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.
Such basic storytelling, a collection of vignettes peppered with musical passages, could have been presented quite minimally, but MTC wraps Santiago-Hudson's colorful yarns in a handsome package. Michael Carnahan's grandly dilapidated proscenium arcs over the stage; Jen Schriever's lights evoke the ghosts and shadows of yesteryear; Darron L. West's sound design balances speech and music - of which there's an abundance. Santiago-Hudson isn't alone on stage: He's backed by accomplished guitarist Junior Mack, who strums and frets the original blues score by Bill Simms, Jr. Santiago-Hudson jams along on harmonica, wailing and keening into the air when words just aren't enough.
It always comes back to Nanny, with her stiff back and neatly folded arms; Santiago-Hudson's rendering evokes a Cicely Tyson type, a strong Black matriarch not to be trifled with. His narrative performance is impressive for many reasons, but one of the most nuanced is the way Santiago-Hudson sees it all, as a child eavesdropping and peeking through doorways, with curious and affectionate eyes. He grounds us in the details, which brings not just these characters, but also a whole town to life: the way a woman pops her hips, the way a man coughs, even the particular tint of the Lackawanna snow. After all, people may think the blues are about heartbreak, but to get to heartbreak, you first have to pass through love.
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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