Alicia Keys Announces ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ Broadway Show Fellowship To Add Representation To Theater Workforce

Alicia Keys is launching a groundbreaking fellowship initiative on behalf of her Broadway show, Hell's Kitchen, that will bring diversity and representation to the Broadway workforce.

Alicia Keys is launching a groundbreaking fellowship initiative on behalf of her Broadway show, Hell’s Kitchen, that will bring diversity and representation to the Broadway workforce.

The program is dedicated to cultivating and securing the Broadway employment pipeline by actively involving individuals from historically overlooked communities. The aim is to integrate them as continuous contributors to the Broadway workforce.

The fellowship program will position fellows in nine departments: direction, choreography, scenic design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, projection design, company management/executive producing, and public relations.

The initiative is driven by a commitment to representation in today’s theater landscape and draws inspiration from the intersectional experiences of BIPOC theater creators and administrators. Fellows will gain insights into the inner workings of large-scale Broadway musicals, receive mentorship in their chosen department, and undergo comprehensive training aligned with their interests and talents.

Networking opportunities with industry experts, private and group coaching sessions, and engagements with Broadway’s leading creative and management teams are also available. To top it off, each fellow will receive a weekly salary during a fellowship period lasting between seven to nine weeks.

“In bringing Hell’s Kitchen to Broadway, I’ve experienced firsthand the collaboration across the many disciplines of theater that goes into creating a big, new Broadway musical,” Keys said.

“I’m also aware of the lack of representation across our industry and it quickly became a priority to establish this fellowship program to offer guidance to underrepresented theater makers and create opportunities to deepen the impact of the art we are creating. We want to continue to challenge our industry to make a commitment to change and we are starting at home, at Hell’s Kitchen.”

The fellowship is in partnership with Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen, her official Broadway musical based around her coming-of-age story in New York City. With music and lyrics by Keys, a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, music supervision by Emmy and Grammy Award winner Adam Blackstone, and general management from Foresight General, Hell’s Kitchen is poised to make Broadway feel brand-new.

“Partnering with Alicia Keys to bring Hell’s Kitchen to Broadway has been a consistently inspiring experience, and we couldn’t be more proud to play our part in this vital program,” Aaron Lustbader, partner, foresight theatrical, told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“We strive to find meaningful ways to increase representation on and off stage with every show we manage and hope to establish a program here that can be replicated by shows often future seasons.”

Those interested in the Hell’s Kitchen Fellowship can apply HERE. The first preview for Hell’s Kitchen is set for March 28, 2024, and opening night is April 20, 2024, at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. Tickets start at $58 and can be purchased HERE.