Photos provided by Marc J. Franklin

Soulful pop meets hip-hop singer/songwriter Alicia Keys knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up in what could arguably be considered New York’s most creative neighborhood, so much so that the 17-time Grammy Award-winner named a Broadway show after her very own arts-centered upbringing in “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Though it’s not purely autobiographical per se, the fingerprints of this “Superwoman” can be found all over the personally-penned score, a book by Kristoffer Diaz, the choreography of Camille A. Brown and direction from Michael Greif.

The James M. Nederlander Theatre is the site to see and hear it all through Sunday, November 30, featuring a cast so outstanding, they’ll be difficult to ever top, led by Maya Drake as Ali, Kennedy Caughell as Jersey, Roz White as Miss Liza Jane, Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis and JonAvery Worrell as Knuck.

Set to the beats of the 1990s, including previous smashes responsible for 65 million records sold and over five billion streams, plus many brand new compositions, “Hell’s Kitchen” chronicles a 17-year-old “Girl On Fire” embarking upon a quest for independence during the painstaking process of self-discovery.

However, “Hell’s Kitchen” is much more than a typical, thrown together jukebox musical, but rather, one crafted out of careful consideration and curation, which could quite possibly become the standard for future productions of this nature to follow.

In the meantime, it’s an emotional and inspiring two-and-a-half-hours of interactions between a fiercely protective mother, an unreliable father, the partner in a “Teenage Love Affair,” a wisdom-filled mentor, a few feisty friends and racial profiling police who add multiple dimensions to the dramas.

It’s far from the first instance of these elements being tossed together, yet it’s a heartfelt and convincing combination nonetheless, elevated by the agony of household arguments, a rocky romance and loss when it’s least expected.

Fans of Keys will especially be impressed by knockout performances of “Fallin’,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” “No One” and others split amongst the characters, while even those in the previously unfamiliar minority will have no trouble getting into an “Empire State Of Mind.”

In fact, the essence of this truly immersive experience is bound to rub off on any audience as it perpetually champions the importance of community, the pursuit of social justice and turning pain into purpose with every strike of a piano key.

“Hell’s Kitchen” continues at the James M. Nederlander Theatre through Sunday, November 30. For additional details, visit HellsKitchen.com and BroadwayInChicago.com.

Related Articles

“The Sound Of Music” is once again one of the Nederlander Theatre’s “Favorite Things” From “Lady Marmalade” to Lady Gaga, “Moulin Rouge!” resurrects turn of 20th century glamour “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” is “Simply The Best” of Broadway In Chicago, Nederlander R&B, pop “Superwoman” Alicia Keys amazes Huntington Bank Pavilion At Northerly Island From Bob Marley to Phil Collins, Black Ensemble Theater puts the needle on the “Hitt Records” In the center of United Center, Alicia Keys’ positive energy unlocks “Keys To The Summer” Now Drury Lane “Got A Friend” and “Feel The Earth Move” in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” “The Wiz” eases on down the road to the Cadillac Palace Theatre while winding its way “Home”