Hell’s Kitchen is a celebration of music, family, ambition and finding your voice

I can’t recommend the hit musical Hell’s Kitchen enough. Loosely inspired by the life of 17-time Grammy® Award winner Alicia Keys, this musical has arrived at Toronto’s CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre and is playing until October 9th. I was fortunate enough to attend opening night in Toronto, and from the moment that the curtain rose, the energy in the room was completely electric.

At the heart of the story is Ali, a fiercely independent 17-year-old girl who is trying to understand both who she is and who she wants to become. Along the way, she falls in love for the first time, bonds with a new musical mentor, clashes and connects with her protective mother and absentee father, and seeks to finds her place among the lively neighbourhood that she calls home.

And let’s not forget about the music.

The musical is a mixture of original songs written specifically for the show and all of your favourite Alicia Keys hits, which blend in seamlessly with the plot. Songs such as “Fallin’,” “No One,”, “Only the King”, “Girl on Fire” and “Empire State of Mind” take on fresh meaning within the story, while the original material expands the musical world. The choreography is vibrant and exciting, with high energy performances backing up the livelier songs, such as Empire State of Mind, and interpretive dance moments elevating some of the more emotional moments.

Leading the North American Tour is 19-year-old Maya Drake as Ali, whose beautiful voice and strong acting skills truly carry the show. A recent high school graduate and native of San Jose, California, Drake brings an appealing combination of youthful energy, determination and vulnerability to the role. Her journey into professional theatre is impressive in its own right. She trained at Children’s Musical Theater San Jose, one of the country’s leading youth theatre programs, where her credits included the Leading Player in Pippin and Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Watching her lead this show, it is clear that this is just the beginning of what will surely be an outstanding career.

Another highlight was Kennedy Caughell as Jersey, Ali’s mother who is struggling to understand her daughter and how to best love and parent her. Not only did she belt through a challenging R&B score with ease and some truly impressive vocal runs, but she also brought so much soul to the character, highlighting the mother-daughter relationship which forms the core of the show. Caughell is no stranger to leading major musicals, having covered the role of Elphaba in the national tour of Wicked and having played Carole King in both the Broadway and National Touring production of Beautiful: the Carole King Musical.

Rounding out the cast are Roz White as Miss Liza Jane, Desmond Sean Ellington as Davis, and JonAvery Worrell as Knuck. Any individual performer in this cast sang well enough that I could see them with a recording contract and leading career of their own.

The production has already earned considerable recognition. The New York Times named it a Critic’s Pick, calling it “thrilling from beginning to end,” and the musical won two 2025 Tony Awards as well as the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Now in its second year on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre, Hell’s Kitchen continues to attract audiences – and now Toronto gets their turn!

Hell’s Kitchen is playing at Toronto’s CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre until October 9.

Mirvish offers wheelchair-accessible, special access and size-accommodating seating options in all of its theatres. All venues are equipped with private barrier-free washroom facilities. Guests are welcome to bring their own personal assistive devices; devices such as walkers can be stored safely outside the auditorium during the performance. A limited number of courtesy wheelchairs are also available on site.

The theatres are equipped with Sennheiser assisted listening systems. These devices come in two styles: the induction loop (used in combination with hearing aids that have telecoil or T-switch capability) and the stethoset (U-shaped receiver with earbuds that go directly in the ear). Devices are available to borrow, free of charge. Quantities are limited. Reservations can be made up to 48 hours in advance of your performance, and devices will otherwise be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. To make a reservation, contact assistedlistening@mirvish.com. When picking up the device at the theatre, patrons will be required to leave either a piece of Photo ID or a Mirvish subscriber card.

Mirvish Productions also offers the GalaPro system. This innovative technology delivers real-time closed captioning and audio description right to your own personal mobile device, via the GalaPro app, no matter where you sit in the theatre. It is available for free for all patrons with the GalaPro app.

Service and support animals are welcome in the venues. Patrons are asked to advise the box office or audience sales representative when ordering your ticket to ensure suitable seating is reserved.

Info: www.mirvish.com