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.
Ruben Santiago-Hudson is one person, but in Lackawanna Blues-the show the Tony Award-winning performer has written, performs and directs, opening tonight at Broadway's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre-he becomes a voice of many. And, thanks to Santiago-Hudson's dexterity of interpretation, the many characters he embodies immediately become familiar and intriguing to us.Ruben Santiago-Hudson is one person, but in Lackawanna Blues-the show the Tony Award-winning performer has written, performs and directs, opening tonight at Broadway's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre-he becomes a voice of many. And, thanks to Santiago-Hudson's dexterity of interpretation, the many characters he embodies immediately become familiar and intriguing to us.
Playing at the Samuel J. Freedman Theatre,' Lackawanna Blues' is a one-man show with Santiago-Hudson playing all the roles, and his fans might expect it to have funny characters and some lively blues licks (in this production, courtesy of the on-stage guitarist Junior Mack). And so it does. But few will be prepared for the emotional undercurrent present in Santiago-Hudson's self-directed performance, which often feels like it is being interrupted by a well of feelings so strong that the actor struggles to process them in the moment.
| 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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