Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson returns to MTC for the Broadway debut of his brilliant solo play celebrating the strong, big-hearted woman who raised him: Miss Rachel. In a 1950s boarding house outside Buffalo, Nanny, as she was affectionately called, opened her doors to anyone and everyone in need of kindness, hope, compassion and care. Giving a tour-de-force performance accompanied by live music written by acclaimed composer Bill Sims, Jr. and performed by Blues Hall of Fame Guitarist Junior Mack, Santiago-Hudson embodies more than 20 vibrant characters, creating a richly textured reminiscence that’s inspiring, uplifting and right at home on Broadway.
There are only two men onstage, but there's an awfully big crowd populating Lackawanna Blues. Ruben Santiago-Hudson's autobiographical one-man play (plus musician) paying loving tribute to the woman who raised him features such a gallery of colorful characters that it's no wonder it was adapted into a cable television movie featuring a large ensemble. But the piece works best as it was originally conceived-the actor narrating the tale and portraying some two dozen other characters in a virtuoso demonstration of solo storytelling.
What exactly does Ruben Santiago-Hudson not do in the first Broadway revival of his 2001 play 'Lackawanna Blues,' which opened Thursday at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre? He has written, directed and stars, giving himself at least two dozen characters to play in this one-person show about growing up Black in the steel town of Lackawanna, New York, in the 1950s and beyond. He sings the blues, accompanied by guitarist Junior Mack, and he plays a mean harmonica, as well as a wide range of characters - including an adorable pet raccoon that's let loose into the wild, much to the disappointment of Junior.
| 2001 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2021 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Ruben Santiago-Hudson |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music in a Play | Bill Sims Jr. |
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Lackawanna Blues |
| 2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Awards | Ruben Santiago-Hudson |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) | Jen Schreiver |
| 2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Special Achievement Awards | Ruben Santiago-Hudson |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Ruben Santiago-Hudson |
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