big thing that people learn to deal with and you kind of have to learn to deal with it on the spot. No one really teaches you about that. I think it’s something about the show, and about these characters and about this music that speaks to people.”
When it comes to the music, Keys reminds us of the alchemy of her catalog. With most of the music written and composed by the beloved poet, it functions as the perfect soundtrack for a Tony-Award winning musical. Some of the hits from her ultimate career selection include “Unthinkable (I’m Ready),” “You Don’t Know My Name,” “Teenage Love Affair,” “Fallin,” “If I Ain’t Got You”, “No One,” “Empire State of Mind” and more. While her discography has always been amazing, the live renditions coupled with the outstanding talent of this cast breathe new life into her music in a way that’s never truly been explored in a newer context.
“My favorite song to perform is “Unthinkable (I’m Ready),” Richardson said. ”As an actor, as an artist. It’s so act-able. There’s a beginning, middle, and end. Alicia is one of them. Her catalog is crazy.”
Upon analysis of its penchant for challenging assumptions, “Hell’s Kitchen” is a supremely effective work of art when it comes to dismantling preconceived notions and it can be aptly said that that might be its greatest quality, especially in today’s hyper polarized climate.
“I ain’t never seen a commercial musical with people sagging their pants,” Richardson said. Simply put. When I saw that in the show, I was like that’s fire to me because you see people like that in the real world and it just hopefully gives you a different perspective. And you’re like oh, wait they are people too and not just some idea of something that I’ve seen in a movie. No, they are people. Everyone has their own story, it’s just a matter of whether you want to listen or not. That’s something I love about the show. Not judging a book by its cover.”
In the vast ranging canon of American Broadway, “Hell’s Kitchen” has established itself as a contender for one of the most authentic displays of NYC lore and arguably one of the most humanizing plays of all-time.
“You don’t have to be white washed or anything like that,” Richardson said. “You can tell a story and it makes a bunch of sense for everybody, specifically in a musical theater sense. You don’t get a lot of stories like this. To me, this is ‘one of one’ in a commercial musical theater sense.”
