“This girl is on fire?” Let’s go with, these vocals are ablaze.

It’s not unusual for musicals like “Hell’s Kitchen” to be better sung on tour than on Broadway, especially when they have just hit the road. On Broadway, lots of issues go into casting: how famous you are, how much experience you have, how many social media followers are in your fold. But when it comes to redoing this Alicia Keys jukebox musical for the road, those considerations tend to fall away. Experienced directors like Michael Greif are more open to taking risks on newcomers and everyone focuses on who is really best for the part. And musical directors usually get more power.

Remarkably, this tour has cast an 18-year-old named Maya Drake in the lead role. Few performers of that age, at their level of training, can han

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