Hell’s Kitchen

Hell’s Kitchen is one of the best shows on Broadway right now, largely due to the cast but also due to the lighting, set, costumes, sound, choreography, and story. There are so many good shows on Broadway right now that I had been (wrongly) content to wait and see the national tour of Hell’s Kitchen when it comes to Seattle in July 2026. I had my tickets. But then Christopher Jackson happened, so I decided to go ahead and see it now. That was the right call, as I now know this show in New York is a must see, and you should prioritize seeing this cast. While we can expect the tour will be good, it cannot duplicate this cast, this sound quality, this set, and this lighting, all of which contribute to the show’s experience.

I was especially struck by the dancing, which combined with the costumes, lighting, orchestra, and this cast’s vocals and acting, make for a powerful experience. I also liked the balance of projections and traditional set pieces. The set is stunning. The sound engineering was excellent.

The story includes the difficulty of parenting a teenager as a single parent and the challenges of growing up in New York City at the time. The story is inspired by and loosely based on Alicia Keys.

At my performance, Ali was played by understudy Lulu Oro Hamlett, and I did not realize she was an understudy until just now while writing this. What I really liked about Lulu’s performance was that she was not only a fantastic singer and dancer, but she also possessed excellent acting skills. Her emotions came through both when she was singing and speaking, and she was always present. This is not always the case with Broadway performers, as it is exhausting work. I noticed and appreciated Lulu’s presence and energy. It is surprising to me to learn this show is her Broadway debut. Lulu has a bright future ahead of her.

Kecia Lewis as Miss Liza Jane was my favorite performance in the show, and it is no surprise to me she won the Tony Award for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical” for this role (she is in the original cast).

I also very much liked Lamont Walker II’s performance as Knuck. His vocals were incredible, and his acting was also top notch. Do you see a theme here? I recognized Lamont and was trying to figure out where I have seen him before. I now know he was in the original cast of MJ, which I saw in 2022. Lamont was in the original cast of Hell’s Kitchen as Riq.

Jessica Vosk plays Ali’s mother, Jersey. She, too, had both incredible vocals and acting skills, and the audience felt her emotions. She has previously played Elphaba in Wicked. Jessica had some great lines in the show, and she made me tear up more than once.

We do not see much of Christopher Jackson until Act 2. When I watched Hamilton on Disney+ the day it came out, and then again later that night as a part of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s online watch party, one word came to mind to describe Christopher Jackson’s vocals: butter. To this day, I refer to his buttery voice. He has one of the most beautiful male voices I have ever heard. While his vocals sound similar in Hamilton and in Hell’s Kitchen, his characters are very different. In Hamilton, he does a great job presenting us with a stressed out and exhausted George Washington. In Hell’s Kitchen, his character is much more cheery, and it is fun to see a skilled actor perform such different characters. His buttery voice and his acting do not disappoint, even with very high expectations ahead of his performance. Despite my very high expectations, Christopher Jackson exceeded those expectations with his performance in Hell’s Kitchen tonight.

The ensemble in this show really stands out, too, as the choreography, dancing, and singing truly are top notch. The set and lighting add to the experience, as previously mentioned.

Angela Birchett, Nyseli Vega (original Broadway cast), Chad Carstarphen (original cast), Mykhel Duckett, Jackie Leon (original cast), Oscar Whitney, Jr., Jakeim Hart (original cast), all of the dance ensemble, and any other cast members I did not specifically mention were fantastic. This cast was well balanced, and what a treat to still have so many members of the original cast.

Two comments about the venue: the stage is a bit higher than other NYC venues, so front row orchestra was a bit less optimal than at other shows. I recommend sitting a bit further back or sit in front row of the mezzanine. That said, front row orchestra was very fun at this show, despite the non-optimal view. The second comment is that this show is loud. The loudness did not bother me, as the sound quality was excellent, but consider bringing ear protection if you are sensitive to loud shows.

Do see this show in New York if you can, even though it is on tour.

See more show reviews from 2025.