Manhattan Theatre Club’s staging of August Wilson’s Jitney, directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, officially opened on Broadway January 19. The play is the only work from the late two-time Pulitzer Prize winner’s American Century Cycle that had never previously previously been seen on Broadway.
Set in the 1970s, the story follows a group of men who make a living driving unlicensed cabs or jitneys. The Broadway premiere of Jitney began preview performances December 28 and is playing at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre for a limited run through March 12.
Critics are beginning to post their reviews. Playbill.com will add more as they are published:
Entertainment Weekly (Maya Stanton)
Hollywood Reporter (David Rooney)
New York Daily News (Joe Dziemianowicz)
Time Out New York (David Cote)
Wall Street Journal (Edward Rothstein)
The cast features Harvy Blanks (Jitney in WNYC’s Greene Space American Century Cycle recording) as Shealy; Tony Award nominee Anthony Chisholm (Radio Golf, Jitney at Second Stage) as Fielding; Obie winner Brandon Dirden (The Piano Lesson, Clybourne Park) as Booster; André Holland (Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Moonlight) as Youngblood; Carra Patterson (Significant Other, Wit, Straight Outta Compton) as Rena; Michael Potts (The Book of Mormon, Aubergine) as Turnbo; Keith Randolph Smith (Fences, King Hedley II) as Doub; Ray Anthony Thomas (Jitney and Fences in WNYC’s Greene Space American Century Cycle recordings, Between Riverside and Crazy) as Philmore; and Drama Desk Award winner John Douglas Thompson (Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Satchmo at the Waldorf) as Becker.
