The five stars of the 2023 Off-Broadway staging of “Hell’s Kitchen” have signed on to move with the musical to Broadway. The previously announced production, directed by Tony Award nominee Michael Greif, will begin previews on March 28 and open on April 20 at the Shubert Theatre.
Leading the cast will be newcomer Maleah Joi Moon in the central role of Ali, with Tony-nominated actors Shoshana Bean as Jersey and Brandon Victor Dixon as Davis. Rounding out the principal company will be Chris Lee as Knuck and Kecia Lewis as Miss Liza Jane. Additional casting for the production, by Heidi Griffiths and Kate Murray, will be announced.
Moon will make their Broadway debut in “Hell’s Kitchen.” They previously appeared in the ABC/Disney Discovery Showcase and starred in the television movie “Mystic Christmas.”
Bean earned a Tony nomination for her turn as Susan in the musical “Mr. Saturday Night.” She has also appeared on Broadway as Elphaba in “Wicked,” Jenna in “Waitress” and Shelly in “Hairspray.” She was seen Off-Broadway in “Godspell.”
Dixon earned Tony nods for his turn as Harpo in “The Color Purple” and Eubie Blake in “Shuffle Along.” He has also played Billy Flynn in “Chicago,” Berry Gordy in “Motown” and Aaron Burr in “Hamilton.” Dixon won a Tony as a producer on the revival of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”
“Hell’s Kitchen” will mark the first Main Stem appearance for Lee, whose stage credits include a turn as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson in the Chicago mounting of “Hamilton.” Lee’s screenwork includes the films “Play Dead” and “Back to Lyla” and the television series “Legacies” and “Empire.”
Lewis is a Broadway veteran last seen as Mrs. Norman in “Children of a Lesser God.” Her selection of other Main Stem roles has included Edna Burke in “Dreamgirls,” Alice in “Big River,” Asaka in “Once on This Island,” Matron “Mama” Morton in “Chicago” and Trix in “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
Featuring a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, “Hell’s Kitchen” is inspired by 15-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys’ own childhood growing up in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. The score features songs made famous by Keys as well as new numbers penned by her for the musical.
“Hell’s Kitchen” is being produced by AKW Productions.
