Jersey

Who is Jersey?

Jersey is a single mother raising her teenage daughter Ali in a Manhattan Plaza apartment building in 1990s Hell's Kitchen, working hard to keep her daughter safe in a neighborhood she considers dangerous. Her strictness with Ali comes from real experience and fear, though it puts her in constant conflict with a daughter craving independence.

Jersey's own history, including her complicated relationship with Ali's father Davis, informs why she holds on so tightly. Over the course of the show, she has to learn to loosen her grip and trust the young woman her daughter is becoming, even as her fears are not always unfounded.

Jersey's role in Hell's Kitchen

Jersey is a lead role, functioning as the show's other central perspective alongside Ali, with powerful solo numbers that reveal the weight of raising a daughter alone in a demanding city. The role requires a big, soulful belt and the emotional range to play both fierce protectiveness and vulnerability.

Shoshana Bean originated the role on Broadway when Hell's Kitchen opened in 2024. Audiences remember Jersey as one of the show's most affecting figures, a portrait of maternal love and fear that gives the musical's coming of age story real emotional stakes.

Jersey: frequently asked questions