Using “Hell’s Kitchen” Musical to Create Opportunities
15-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys is leveraging her upcoming Broadway show “Hell’s Kitchen” to bring more diversity and representation to theater roles behind the scenes.
Keys is launching a fellowship program to actively guide people from overlooked communities into steady Broadway jobs.
Nine Departmental Fellowships Available
The fellowships will place chosen candidates within nine departments integral to putting on a big Broadway musical, including direction, costume design, sound design, producing and more.
Fellows will receive extensive training, networking opportunities, mentoring and even a weekly salary during their 7-9 week programs. As Keys stated:
“We want to challenge our industry to make a commitment to change and we are starting at home, at Hell’s Kitchen.”
Starting Down the Pipeline
The intersecting experiences of BIPOC theater creatives sparked Keys’ drive to establish this fellowship. By engaging members of underrepresented groups early through hands-on Broadway roles, it lays crucial pipeline building blocks.
General manager Aaron Lustbader stated the producers “hope to establish a program here that can be replicated by shows in future seasons.”
“Hell’s Kitchen” Setting Diversity Precedent
Slated to begin previews on March 28, 2024, Keys’ semi-autobiographical show “Hell’s Kitchen” is now poised to make an impact onstage and off.
The creative musical team is writing and producing a production that reflects the pulse of New York City. And the fellowships may spark a ripple effect driving equity in Broadway theaters for years to come.
