Ruben Santiago-Hudson Celebrates LACKAWANNA BLUES Opening Night at Mark Taper Forum

Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s powerful and touching solo play “Lackawanna Blues” opened at the Mark Taper Forum on March 13th and has performances through April 21st.

From left, creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson, actors Ben Vereen, Sally Struthers, Blair Underwood and Roz Ryan. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Obba Babatundé, KiKi Shepard, Jeannie Brittan, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Wren T. Brown and Jason Dirden. Photo courtesy of Facebook

Produced by Center Theatre Group, Lackawanna Blues” is written, performed and directed by Santiago-Hudson with live music performed by Grammy-winning blues guitarist, composer and actor Chris Thomas King. Original music for the production is composed by Bill Sims Jr. with additional music composed by King. The design team includes scenic designer Michael Carnahan, costume designer Karen Perry, lighting designer Jen Schriever and sound designer Philip G. Allen. The production stage manager is David S. Franklin.

From left, scenic designer Michael Carnahan, creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson and guitarist Chris Thomas King. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

A magical, musical and deeply personal work by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues” is a reminiscence of his 1950s childhood in a small town on the banks of Lake Erie. Santiago-Hudson takes on more than 20 colorful characters-from would-be philosophers and petty hustlers to lost souls and abandoned lovers-in a brilliant celebration of the eccentric boardinghouse he grew up in. Santiago-Hudson returns to his roots in this tour de force performance accompanied throughout by live blues music

From left, guitarist Chris Thomas King and creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, guitarist Chris Thomas King and creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson, his wife, Jeannie Brittan and their son, actor Trey Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson, actors Ben Vereen, Sally Struthers, Blair Underwood and Roz Ryan. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, actor Ben Vereen, actor Blair Underwood, Desiree DaCosta, Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie and creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, filmmaker Adam Davidson and creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, actor Jennifer Leigh Warren and creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, Jeannie Brittan, creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson and actor Jodi Lyn O’Keefe at the party for the opening night performance of “Lackawanna Blues” at Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum on March 13, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)

From left, actors Blair Underwood, Sally Struthers and Trey Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, scenic designer Michael Carnahan and creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, guitarist Chris Thomas King and creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture ImagingFrom left, actor Blair Underwood and Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, actors Blair Underwood, Roz Ryan and Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, creator/performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson and actor Blair Underwood. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Actor James Pickens Jr. attends the opening night performance of “Lackawanna Blues.” Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging.

Actor Jonathan Adams. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Actor Okieriete Onaodowan. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Actor Aaron Takahashi. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, actors Loni Love and Jackee Harry. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Actor Erica Ash. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

From left, actors Suzanne Cryer and Amy Aquino. Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Actor Shoniqua Shandai attends the opening night performance of “Lackawanna Blues.” Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging.

Below, Ruben dedicated the show to the memory of Bill Sims, Jr.
IN MEMORIAM: ‘LACKAWANNA BLUES’ COMPOSER BILL SIMS JR.

Bill Sims, Jr. and his wife Karen Wilson. Photo by Lia Chang

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.

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