Manhattan Theatre Club’s staging of August Wilson’s Jitney, directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, concludes its limited engagement on Broadway March 12. The play is the only work from the late two-time Pulitzer Prize winner’s American Century Cycle that had never previously been seen on Broadway.
Set in the early 1970s, the story follows a group of men who make a living driving unlicensed cabs or jitneys. The Broadway premiere of Jitney began previews December 28, 2016, and officially opened January 19 to critical acclaim.
In a recent interview, director Santiago-Hudson expressed his desire to transfer the production to another theatre for a longer run, but plans have yet to be announced. “My mission now is to make sure that we do have life…to find a way to continue and to be able to share this with as many people as possible,” he told Laura Heywood during an AOL Build Series interview in February.
Read More: WILL JITNEY TRANSFER TO ANOTHER THEATRE?
The cast of Jitney 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.
Scroll through photos of the Broadway debut of Jitney below:
First Look at August Wilson’s Jitney
The creative team includes David Gallo (scenic design); Toni-Leslie James (costume design); Jane Cox (lighting design); Darron L. West (sound design); Bill Sims, Jr. (original music); and Thomas Schall (fight director). Oscar and multiple Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter John Legend is a producer.
MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is located at 261 West 47th Street, New York.
(Updated March 12, 2017)
