Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Lackawanna Blues Extends Broadway Run

Originally scheduled to close on October 31, the Broadway premiere of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Lackawanna Blues will play one additional week of performances at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, where it is performing under the banner of Manhattan Theatre Club. The final performance is now scheduled for November 7.

This extension comes after several performances were canceled in recent weeks: The production canceled performances the weekend of September 24 and postponed the opening night to October 7. That opening night performance was also canceled, as were performances from October 8-12. Santiago-Hudson has been suffering from a recurring back injury. He resumed performances on Tuesday, October 12.

Written, performed, and directed by Santiago-Hudson, with original music by Bill Sims Jr. performed onstage by Grammy Award-nominated blues guitarist Junior Mack, Lackawanna Blues tells the true story of a big-hearted woman who runs a boarding house outside Buffalo — and who was instrumental in Santiago-Hudson's childhood. The actor-director portrays over 20 vibrant characters over the course of this theatrical tribute with music. In his review, critic David Gordon described the 90-minute show as "a real feat of acting."

The creative team for Lackawanna Blues includes Michael Carnahan (scenic design), Karen Perry (costume design), Jen Schriever (lighting design), and Darron L West (sound design).