Alicia Keys closed out the 25th annual Tribeca Festival with the premiere of Alicia Keys: Girl From Hell’s Kitchen, a project that matters to publishers, songwriters, and rights holders because it centers on the creation and production of Hell’s Kitchen and the long road behind it. The documentary captures the risks, collaborators, ups and downs, and pressures of success tied to the musical and the woman behind it, making the work itself the story.
A documentary built around the making of Hell’s Kitchen
The film, directed by One9 and produced by Brian Satz and Cole Cook, follows the journey that began in 2024 when Hell’s Kitchen opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theater to rave reviews. The production was the result of a 13-year journey that started with a single line and ended with a Tony win. The documentary also gives viewers a look at Keys’ early years in New York City and how those years shaped her.
Following the screening at BMCC Theater, Keys and One9 took part in a moderated Q&A while the crew kept the audience updated on the Knicks game. At one point, an announcement that the team was down by five points drew an audible gasp from the room. Keys said Hell’s Kitchen was a theme and a character, and explained that understanding the neighborhood helped make sense of the story of her mother, her father, her own journey, and the creators of the musical.
Keys turns Hell’s Kitchen into her own narrative
During the conversation, Keys spoke about reclaiming Hell’s Kitchen’s history and turning it into something powerful. She described the neighborhood as one once known for violence, prostitution, and crime, and said the film tells that story through her experience. She also joked about unexpected footage that surfaced during editing, saying editors found material she did not know existed.
A Knicks win powers a New York finale
The night continued with Tribeca’s official Closing Night Party at Capitale, where flat screens showed the game from every corner. With eight minutes left, guests were on their feet as the final seconds ticked away and the Knicks were up by three. When the buzzer sounded, the room erupted after the Knicks won the NBA Finals for the first time in 53 years.
Keys later came to the stage in a Pelle Pelle Knicks bomber jacket and performed a set that nodded to the sounds that shaped her, including Wu-Tang Clan, Nina Simone, and The Notorious B.I.G. She then brought out Nas for a surprise guest moment. The next thing to watch is how this documentary rollout continues after its Tribeca premiere and how Keys’ Broadway story connects with the broader response to the film.
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