‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Heats Up Detroit with Fire, Flaws, and Fierce Vocals
Hell’s Kitchen arrives at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre with the heat turned all the way up, delivering a musical experience built from the pulse, grit, and emotional fire of Alicia Keys’s catalog. The show follows Ali (Maya Drake), a restless and gifted teenager growing up in a New York apartment tower with her fiercely protective mother. Ali finds herself pulled between the safety her mother demands and the freedom she craves. She stumbles into first love with Knuck (JonAvery Worrell), clashes with her father Davis (Desmond Sean Ellington), and discovers an unexpected mentor in Miss Liza Jane (Roz White)—all while navigating the messy, urgent journey toward finding her own voice. It’s a coming-of-age story soaked in music, conflict, and a yearning for something bigger than the world Ali was born into.
[Warning: light spoilers from Hell’s Kitchen are below!]
The cast & crew of Hell’s Kitchen
What gives this tour stop its undeniable punch is the strength of its performances, led with remarkable emotional clarity by Ali (Maya Drake). Drake captures every shade of teenage volatility—her drive, her softness, her rage—and she pours that emotional turbulence straight into her vocals. It is incredible to think that this is her touring debut as a fresh high school graduate. Opposite her, Davis (Desmond Sean Ellington) brings a grounded, often heartbreaking presence. Ellington imbues the character with real weight, making Davis’s flaws and failures feel deeply human rather than melodramatic. Miss Liza Jane (Roz White) provides one of the production’s most resonant voices—literally and figuratively. White’s warm, gospel-rich performance gives Ali (and the audience) a moral anchor, and the wisdom she brings to the role enriches the story far beyond what’s written on the page.
Knuck (JonAvery Worrell) could have easily slipped into a cliché, but Worrell refuses that trap. His portrayal is full of charisma and complexity—a blend of bravado, vulnerability, and unexpected tenderness. The ensemble, including standout dancers like Mae-Lynn Flores and Marques Furr, shapes the piece’s emotional rhythm. Camille A. Brown’s choreography pushes the narrative more forcefully than the book at times, communicating danger, desire, and hope through movement that’s as sharp as it is soulful.
Spotlight: Kennedy Caughell, a standout force in this Alicia Keys musical
Being in this profession, I get to see and hear a lot of talented people, but I was entirely unprepared for Kennedy Caughell’s performance as Jersey in this production. Throughout Act 1, I saw glimpses of her vocal clarity, strength, and tonal richness that command attention. She delivers each phrase with remarkable control, shaping the music with a blend of fire and finesse that gives Jersey a sonic identity all her own. As we rounded the corner of Act 2, no one in the audience was prepared for her rendition of “Pawn It All,” which absolutely brought the house down. Her vocal choices add layers of grit, hurt, and resilience, turning moments that could have felt incidental into emotional high points. Even surrounded by a cast full of powerhouse singers, Caughell’s performance stands out—dynamic, expressive, and effortlessly captivating.
Hell’s Kitchen crew callouts
Behind the scenes, the creative team supports the emotional landscape with richness and strategy. Scenic designer Robert Brill builds a world that feels both claustrophobic and aspirational—exactly the tension Ali lives inside. Dede Ayite’s costumes bring texture and attitude, while Natasha Katz’s lighting swings fluidly from intimate warmth to stark urban blaze. Gareth Owen’s sound design is crisp, capturing both the nuance of Keys’s softer songs and the explosive energy of the bigger numbers. Alicia Keys’s music, expanded through orchestrations by Keys and Adam Blackstone, remains the show’s biggest weapon: familiar, powerful, and emotionally direct.
But despite its strengths, the show still wrestles with issues of structure and tone. Kristoffer Diaz’s book tries to juggle too many thematic threads at once—ambition, trauma, parental conflict, community violence, artistic awakening—and not all of them get the space they need to fully develop. As Ali’s coming-of-age accelerates, emotional transitions sometimes feel rushed, and the oscillation between gritty realism and stylized musical storytelling can be jarring. Certain supporting arcs feel thin, a consequence of the musical’s eagerness to hit emotional peaks without laying the groundwork to make them fully land.
Still, the emotional resonance of Hell’s Kitchen is undeniable. When the show fires on all cylinders—when music, choreography, character, and design lock into place—it delivers moments that are explosively powerful. Those moments don’t always sustain, but they absolutely linger. Hell’s Kitchen may be imperfect, but it’s alive—messy, passionate, and full of fire. And at the Fisher Theatre, that fire burns bright.
Hell’s Kitchen runs December 2-14, 2025, with a runtime of 2 hours & 35 minutes and a 15-minute intermission. Get your tickets for this Alicia Keys musical from Broadway in Detroit, before New York leaves The Fisher Theatre! Have you seen this musical before? What’s your favorite song from the production? Let us know @BoxSeatBabes on all major social media platforms!
Exclusive Interview: Roz White of Hell’s Kitchen
