With Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” nominated for 13 Tony awards, there was a lot of excitement about the Broadway musical ahead of Sunday’s big awards show. Of course, we’ve seen this story play out multiple times at multiple award shows, so we’re not surprised that it only took home two trophies.
Despite this disappointment, we did get an unforgettable performance from the musical’s cast, Keys and surprise guest, Jay-Z. “Hell’s Kitchen” got a prime spot as the first big production of the night. It went on early in the broadcast, before viewers lost interest and started checking other channels. However, the rest of the show was so “paint by numbers Tonys,” it felt like they were just getting the hip-hop/R&B out of the way before they got into a more traditional show for the rest of the night.
As awesome as the “Hell’s Kitchen” ensemble was, it felt like the Tonys were using them to draw in viewers—because Keys likely brought in new audiences—but weren’t prepared to really commit to the show by recognizing it.
As usual, social media didn’t disappoint when it came to its opinions on “Hell’s Kitchen’s” big performance.
One user thought Jay-Z’s appearance offered false advertising since he’s not in the show, writing on X, “‘How do we get people in Iowa to buy Broadway tickets?’ ANSWER: make them think Jay-Z and Alicia will be at the actual performance of ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’”
While it’s important to make sure ticket buyers are getting a glimpse of the show they’re ultimately going to see, we’re pretty sure no one thinks they’re actually going to see Jay-Z if they buy tickets to “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Meanwhile, another viewer thought that the music superstars’ appearance kept Tony winner Maleah Joi Moon from getting the spotlight she deserved, writing, “FWIW: Maleah Joi Moon is fantastic in ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and I think it’s a shame that the ‘HK’ medley not only didn’t showcase her but undermined her by bringing out Alicia Keys and Jay-Z (who are not in the show).”
At least one theater fan isn’t happy that everyone is talking about everything but the actresses who won awards for their work in “Hell’s Kitchen,” posting, “The coverage of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ this morning is pissing me off — all the focus is on how many awards it DIDN’T win, too little on those it did, like the incredible Maleah Joi Moon for LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL. The show is a must-see, please support these beautiful artists.”
“Hell’s Kitchen’s” Tonys’ experience has once again sparked a conversation about why mainstream awards should matter for Black art. In this case, making a splash at the Tonys leads to a bump in ticket sales, so winning awards or having a memorable performance sometimes leads to a longer run. As thrilled as we are for Tony winners Moon and Kecia Lewis, we can’t deny that it feels like we’re stuck in an endlessly repetitive loop where our art is given nominations, but never receives well-deserved wins.