A stunning behind-the-scenes look into Alicia Keys's hit Broadway musical, Hell's Kitchen, featuring never-before-seen photographs, exclusive interviews, and insights from Keys herself.
Hell's Kitchen debuted on Broadway in 2024-and the show has been electrifying audiences ever since. With plenty of awards attention, the musical has drawn sold-out crowds to the Shubert Theatre for Alicia Keys's coming-of-age tale that shows us where dreams begin. Based on Keys's own story of growing up in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in the 1990s, the show follows Ali, a headstrong teen searching for her independence, her voice, and her place in the world. Stifled by an overprotective mother, Ali is lost until she meets her mentor: a neighbor who opens her heart to the power of music.
Featuring many of Keys's greatest R&B hits, along with songs created especially for the musical, the story is an inspiring mother-daughter tale about finding yourself and your purpose, and the community that lifts you.
The Hell's Kitchen book shares an intimate look inside the show's creation, from the first spark of an idea through the musical's thirteen-year journey to Broadway, where it continues to thrill audiences today. The book includes exclusive interviews with key cast and creative team members; first-person notes from Keys on her original songs; stunning stage photography and behind-the-scenes images; insights into costume creation, set design, choreography, and casting; and much more. This beautiful tribute answers every burning question a fan of the musical may have. Ultimately, it's a triumphant celebration of Alicia Keys and New York City.
Alicia Keys is a sixteen-time Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, producer, actress, activist, and entrepreneur who has sold over 90 million records worldwide. Billboard has ranked her as the number one R&B/hip-hop artist of the 2000s. Her memoir, More Myself, was a New York Times bestseller. She worked on the development for Hell's Kitchen for thirteen years.
Lise Funderburg is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. She studied at Reed College and the Columbia University School of Journalism, and her work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, Threepenny Review, Philadelphia Inquirer, National Geographic, and Salon. She is a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania and teaches at the Paris Writers' Workshop.
