Ali is a 17-year-old growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood on the west side of Midtown Manhattan.  She lives with her mother, who is very protective of her. When Ali starts dating a man older than her, her mother calls the police which results in the man being arrested. At the same time, Ali is taking piano lessons from an older lady in the building which she develops a passion for. 

The story is semi-autobiographical. Alicia did live in Manhattan Plaza with her single mom, but her father wasn’t in her life at all. Also, Alicia began learning piano at 6 years old, not 17 like in the musical.  

The music is the highlight of the show. “Girl on Fire” is the first big hit in the first half and it’s a truly joyous moment. 

In the second half, when the father sings “Fallin'” to the mother, it is a fantastic showcase of Desmond Sean Ellington’s vocal talent. 

Towards the end of the show, the mother sings “No One” to her daughter. It’s a beautiful song used expertly. This song has over 1.1 billion streams on Spotify. 

At the end, Ali sings “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down”. It’s an impressive performance by Maya Drake. It would have been nice if they could have used the Jay-Z version of the song, but it probably wouldn’t make sense in the story. 

Cost of a ticket: $182 (Orchestra Center)

PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Good Value –

Rating Scale: Exceptional > Good Value > Discounted > Go for Free > Don’t Bother

Get tickets now for Hells Kitchen through November 30th!

Quinn Delaney