AKA hypes the just opened musical – already the recipient of 13 Tony Award nominations – with a music video immersing audiences in the world of the show.
New York City, NY, May 1, 2024 — Creative advertising agency AKA sets the stage for Alicia Keys’ exciting new musical, “Hell’s Kitchen,” with an original music video for the show’s premiere single, “Kaleidoscope.” Starring Alicia Keys and the Broadway musical cast, the film is a love letter from the “Hell’s Kitchen” composer and 16-time Grammy Award winner to the community that both inspired and raised her. Just announced today, the musical – which opened April 20 – is nominated for 13 Tony Awards.
Directed by fellow New York native Kajal, “Kaleidoscope” was shot entirely at Manhattan Plaza, where Keys grew up. The film starts with Keys singing at the piano before the camera travels upstairs to a teenage girl’s bedroom in an apartment shared with her mother, where the musical’s breakout star, Maleah Joi Moon, first appears. Later, many more cast members and a chorus of real New Yorkers join as story elements from “Hell’s Kitchen” are woven into the film’s narrative, serving as easter eggs that connect to the show. By completely immersing the music video in the sounds and scenescapes of “Hell’s Kitchen,” the film comes to life as a complementary work of art alongside the musical.
AKA originated the creative advertising assets for HELL’S KITCHEN, including the key art branding, launch trailer, and “Welcome to Hell’s Kitchen” mini-documentary series. To launch the show, they designed a content-forward campaign, which they are uniquely positioned to deliver due to their deep Broadway marketing expertise and Chief Creative Officer Miky Wolf’s previous experience editing documentaries and music videos.
Wolf says of this venture, “The team thrives when they are creating conceptual pieces that live outside the theater walls. This kind of work takes deep client trust as well as meaningful relationships with the show’s production team. Alicia is a visionary and working with her has been a dream. When asked to recommend a director for the project, I did an extensive search before finding Kajal, a native New Yorker herself. She and Alicia hit it off immediately and we worked closely to craft a piece that feels authentic to Alicia’s world while accurately reflecting the story and characters of the musical.”
“This video is so special to me, it captures the spirit of Hell’s Kitchen, the place I grew up, and the new musical we’ve worked so hard to bring to life! One that is now debuting on Broadway on 4/20! I’m so proud to showcase a place I call home, and the amazing community that helped make me who I am today,” said Alicia Keys. “It also showcases the special cast of Hell’s Kitchen who are incredible artists and have that same feeling I do, we live in a concrete jungle where DREAMS are made of! This City holds a lot of hope. I want people to feel inspired by that hope, the song, the music, the movement, the lifestyle and the video.”
VIDEO CREDITS:
AKA CEO: Elizabeth Furze
Chief Creative Officer: Miky Wolf
Senior Creative Director: Lisa Lewis
Director: Kajal
Choreographer: Camille A. Brown
Director of Photography: Andrea Gavazzi
Editor: Chaz Smedley (Eddy Street Post)
Color: Kya Lou
SFX: Matt Fasullo
VFX: Cameo
Production Company: Fela
Executive Producer: Fuliane Petikyan
Producer: Octavia Pride
Producer: Megan Warshofsky
Art Director: Alex Enterline
Director of Digital Strategy & Social Media: Allison Peters
Account Team: Elizabeth Findlay, Stevie Coleman, David Shum, Josh Boucher