Hell’s Kitchen • June 7, 2026 • Eccles Theater
Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe
Hell’s Kitchen is a jukebox musical based on the songs of the great Alicia Keys. The story is a semi-autobiographical tale about Keys’ life growing up in the New York City neighborhood. The musical had a successful two-year run on Broadway, just closing in February of this year. It’s pretty exciting to see a show so fresh from Broadway. I make it a point to do my best to avoid seeing or hearing too much before I see a show. As an Alicia Keys fan, this was not easy. I knew I would know the songs, but I didn’t want to know where they fit in the story or what the arrangements would be like within the production. I’m glad I waited. I really enjoyed what I saw with fresh eyes on opening night in Salt Lake City at the beautiful Eccles Theater.
Speaking of Fresh, having just graduated from high school, Maya Drake stepped into the lead role of “Ali.” This is no easy task. This is a Tony Award-winning role. Original “Ali” Maleah Joi Moon won the award for “Best Actress.” So no pressure to live up to that, right? Maya Drake not only came off as a seasoned veteran, but she wowed this audience with her command of the stage. Her voice, acting, and dancing were not only impressive but a pure delight to witness. Her range to bring laughs and tears to this capacity crowd is no small feat. I have a feeling that years from now I’ll be telling people, “Oh, Maya Drake? I saw her in Hell’s Kitchen back in 2026 right after she graduated high school.” People are going to be so jealous.
Kennedy Caughell had plenty of big shoes to fill of her own playing Ali’s mom, “Jersey.” The role was originated by recent Tony Winner Shoshana Bean and has been portrayed by Utah favorite, Jessica Vosk. Caughell brought her own shoes and made this role her own. It’s not an easy role, both in the portrayal of the character and the vocal demands of the part. She received the loudest ovation of the night on one of her powerful solos. I absolutely loved her voice. Every time I thought I couldn’t be more impressed with her abilities, she would take a song to another place, and I would think that was the most impressed I could be. I would be wrong. She was a powerful presence on that stage and a pleasure to watch.
I don’t think there was a more perfect casting than Roz White as “Miss Liza Jane.” This character needs the right actor to give this role the necessary presence so that its impact can be felt. This was another role that produced a Tony Award for Kecia Lewis. Roz White was that actor for this tour. I loved every moment she was on stage. She was so moving. I felt like I knew that character personally.
Desmond Sean Ellington brings his talents from the Original Broadway Cast of Hell’s Kitchen to this tour. His silky smooth voice sent waves throughout the audience. I heard people speaking both at intermission and walking out of the theater at the end of the night about how much they loved his voice and that they loved his interpretations of these Alicia Keys songs. I couldn’t agree more.
Jonavery Worrell played “Knuck” so well that he almost didn’t seem like he was acting. He just seemed so natural. From top to bottom, this cast was extremely talented. Members of the ensemble would have a solo line and blow the audience away. I really enjoyed this cast. You don’t see this depth of talent on every tour. I would put this cast up against just about any other.
I enjoyed the stage design by Robert Brill. What looked intentionally simple was quite intricate and layered. The direction of Michael Greif was very well done. Known for directing many great Broadway productions, namely another NYC-based musical, Rent, knows how to portray that magical city on the stage.
The tricky thing about jukebox musicals is the ability to fit already written songs into a new story. While I did feel like there were a few songs that were fit into spots for the sake of getting the song into the show, there were other moments like ”Perfect Way to Die”, “Love Looks Better”, “Fallin” (although I did not love the sped-up chorus), “If I Ain’t Got You”, and “No One” where the songs fit so perfectly and were arranged so powerfully. Bringing these songs into a story couldn’t have been easy, and for the most part I thought this was well done.
Hell’s Kitchen is a story about family. A mother and daughter. There were times where I wanted a little more depth to this story, but for the most part I got there and felt that connection between the two. I thoroughly enjoyed this show. Alicia Keys’ songs are among my favorites. But that doesn’t mean I would necessarily love them in a musical. But I did. This was a wonderful night out at the Theater.
There are still seats available on selected nights. For more information on the show and tickets, click here.