Hell's Kitchen Behind the Dream

A stunning behind-the-scenes look into Alicia Keys’ hit Broadway musical, Hell’s Kitchen, featuring never-before-seen photographs, exclusive interviews, and insights from Keys herself.

Hell’s Kitchen debuted on Broadway in 2024—and the show has been electrifying audiences ever since. With plenty of awards attention, the musical has drawn sold-out crowds to the Shubert Theatre for Alicia Keys’ relatable, raw and refreshingly fun production that shows us where dreams begin. Based on Keys’ own experiences of growing up in New York City's Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, your journey starts with Ali, a 17-year-old girl full of fire, searching for freedom, passion, and her place in the world. Along the way, you'll meet the musical mentor who changes her life, her dynamic family, and the neighborhood that helps her grow. It's a celebration of finding yourself, your purpose, and the people who lift you up.

The music—a mix of Keys’ classics and new songs written exclusively for the show—is brought to life through exhilarating choreography. It’s a soundtrack of rebellion, life, and love that speaks to you no matter where you’re from, where you’ve been, or where you’re going.

The Hell’s Kitchen book shares an intimate look inside the show’s creation, from the first spark of an idea through the musical’s thirteen-year journey to Broadway, where it continues to thrill audiences today. The book includes exclusive interviews with key cast and creative team members; first-person notes from Keys on her original songs; stunning stage photography and behind-the-scenes images; insights into costume creation, set design, choreography, and casting; and much more. This beautiful tribute answers every burning question a fan of the musical may have. Ultimately, it’s a triumphant celebration of Alicia Keys and New York City.

Alicia Keys is a seventeen-time Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, producer, actress, activist, and entrepreneur who has sold over 90 million records worldwide. Billboard has ranked her as the number one R&B/hip-hop artist of the 2000s. Her memoir, More Myself, was a New York Times bestseller. She worked on the development of the Hell's Kitchen musical for thirteen years.

Lise Funderburg's books include Pig Candy; Black, White, Other; Purple Rising; and Apple, Tree. Her essays have appeared in Threepenny Review, Harper's, New England Review, Cimarron, Broad Street, Brevity, The Nation, New York Times, Chattahoochee Review, Best African American Essays, and elsewhere. She teaches creative nonfiction at the University of Pennsylvania.