Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” takes center stage in Central Florida through March 8
Cast member, JonAvery Worrell, joins WESH 2 to preview the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical’s tour stop at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
AWARD WINNING BROADWAY MUSICAL CREATED AND INSPIRED BY ALICIA KEYS, TAKES YOU ON THE JOURNEY OF A TEEN GIRL FULL OF FIRE. YEAH, THAT SONG IS IN THERE. THE STORY, BASED ON NEW YORK CITY, IS COMING TO LIFE ON STAGE HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. AND JOINING ME NOW, JOHN AVERY, WHO PLAYS DUKE IN HELL’S KITCHEN. THIS THIS CHARACTER NICK HERE IS REALLY CENTRAL TO THE STORY THAT THAT IS THE MUSIC OF ALICIA KEYS. YOU SAY JUKEBOX MUSICAL AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY. BUT I MEAN, THESE ARE THE HIT SONGS THAT YOU KNOW AND LOVE FROM FROM HER. WHAT DO YOU TELL PEOPLE ABOUT HELL’S KITCHEN? IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE HELL’S KITCHEN, I’M GOING TO SAY IT’S A IT’S AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER THAT LITERALLY TAKES YOU TO TAKES YOU THROUGH THE 20 YEARS OF A DISCOGRAPHY OF A LEGEND. SO I FEEL LIKE YOU CAN’T EVEN REDUCE IT TO A JUKEBOX. JUKEBOX MUSICAL BECAUSE IT HAS. IT HAS SO MUCH MORE CHARACTER THAN THAT. THESE SONGS HAVE BEEN THE SOUNDTRACK FOR SO MANY PEOPLE’S LIVES. FIRST DATES, WEDDINGS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND IT IT SEEMED THE MUSIC SEAMLESSLY FITS INTO THE STORY SO WELL THAT IT DOESN’T EVEN FEEL. AND THE THE WAY THEY’VE BEEN CRAFTED AND THE WAY THEY’VE BEEN REARRANGED. IT MAKES THE MUSIC FEEL LIKE IT’S LIKE A WHOLE NEW, WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE. SO YOU’RE SAYING WE’RE INTRODUCED TO IT KIND OF ANEW IN THIS IN THIS SHOW, AND THE STORY TAKES US ON A JOURNEY. YOU’RE A CHARACTER, NICK, AND YOU ARE A CENTRAL CHARACTER. WE MEET ALI AND KIND OF AN ALICIA KEYS TYPE ROLE IN THE WORLD. IN THE WORLD? YES. AND THEN THE STORY WEAVES THROUGH. THERE’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARENTS. THERE’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH, YOU KNOW, LOVE. THE CITY ALMOST EVEN IS A CHARACTER IN THIS. YEAH. IT’S REALLY STUNNING HOW YOU ALL HAVE PULLED THAT TOGETHER. WHAT DOES IT MEAN AS YOU BRING HIS ROLE TO LIFE? NIGHT AFTER NIGHT? KNUCK FOR ME IS AN OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY AS A, YOU KNOW, AS A YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN, JUST LIKE MOVING THROUGH LIFE, LOOKING TO CREATE SOMETHING FOR HIMSELF. YOU KNOW, HE’S CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR STABILITY AND COMFORTABILITY, WHICH ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US ARE DOING THE SAME THING, JUST TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING OF OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, AND BE AT PEACE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE WHAT IT MEANS TO FALL IN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? FALLING IN LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME, MEETING THE PARENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME. MIND YOU, HIS INTERACTION WITH PARENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME. NOT THE MOST PEACEFUL OR COMFORTABLE. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? TO SAY THE LEAST. BUT IT’S LITERALLY. IT’S SO MANY FIRSTS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, IT’S SO MANY FIRSTS. AND I THINK I FOUND SO MUCH OF MYSELF IN MILK. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? JUST BEING A KID, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM NEW YORK, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY TRYING TO CREATE A LIFE AMIDST THIS CRAZY WORLD. YOU TALK ABOUT THE CITY BEING A CHARACTER AMIDST THIS CRAZY CITY, FALLING IN LOVE, FALLING OUT OF LOVE. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND AND, YOU KNOW, AND FINDING LIFE ANEW, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK THAT FOR ME IS WHERE I REALLY FOUND MY PERSONAL RESONANCE WITH KNUCK. WELL, IF YOU WANT TO BE INSPIRED, YOU LOVE THE MUSIC OF ALICIA KEYS. YOU’RE TELLING US ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GET THERE. ATLANTA, GEORGIA. HOME WHERE YOU GREW UP AT YOUR PARENTS FROM NEW YORK CITY. YOU REALLY BRING THAT AUTHENTICITY TO A CHARACTER FROM NEW YORK? ABSOLUTELY. WE’RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF TIME. THEY’LL CUT ME OFF HERE. BUT, JOHNNY, WHAT DO YOU WANT AUDIENCES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS SHOW WHEN THEY LEAVE AT THE END OF THE NIGHT? I WANT TO I WANT AUDIENCES TO TAKE AWAY THE FACT THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE DREAM, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, HOW BIG, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. AND I THINK THAT’S REFLECTED IN THE MUSIC. IT’S REFLECTED IN THE ENERGY OF EVERY SCENE. IT’S THAT NO MATTER LIKE THE LIFE, THE THE DREAMS ARE LITERALLY ALIVE IN US. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND NO MATTER WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR WALK OF LIFE, NO MATTER WHERE YOU COME FROM, WHERE YOU STARTED, WHERE YOU FINISH, HOW OLD, HOW YOUNG. IF YOU HAVE A DREAM, TAKE THE CHANCE. PURSUE IT. JUMP OUT THERE ON THE WATER. AS YOU SAY. AND NEVER QUIT DREAMING. NEVER QUIT DREAMING. I LOVE THAT COULDN’T END THIS ON A BETTER FINAL LINE THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. CONTINUED SUCCESS. YOU CAN SEE THE STARS BETTER. MOVIES, TV, STAGE, EVERYTHING AHEAD FOR YOU, SIR. ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT HELL’S KITCHEN. NOW ON STA
Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” takes center stage in Central Florida through March 8
Cast member, JonAvery Worrell, joins WESH 2 to preview the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical’s tour stop at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Updated: 9:32 AM EST Mar 4, 2026
Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” takes center stage at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts March 3-8, 2026.One of the show’s cast members, JonAvery Worrell who plays “Knuck,” joins WESH 2 to preview the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. The musical, created and inspired by Alicia Keys, is a coming-of-age story based in Hell’s Kitchen, New York in the 1990s. The show features songs from Keys’ popular catalog, including “Girl on Fire,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Empire State of Mind,” and “Fallin'” along with three new songs written for the show. Show times vary. Tickets are now on sale. Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” takes center stage at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts March 3-8, 2026.
One of the show’s cast members, JonAvery Worrell who plays “Knuck,” joins WESH 2 to preview the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
The musical, created and inspired by Alicia Keys, is a coming-of-age story based in Hell’s Kitchen, New York in the 1990s.
The show features songs from Keys’ popular catalog, including “Girl on Fire,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Empire State of Mind,” and “Fallin'” along with three new songs written for the show.
Show times vary.
Tickets are now on sale.