Interview: Lamont Walker II Talks Journey From MJ to Alicia Keys' HELL'S KITCHEN

Lamont Walker II, an original cast member of MJ on Broadway, has made his way over to another show with a music icon at its center: Hell's Kitchen, featuring music and lyrics by 15-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys. 

Hell's Kitchen features a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, music supervision by Emmy and Grammy Award winner Adam Blackstone, choreography by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown, and direction by Tony Award nominee Michael Greif. The production begins performances at The Public Theater today, October 24, officially opens on Sunday, November 19, and is set to run through Sunday, January 7, 2024. 

BroadwayWorld spoke with Lamont Walker II about how it feels to leave MJ after being with the show since the very beginning, his audition process for Hell's Kitchen, working with Alicia Keys, and what audiences can expect from this new musical.

You are now in the original cast for your second musical about a major pop star. How does it feel to have left MJ to be in another original cast?

Oh wow, it’s kind of a surreal, bittersweet moment. I was a part of MJ since I graduated from college. It’s been my family, my home base in New York City, and I’m excited to join the team at The Public with Hell’s Kitchen, but I was also a little sad to be leaving my family. I’d been developing my role in the show, Jermaine Jackson since all of the labs, I was the first person to sing and say the stuff for Jermaine, the first one, from the ground up. And it’s time. It’s crazy to think that I’m going from one pop icon to another [laughs].

What was your audition like for Hell’s Kitchen?

For Hell’s Kitchen I was taking a leave of absence from MJ, doing Hercules at Paper Mill Playhouse. I was the standby for Hercules, I took three months off from MJ to work on that show. I had a week in between my time with Herculeus ending and me starting back into MJ on Broadway, and I had an audition for Hell’s kitchen. I went in and I met with the team - Michael Greif was in the room - and he’s a super, “Here’s what it is,” kind of guy, which I really appreciate when it comes to auditioning. And it all just fell into place. Everybody was like, “Okay, cool, let’s try it again, let’s do it again!” It was a simple process. I wasn’t exactly sure how it happened. It was my first in person audition since the pandemic.

Can you tell me about the character you play, Riq?

Knuck is the love interest of Ali, who is the star of our show, and I play one of his best friends in the musical. I also understudy Knuck.

It’s a new show, can you tell me a little bit about what audiences can expect to see?

Audiences can expect to hear Alicia Keys’ major hits. They can also expect to feel the hunger of New York City, that dream-chasing energy, and also a great heartfelt story of coming of age.

Do you feel like you relate to your character, and to the energy of the show?

I absolutely relate to the hunger of trying to make it in New York City, of trying to go after your dreams, of not letting people sway you, of finding something  that sparks this entire world around you. That’s really what the show is about. You stumble upon one thing that just changes the course of your life, and Hell’s Kitchen definitely does that.

What is It like working with Alicia Keys?

She’s incredibly genius. She knows exactly what she wants, she has it in her ear, she’s also super kind and open to our own artistry, bringing her work to life. Everybody in the room is super on top of their stuff, they know what they want. It’s a super professional and collaborative experience. With working on pop icon musicals, the music is already there, and it already has a power, a fan base, you can already vibe to the music because we already know it, we know it from when we walk in. So, you really just get to fall in love with the story, and go on the ride, and hear the songs that bring you back to life.

What are you most looking forward to with the premiere of this show?

I’m so looking forward to working at The Public. The Public is such a staple in New York for theatre, it’s brought to life so much talent, plays, directors, actors. And also sharing real, great storytelling through musical theatre. Sometimes you get jukebox musicals where the music is just thrown in and it doesn’t really follow the story, but this one does allow the music to take you on another ride, and that’s super exciting.

Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share?

I think it’s interesting that Michael Jackson was such an inspiration to so many artists. So many artists got their inspiration from listening to his music, and here I am from Motown to New York City working on another show with an artist who is inspiring another generation of artists, of musicians, of singers. I’m just super grateful to be in this place.