Alicia Keys' 'Hell's Kitchen' opens Hollywood run at Pantages

Alicia Keys' Tony Award-winning musical "Hell's Kitchen" opened its Hollywood engagement Thursday at the Pantages Theatre, with a 19-year-old lead guiding audiences through Keys' semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story set in 1990s New York.

The production blends Keys' chart-topping catalog with new original compositions to trace a teenage girl's path through identity and community — a Broadway hit now within reach for Orange County theatergoers making the short drive to Hollywood.

Bay Area native Mya Drake, 19, stars as the semi-autobiographical lead, navigating adolescence in a tight-knit 1990s New York neighborhood. Keys described Drake's performance as exceptional, noting that the actress must continuously draw the audience into the story.

"Not only does she sing and dance incredibly, but she also has to constantly engage the audience because she breaks the fourth wall all the time. So what she's doing on stage is really magnificent," Keys said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Keys said she designed the story to resonate beyond its specific New York setting. "The story is so universal and really touches on who we are as people, finding our community, finding ways to be uplifted, breaking through the pieces of life that try to hold you back," she said.

The musical weaves Keys' catalogue of hit songs alongside new compositions written specifically for the production. Keys said the emotional range of the show moved her deeply during curtain call.

"You're laughing, you're crying, you're outraged, you're frustrated. You are truly taken on a journey. It's amazing. I feel very grateful and very excited," she said.

"Hell's Kitchen" continues its Hollywood run at the Pantages Theatre through June 21.