Lackawanna Blues (Broadway)
Closed 1h 30m
Lackawanna Blues (Broadway)
84

Lackawanna Blues (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%
(170 Ratings)
Positive
96%
Mixed
3%
Negative
1%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Entertaining, Great writing, Masterful

Broadway debut of Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson's solo play.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (170)

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68 Reviews | 10 Followers
100
Must see, Profound, Great acting, Great staging, Absorbing

See it if If U like Ruben Santiago in ANYTHING...HE TRULY DOES NOT DISAPPOINT HERE. He goes from voice to voice & if U close UR eyes-U see/feel them!

Don't see it if If U don't enjoy real harmonica playing, superb story telling, great down home singing & personal story that will bring TEARS TO UR EYES!

570 Reviews | 87 Followers
100
Thought provoking, Entertaining, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you like seeing incredible talent on stage.Santiago-Hudson tells a riveting story.His acting is some of the best that I have seen.Spot on

Don't see it if you are ----hmmm there is NO reason to not see this. It is probably about 10 minutes too long, but that is my only mild criticism.Go see it!

141 Reviews | 28 Followers
100
Must see, Masterful, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if want to see truly great acting and musicianship! This is storytelling at one of its finest!

Don't see it if you want to see a big production and a big cast.

135 Reviews | 18 Followers
100
Masterful, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if you want to see a master at the height of his craft and you enjoy one person shows

Don't see it if you don't like one person shows

110 Reviews | 11 Followers
99
Riveting, Masterful, Absorbing, Great writing, Great acting

See it if You appreciate great writing, amazing acting and beautiful stories. Ruben Santiago-Hudson is a genius!!

Don't see it if You don't like one person shows.

98 Reviews | 15 Followers
98
Perfection, intelligent, masterful

See it if you want to see the most masterful performance one could ever hope for. I wish I could have seen it again and again. It is why I live in NY

Don't see it if ??? There is no reason not to see this except that it has closed.

127 Reviews | 15 Followers
98
Days gone by.

See it if you like one-man shows.

Don't see it if watching a solo performer for an hour-and-a-half--even a supremely talented one--just isn't something you'd enjoy. Read more

165 Reviews | 34 Followers
98
Intelligent, Funny, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You enjoy one-person shows of an autobiographical nature.

Don't see it if You aren’t interested in the above Read more

Critic Reviews (12)

The New York Times
October 7th, 2021

"The very first instrument we learn to use is the human voice. In “Lackawanna Blues,” Santiago-Hudson shows his expert prowess with his, which he uses to deliver music with his portrayal of the various personalities. He strings together a cadence, tone and rhythm into a piece of work that is equal parts narrative and song."
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Time Out New York
October 7th, 2021

"There is nothing revolutionary about Lackawanna Blues, but it is a loving and skillful evocation of a formidable Black woman and the community she was able to create, through the force of her character, in a world of lack and want."
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New York Theatre Guide
January 21st, 2022

"Rather than mock the people from his past, Hudson-Santiago takes their flaws seriously and treats them like the main characters of the overall drama. Whether they be an autistic man menacingly searching for his jingly keys or a man whose tongue darts like a serpent’s between each word he takes or an eager party girl using her gyrating rump to lure in a mate, the play and actor revel in their humanity while avoiding caricature for the sake of cheap laughs. Their opportunities may have been scarce, but regardless of their circumstances, Lackawanna Blues refuses to treat its characters like props; rather the play honors them for no other reason than they are alive."
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Deadline
October 7th, 2021

"Lackawanna Blues is, after all, a memory play, and Santiago-Hudson makes no bones about presenting the ghosts (and occasional monster) of his childhood with an enveloping and inviting compassion. He does them proud."
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Variety
October 8th, 2021

"A treat!...a restorative evening of Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s loving recollections of growing up in an upstate New York boarding house run by a life force known as Nanny."
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Lighting & Sound America
October 18th, 2021

"Ruben Santiago-Hudson is a fine actor (and an even better director) but, at the beginning of Lackawanna Blues, he displays shapeshifting skills the likes of which I've never seen before."
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New York Stage Review
October 7th, 2021

"How does Santiago-Hudson bring the crowd from his Lackawanna, New York youth to the stage...At this indisputable tour de force he’s immeasurably helped by his director. That’s to say by himself."
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New York Stage Review
October 7th, 2021

"Santiago-Hudson is such a dynamic, charismatic performer that it’s easy to overlook the fact that the piece, more an assemblage of vignettes than a compelling narrative, is sometimes difficult to follow."
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