The Scottsboro Boys Reviews
Washington Post- Somewhat Recommended
"...Sometimes, a piece of theater drives home its point with such vehemence that the effect is less an appeal to the senses than a hammer to the head. This is the unfortunate case with John Kander and Fred Ebb's "The Scottsboro Boys," a musical vehicle conveying an important story that nevertheless rides off a cliff of its own overarching self-righteousness."
DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended
"...The Scottsboro Boys is fearless and often haunting. Will it be a transformative experience? For many, that is doubtful. But damn, I am glad that over one and a half years ago, Signature decided to produce it. The production fits well in these current days of rage. For me, I wanted to be sharply preached to; I wanted to see anger. I wanted words to be flames from those most affected. The timid does not feed my soul."
MetroWeekly- Highly Recommended
"...The conversation about race in America appears to have shifted radically since the 2010 Broadway debut of Kander and Ebb's The Scottsboro Boys. The Tony-nominated musical - about nine black adolescents who were arrested and thrown in jail based on the false rape accusation of two young white women - closed a year before the world woke up to the death of Trayvon Martin."
Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended
"...Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, continues to present trenchant and meticulously crafted musicals with a dazzling production of The Scottsboro Boys, John Kander, Fred Ebb, and David Thompson's theatrical evisceration of a miscarriage of justice, well staged by director Joe Calarco."
MD Theatre Guide- Highly Recommended
"...This is a show that is hard to watch because it tackles head-on racism in America. It doesn't pretty it up, it doesn't try to say, but look how far we've come, it doesn't hide reality. Through the songs and dialogue, it brings to full messy life the injustices and exhaustion that being black in America entails. It is thought-provoking, timely, and brilliantly executed. This is a show worth seeing more than once."
DCTheatreScene- Highly Recommended
"...Lamont Walker II gives in his performance as Haywood a raw and angry resistance that feels the most contemporary of characters. But this show is an ensemble piece, and all these performers blend their voices and strut the style out together most powerfully. They help bring the nine Scottsboro boys back to life so we never forget their story."
BroadwayWorld- Recommended
"...Signature Theatre is currently presenting The Scottsboro Boys in the Max Theatre space and dare I say Director Joe Calarco has actually improved upon and fixed many of the conceptual problems that plagued the original staging by Susan Stroman. Yes, Mr. Calarco has outdone a Tony Award-winning choreographer and director with his work on this production."