Ne-Yo is adding a new milestone to his résumé this winter: Broadway.
According to Broadway World, the Grammy winner will step into the Alicia Keys–driven musical Hell’s Kitchen on December 4, taking on the role of Davis in his first-ever run on the Great White Way.
The jump to Broadway isn’t coming out of nowhere. Ne-Yo first dipped into musical theater in 2015 when he suited up as the Tin Man for NBC’s The Wiz Live!
Nearly ten years later, he’s returning to scripted performance but in a much more demanding format: eight shows a week at the Shubert Theatre.
“I’ve performed on a lot of stages in my life, but making my Broadway debut in Hell’s Kitchen is something truly special,” Ne-Yo said.
He credited Keys with creating “a world that’s real, raw, and full of soul,” adding that portraying Davis will let him explore a new lane as an artist.
Hell’s Kitchen is loosely rooted in Keys’ own New York upbringing and follows 17-year-old Ali as she navigates ambition, identity, and the complicated transition into adulthood.
The production blends some of Keys’ biggest hits with original songs written for the stage and has developed a reputation for high-energy choreography and emotional storytelling.
The creative team behind the musical is stacked: director Michael Greif, a five-time Tony Award nominee; choreographer Camille A. Brown, also a five-time Tony nominee; and book writer Kristoffer Diaz, a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
The cast Ne-Yo is joining includes Amanda Reid as Ali, along with Jessica Vosk, Tony Award winner Kecia Lewis, Grammy nominee Durrell “Tank” Babbs, and Phillip Johnson Richardson. Vosk and Richardson are scheduled to give their final performances on November 30, setting the stage for Ne-Yo’s arrival.
The production is also supported by an expansive ensemble featuring Angela Birchett, Jakeim Hart, Kelsee Kimmel, Jackie Leon, Miki Michelle, Aaron Nicholas Patterson, Niki Saludez, and many others.