Rajiv Joseph's King James officially opened its Off-Broadway premiere May 16 after beginning previews May 2, and the reviews are in. Kenny Leon directs the Manhattan Theatre Club production, which will continue at New York City Center Stage I through June 18.
Glenn Davis (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) and Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary) star as Shawn and Matt, respectively, alongside Khloe Janel as DJ. The play tracks the friendship between Shawn and Matt, whose fortunes are tied to those of their idol, Cleveland basketball star "King" LeBron James.
Read the reviews below.
CitiTourNY (Brian Scott Lipton)
New York Stage Review (Melissa Rose Bernardo, Frank Scheck)
New York Theatre Guide (Amelia Merrill)
The New York Times (Juan A. Ramírez)*
Talkin' Broadway (Marc Miller)
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The play comes to New York following earlier runs at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago and Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles. Both Davis and Perfetti are reprising their performances from both of those world premiere engagements.
The production features scenic design by Todd Rosenthal, costume design by Samantha C. Jones, lighting design by Lee Fiskness, and sound design by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen. Casting is by JC Clementz, with additional casting by Caparelliotis Casting and Kelly Gillespie. Richard A. Hodge is production stage manager.
