Alicia Keys' "Hell's Kitchen" brings one of the most vocally talented casts in U.S. to Denver Center
Next week, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts will welcome the incredibly talented cast of Alicia Keys' Hell's Kitchen, the latest musical to visit the Buell Theatre. The musical, which features the greatest hits from the iconic pop star, makes its first tour stop in Colorado starting April 14.
Girl on Fire, Empire State of Mind, You Don't Know My Name, No One and many other hits shine on stage. While the songs are considered legendary thanks to Alicia Keys, the cast of Hell's Kitchen helps elevate them to a level which leaves cast members in awe.
"We like to set the benchmark very high, if I may say so myself," said Desmond Sean Ellington, an actor who portrays "Davis" in the musical.
CBS News Colorado saw the show during an exclusive advanced preview in Orlando, Florida. After the performance, many of the stars of the show sat down for interviews.
The cast said they have come to love one another and find themselves continuously in awe of each other's vocal skills.
"We enjoy each other's talent. Each night I still marvel," Ellington said. "To have so much talent on one stage is sometimes heard of."
In many Broadway tours, there's a clear gap in talent between a lead performer and the rest of the cast. That is not the case with Hell's Kitchen. The talent is uniform, with men and women of different generations coming together on stage to provide audiences with what might be the best collective vocal performance they have ever heard from a musical cast.
Kennedy Caughell, the actress who portrays "Jersey" in the show, said that's due, in part, to hand-picked casting by Keys.
"We were each picked by the team and Alicia," Caughill said.
At the show, audience members cheered for the vocal performances. At times, that included men in the audience subtly but vocally expressing their admiration for the skills.
"One thing I picked up on is the men throughout the show giving the little, 'Mmm,' sound when they hear notes being hit," CBS Colorado's Dillon Thomas told the cast.
Cast members like Ellington, Caughell, Roz White and Maya Drake laughed and said they also can hear the same verbal acknowledgements from the audience.
"I can audibly hear men screaming out. That is my favorite sound in the audience. Because a lot of time they get dragged to the theatre by their wife or girlfriend," said Roz White, the actress who portrays "Miss Liza Jane." "I'm like, yes, the men are here."
Hell's Kitchen follows the story of a girl named Ali, who is growing up in New York and finding her love for both boys and music. The story uplifts people from multiple generations by showing that it's never too late to learn from one another and become a better person at any stage in life.
To help share that message across multiple generations, the cast is made up of people of all ages.
"A lot of our cast, this is their first show," Ellington said.
Maya Drake, the lead actress portraying Ali, just graduated from high school. She also shares the stage with 19-year-old Marley Soleil, who portrays "Jessice."
"People who are 19 years old can be on stage, and there is a future for them in this industry," Soleil said.
The cast said they have loved learning from one another and trying to take the theme of mentorship on stage, and applying it off-stage.
"We have some of the most incredible people who do some of the most incredible things. Dancing, singing, acting. We all kind of take from each other on stage," said Gigi Lewis, the actress who portrays "Tiny."
"I think what makes Hell's Kitchen so great is the beautiful symbiosis they have created from the music, to the dancing to the lights to the sound to the set. It explodes off the stage at you. It is an energetic and lively show that I think people of all ages will enjoy," Caughill said.
Hell's Kitchen plays at the Buell Theatre April 14 through the 26. For more information on tickets, click here.
CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the DCPA.
