Alicia Keys Celebrates 1-Year of Hell’s Kitchen on Broadway with Husband Swizz Beatz and a Star-Studded Crowd

Alicia Keys and a slew of her celebrity friends came out this week to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Broadway hit, Hell’s Kitchen.

The musical — inspired by Keys’ childhood in New York City and featuring the songs from the 17-time Grammy Award winner’s catalogue of hits — marked its milestone at the Shubert Theatre with a VIP-attended performance on Wednesday, April 9.

Among the guests were Ava DuVernay, Norah Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Amy Sherald, Debbie Allen, Tonya Pinkins, Sherri Shepherd, Busta Rhymes, Angie Martinez, Jawn Murray, Kennedy Yanko, Jerome Lagarrigue, Rome Flynn, Corey Hardrict, Erika Woods and Paige Bueckers.

Keys’ husband Swizz Beatz was by her side, as was Keys’ mother, Terria Joseph, who sees many of her own experiences adapted for the musical, too.

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Photos were snapped of stars on the blue carpet before the show, and on stage after the show. Later, Keys partied with the guests and the Hell’s Kitchen cast/creatives at Sei Less in Midtown.

Hours earlier, the Empire State Building lit up in Hell’s Kitchen‘s signature blue and yellow colors to honor the show. Keys even got to stand at base of the 200-ft spire atop the iconic New York City landmark prior to its lighting.

Hell’s Kitchen currently stars nine-time Grammy Award winner Durrell “Tank” Babbs, Tony Award-winner Kecia Lewis, Jade Milan, Phillip Johnson Richardson and Jessica Vosk.

It features Angela Birchett, Chad Carstarphen, Reid Clarke, Chloe Davis, Nico DeJesus, Badia Farha, Vanessa Ferguson, Gianna Harris, Jakeim Hart, Takia Hopson, Gabriel Hyman, Lindsey Jolyn Jackson, Eliazar Jimenez, Kelsee Kimmel, Jackie Leon, Raechelle Manalo, Benjamin H. Moore, Onyxx Noel, Susan Oliveras, Sarah Parker, Eric Parra, Aaron Nicholas Patterson, Amanda Reid, William Roberson, Niki Saludez, Nyseli Vega, Lamont Walker II and Oscar Whitney Jr.

Michael Greif directed Hell’s Kitchen, with choreography by Camille A. Brown. Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz penned the musical’s book.

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Hell’s Kitchen officially began performances on March 28, 2024 and opened later that year on April 20.

In it’s first year on Broadway, the musical received several landmark achievements, including the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. “Kaleidoscope,” an original new song written by Keys for Hell’s Kitchen, became the anthem of the 2024 U.S. Open Tournament in a multi-layered collaboration with USTA and ESPN. 

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VIP attendees over the year have included Michelle Obama and Barack Obama, Jay-Z, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Lizzo, Lupita Nyong’o, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Serena Williams, Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan, Keith Urban, Carly Rae Jepsen, Ariana DeBose, Kristin Chenoweth, Brooke Shields, Steven Spielberg, Joseph Quinn, Danai Gurira, Danielle Brooks and Rosie O’Donnell (among many, many others).

Tickets for Hell’s Kitchen are now on sale.