Playhouse Square’s touring ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is a touch of heaven on earth

Just in case you have not noticed, Cleveland’s theater has become quite the thing. Proof of this is downtown at Playhouse Square where the KeyBank Broadway Series touring production of Hell’s Kitchen is launching its national tour in the KeyBank State Theatre. That’s right, we are the starting off city for a national tour. In spite of the competition from other notable cities we were chosen based on our reputation, strength of our audiences, quality of our resources and the carefully nurtured relationships that have formed over the years between Cleveland and Broadway.

In the case of “Hell’s Kitchen” it goes far beyond the scope of your typical juke-box musical. Yes, it features well known songs by Alicia Keys that are “fitted” into a story line but this production goes far beyond that design. This is a well crafted production that fuses fantastic singing, exuberant dancing, fine acting and high production values into two hours of solid family entertainment. It is as good as it gets.

With songs by Alicia Keys and book by Kristoffer Diaz the combination of the two are pure theatrical magic. The show begins with an exuberant dance number and with the blending of R&B, hip-hop, soul, classical and rock weaves a musical tapestry that carries you along for an exciting ride. Even the ballads with their complex harmonies and vocalizations are a thing of beauty.

Ali (Maya Drake) is at that impossible age of seventeen...to old to be a child...too young to be an adult. As her mostly absent father, Davis (Desmond Sean Ellington) puts it...”She is teenz”. She lives with her single mother, Jersey (Kennedy Caughell) in a single room efficiency apartment on the 42^nd floor of a 46^th floor high rise that offers affordable housing for performing artists. As Ali takes the elevator she pauses to point out the numbered floors housing various citizens of the performing arts.

Ali’s mother is (to say the least) overly protective and hoping to spare her daughter the cruel fate that life dealt her. Working two jobs to make ends meet, Jersey is not able to monitor her daughter so relies on neighbors and Ray the doorman (Chikezie “Chike” Nwankwo) to keep an eye on her errant child. Ali on the other hand feels stifled by the too small apartment and spends her time roaming the borough of Manhattan.

While hanging with her friends Tiny (Gigi Lewis) and Jessica (Marley Soleil) in the building’s plaza they are drawn to three seemingly street hood bucket drummers, Knuck (Jonavery Worrell), Riq (Jeffrey May Hyche) and Q (‘Zaiah Ellis). Ali is attracted to Knuck as her friends try to talk her out of approaching him. She ignores them but is rebuffed by Knuck. Because of complaints from her mother the doorman (with help from the police) force the drummers to leave. An angry Ali confronts her mom and in anger storms out of the building into a raging thunder storm.

Realizing that this is not safe or wise she returns to the building but instead of going back up to the apartment enters “The Ellington Room” that serves as a community center and rehearsal hall. There she meets resident Miss Liza Jane (Roz White) who is practicing on the grand piano. Seeing the forlorn girl, she invites her to the piano for a lesson but there are rules…“You may sit. You may watch. You may not speak. You may listen. You may learn.” When Ali balks she is told, “You are here because the voices of your ancestors have requested your presence!”

Ali seeks out Knuck’s friends in order to track him down. Ali goes to where Knuck is working. At first he again rebuffs her but gradually the two connect. She ends up spending the night at his apartment. Later, they end up at Ali’s place with the mother coming home early to discover the two asleep on the couch in various degrees of undress. She throws Knuck out shocking him with the news that Ali is only seventeen.

As Knuck is leaving the building he is confronted by Ray as the police arrive (called by Jersey). Guns are drawn, Knuck is handcuffed and hauled away as Ali smart mouths her mother only to get slapped. Ali seeks solace with Miss Liza Jane who remarks that it could have come off much worse and laments about all the mothers who have lost children to police violence.

Unlike most musicals, the choreography by Camille A. Brown plays an intricate part in the story. This is not dancing to fill a time space, it is dancing to propel the story forward. Robert Brill’s scenic design combined with Peter Nigrini’s projection design gives us a street and high rise feel. The costume design by Dede Ayite is 90s street smart and functional. Natasha Katz’s lighting design gives the stage layers. Lastly, the sound design by Gareth Owen tames the State Theatre so that we hear every lyric and spoken word.

As for the cast, they are fabulous. Making her professional debut, Maya Drake as Ali is a true triple threat of voice, dance and acting in spite of her age (she recently graduated from high school). In spite of the lack of any professional training she owns the stage. Kennedy Caughell as Jersey is perfect as the tough as nails mom who refuses to let her daughter make the same mistakes as she did. Her duet with Davis in Act One is loaded with amazing harmonization and nuances. In the Act Two she stops the show with “Pawn It All”. Roz White as Miss Liza Jane takes a no nonsense approach to teaching the errant girl. Her songs brought the audience to tears. Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis is of fine figure and voice. Jonavery Worrell as Knuck fits perfectly as the unwitting target of Ali’s affection. He underplays the part perfectly and is especially funny with his Cleveland references. As for the rest of the cast of actors, singers and dancers they offer a flawless performance that had everyone leaving the theater feeling happy.

Opening night saw a capacity crowd greet this production with open arms and a rousing well deserved standing ovation. This show is simply that good. The fusion of superb singing, acting, dancing, lights, sound, and music will carry you away from your troubles (at least for a couple of hours). After all, this is what great theater does...helps us escape. Come enjoy the thrill of great live theater.

The KeyBank Broadway Series touring production of “Hell’s Kitchen” will be on stage in the KeyBank State Theatre at Playhouse Square through November 1, 2025. For more information and to purchase tickets go to http://www.playhousesqare.org or call (216) 241-6000.