JITNEY Previews

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Previews begin tonight for the long-awaited Broadway premiere of August Wilson's Jitney!

So who's going?

[Jshan05]

I'll be there tonight! Really looking forward to it.

[AC126748]

I'm going next Sunday. This is the only one of Wilson's plays I haven't seen on stage, so I'm beyond excited to finally complete the cycle. The cast for this production is top notch, and friends who saw Ruben Santiago-Hudson's previous staging of the play at Two River Theater (in which several of the current production's actors appeared) say he really handles the text well.

[Phantom4ever]

I'll be there tonight!  I'll report back on my trip thread 

[LimelightMike]

So excited to hear the buzz coming out of tonight! To anyone going, please report back here! And, enjoy! :)

[BroadwayRox3588]

I wish I was going. LOVE August Wilson!

[LimelightMike]

Bump!

[Phantom4ever]

Intermission.  A finely acted and altogether brilliant production.  Wilson's words crackle and explode off the stage.   Sitting in the front row, I had a checkers piece roll off the stage and land next to me.  At intermission, several ushers and stagehands asked me for it, but I gave it to the first stagehand who got onstage when the house lights went up.  

These actors inhabit these characters so fully. Eagerly looking forward to act 2

[LimelightMike]

Phantom, thanks so much for the Act 1 coverage! I'm assuming the stage height isn't obstructing your view from your seat - on the aisle? 

 

Looking forward to a full report! :)

[Phantom4ever]

I was right on the center aisle front row.  The stage is severely raked and downstage is at about chest level I would say----- very low stage indeed.   I could have watched another 3 acts of that show.  I was sad to see it end.  

[WhizzerMarvin]

This is the type of show you walk out of lamenting that there isn't a Tony Award for Best Ensemble; maybe as an alternate solution they could create a new category this year for best actor in Jitney? 

I can say without a second of hesitation that this is the best Broadway show I have seen thus far this season. I mean, I LOVED Jitney tonight. The acting! The dialogue! The direction! The frickin' detail in the dilapidated tile flooring on the set! No detail was too small to overlook and the brilliant Ruben Santiago-Hudson pulled everything together perfectly, creating lovely, organically flowing scenes. I fully agree with Phantom4ever that I could have sat through another act. 

I truly loved the entire cast, but the great John Douglas Thompson damn near stole the show in his confrontation with Booster at the end of the first act. He is such a natural, such an effortless performer, and yet at the same time you can feel the grandeur of his performance filling the theater. 

Michael Potts is another standout as Turnbo, who must speak more lines of dialogue than anyone else in the play. Another actor could have easily become tripped up in this role, especially at a first preview, but either Potts has played this part in a previous production or he was born to play it. 

Andre Holland, Anthony Chisholm and Keith Randolph Smith were all excellent as well in their supporting roles. The play is so balanced that everyone gets their chance to shine without eclipsing any other actor. 

Can MTC just hire Santiago-Hudson to put on the whole cycle, one per season? 

There have been so many celebrity deaths as of late and so much anger and strife in the political arena that it's nice to be transported so completely at the theater and forget about all that for an hour or two. 

[Theater3232]

How long is the show?

[UncleCharlie]

Wilson's plays are so well written, so well structured, so well textured, you have to work pretty hard to screw them up. And with a company featuring a number of Wilson "regulars" and a director who is the foremost interpreter of his work today, an outstanding production was all but guaranteed. Can't wait to see it. Just wish someone would put on a production of King Hedley II so I can finally complete the cycle.

[macnyc]

Whizzer, what a great idea to have Hudson do one play from the cycle each year for Manhattan Theater Club! I hope someone is drawing up the contracts even as we speak. 

 

I'm seeing Jitney on Sunday and very excited!

[HBBrock]

Whizzer - I've always loved reading your first and early preview reviews and just purchased two tickets because of your comments.

[Theater3232]

The MTC website says it runs " 2 hours, 25 minutes, WITH 1 intermission ".  Does the word WITH mean it INCLUDES the intermission, or it EXCLUDES the intermission? Did the 7pm show get out at 9:25pm?

[VintageSnarker]

The 30 Under 30 tickets seem to be front row Orchestra and on the sides of the Mezzanine. Which option do you think would be better for this show? 

[Jshan05]

VintageSnarker said: "The 30 Under 30 tickets seem to be front row Orchestra and on the sides of the Mezzanine. Which option do you think would be better for this show? "

 

I was in the front row last night and it was a great view. The stage is somewhat high, but it didn't impede my view of anything. It was great being so close to this ensemble. Really wonderful show and I second everything that Whizzer said! 

[neonlightsxo]

"Can MTC just hire Santiago-Hudson to put on the whole cycle, one per season?"

Yes, please!

[LxGstv]

Phantom4ever said: "I was right on the center aisle front row.  The stage is severely raked and downstage is at about chest level I would say----- very low stage indeed.   I could have watched another 3 acts of that show.  I was sad to see it end.  

 

"

This makes me wish I had gotten front orchestra instead of side mezzanine... oh well.

 

[Phantom4ever]

Yeah I don't agree with the poster saying the stage is somewhat high.  It is very raked and extreme downstage is even with the front row's heads/chests.  The only time you have to look up is when the actors are at extreme downstage and their shoes are inches from your chest.  But that was once twice over the whole show for a few seconds. 

[Testing1232]

I will let Whizzer speak for me ( because I could never write that well !! ) 

Not even close ---

saw the show last  night, and simply amazing ! Admittedly a bit biased, because I love Wilson, but this blew me away !! Didn't want it to end !! 

[Testing1232]

RI will let Whizzer speak for me ( because I could never write that well !! ) 

Not even close ---

saw the show last  night, and simply amazing ! Admittedly a bit biased, because I love Wilson, but this blew me away !! Didn't want it to end !! 

Edit: sorry for the double post --- just wanted to add that my TDF seat was great --- Orch L --- if I saw correctly, all reg orch seats are $140 !!?? 

[Susanswerphone]

HBBrock said: "Whizzer - I've always loved reading your first and early preview reviews and just purchased two tickets because of your comments."

Agreed. I find myself reading and re-reading Whizzer, before and after seeing those both on my list and not. 

I was in NY last week and fortunate enough to land an excellent seat at the last minute through TodayTix. So very, very glad that I saw this and had the opportunity to shake hands and say thank you to R S-H for an outstanding production.

This is absolutely a must-see. I look forward to attending again at the end of the run.

 

[Matt Rogers]

I agree with the other reviews. This is an excellent production of a very good play. However, i do have one major problem with it, and I'll discuss that below:

SPOILER IN

 

5

4

3

2

1

 

There is a famous old dramatic principle often referred to as "Chekhov's gun", and it goes something like this: If you show a gun in Act One, you'd better damned well make sure that it goes off in Act Two. Obviously, that doesn't happen here, and I'm really not sure why. A whole impending sense of dread is set up by the confrontation with the gun in Act One and I was certain that was going to lead to some sort of tragedy (with the gun) in Act Two, but that is basically abandoned in favor of the son/father conflict.

Maybe it's a matter of just so much drama being jammed into one play, but I just thought it was all a bit odd.

Still, it's a relatively minor quibble in a production that is so well acted and directed that it really makes you forget the outside world for two and a half hours. 

A must see.