Denver Center for the Performing Arts to host high school musician in pit of Alicia Keys' "Hell's Kitchen" musical

The hit Broadway musical "Hell's Kitchen" is touring the nation, and one of its next stops is at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The show will bring the greatest hits of music icon Alicia Keys to life on stage at the Buell Theatre.

While the singers and actors on stage highlight the incredible vocals and lyrics of Keys' work, it's the very talented band in the pit that brings the beat to the audience. Unlike many musicals, though, the pit for Hell's Kitchen isn't located in front of the stage. Rather, nearly every musician for the musical is located in a different room away from the stage itself.

There, the tour occasionally welcomes some teenage students to sit in the pit during a live performance to see what it is like to be a professional musician on a touring show.

CBS News Colorado visited the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida, for an exclusive advance preview of the show. There, teenager Christian Rodriguez was the lucky student in Florida who was selected for what's known as a "pit sit."

Rodriguez, 17, applied for the opportunity through his performing arts center and won the application process for Hell's Kitchen.

"So, I got to sit here and experience what it is like to be part of the people creating the music for this show," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez joined music director Emily Orr for the show, where he was able to see how she conducts the band from a remote pit. And he was able to see how the two musicians who sit on stage for the show can also play in sync with the rest of the band off-stage.

"Being able to see that in real time and being able to see what's going on opened up this world to me," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez plays saxophone and clarinet. When he entered high school, he decided to try out theatre and acting. That is when he realized there was an avenue to combine his passion for music with his interest in theatre.

However, he admitted the pit for a major touring musical is much different than an orchestra pit for a high school performance.

"It is a completely different vibe. You are with professionals who have probably been doing this longer than I have been alive. It is surreal," Rodriguez said.

Orr said she was also inspired by the opportunity the Dr. Phillips Center and musical were willing to facilitate for the next generation of artists.

"I was getting emotional hearing Christian talk about it. I think back to when I was 17 or 18 years old and didn't even know this existed. And now I am one of those people," Orr said. "We lose a lot of interest at the high school age and time period. I think it is incredibly imperative to connect with young musicians and young artists who are aspiring for a career in the arts."

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, or DCPA, is also planning to pick one lucky teenager in Colorado to have a similar experience as Rodriguez, but at the Buell.

Hell's Kitchen, at its core, is a story about a community coming together to inspire and uplift a teenager into a career in music. So, the production and some of the venues, like the DCPA, are helping to continue the show's theme with real students when they can.

"I think more people need to come sit in a pit and understand what you see in a show. Not just what you see on a stage but what everybody else is doing," Rodriguez said. "More places need to open up more opportunities like this for students to get involved."

Hell's Kitchen plays the DCPA from April 14 through the 26th, and tickets are already on sale.

Those interested in seeing the show can find more information and purchase tickets on DCPA's website here.

CBS Colorado is a proud partner of the DCPA.