Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Rajiv Joseph's "King James" tells a very moving, accessible and openhearted story of two friends in Cleveland who bond and come unstuck over the rise (and subsequent exit and return) of LeBron Raymone James Sr., the pride of northeast Ohio and the Cleveland Cavaliers and for years a symbol of what Cleveland could and could not achieve. The play, which stars the warm and vulnerable duo of Glenn Davis and Chris Perfetti ("Abbott Elementary"), likely will be a big hit for Steppenwolf and rightly so. It is a simple piece of highly commercial theater, short, not overly taxing of its exhausted audience, and surely autobiographical. It's also full of heart, un-preachy and filled with humor and a healing racial energy. Ergo, it's very well-timed."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...With his new play "King James," Rajiv Joseph has inked the epitome of a new-ish genre, mixing the male-bonding bromance story with enough crisply energetic humor to earn the label brom-com, a bro-centered romantic comedy, of the platonic variety."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...Theatrical accomplishments aside, "King James" serves as a reminder that while friendships begin by chance, they're sustained by compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and a healthy dose of humor."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Die-hard basketball fans will find much to love, as LeBron’s career is the scaffolding for the story, and older casual basketball fans (like myself) will appreciate the walk down memory lane through the glory years of the sport. Folks who aren’t so interested, prepare yourself—there’s a lot of sportsball. "
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...Not only do I recommend this show, I highly recommend arriving early as pre-show DJ Khloe will have you tapping a toe and smiling from ear to ear before the first words of dialog are ever uttered. It is my understanding there is a rotation of DJ’s during the show’s run. The night I was there, I fell instantly under her spell. To use a basketball analogy, the Steppenwolf debut of King James is truly nothing but net!"
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...King James is an exhilarating, well-written play that is innovative, hilarious, and so stimulating that it will surely bring the audience back to enjoying live theater. Playwright Rajiv Joseph brings the WOW factor in this play where an unlikely friendship forged by fandom has brilliantly given the audience a performance close to two hours that doesn't have a dull moment. Joseph altered our theatrical palate with King James and even had some seasoned aristocrats chuckling."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Seeing the title of the current production on the Steppenwolf Theatre “downstairs” stage, one might think, “Oh no! This must be Shakespeare!” They would be wrong! Very wrong. This play is a world premiere play that takes us into the behind the sports scene. Yes, it is about sports, but more about male bonding and how being a fan can bring people together. BTW- The King referred to in this play is Lebron James, the basketball player that brought happiness to the championship starved city of Cleveland."
WTTW - Highly Recommended
"...The play, expertly performed by Glenn Davis (an artistic director at Steppenwolf), and Chris Perfetti (a New York actor with both Broadway and film credits), is what might best be described as a marathon two-act duet. (Kudos also to Khloe Janel, the DJ perched in a balcony box, who moves like a dancer and oversees the show’s irresistible pop playlist during intervals.)"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The way Rajiv Joseph's two-hander gradually builds to its heartwarming climax, and the skill with which Kenny Leon has brought this story to life is rewarding. It's especially poignant during the times in which we're now living and all that the world has gone through during the past two years. The artistry in Todd Rosenthal's intricately detailed scenic design, that especially surprises in Act II, cannot be understated."
Rescripted - Highly Recommended
"...Director Kenny Leon paces the show so we spend time in the complex and sometimes unspoken feelings of these two characters without getting lost in them, and there's something so refreshing about getting to see men be human beings with emotion, passion, and fears together. There is theatricality to the piece, but also the type of showmanship and confidence in the work that comes with the LeBron-like status an artist like Leon has amongst his peers."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...Renowned Director Kenny Leon has directed this show with an eye on pacing. The ball is always in the air and never allowed to rest for long. Every silence is earned. Great job!"
The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended
"...I found myself reliving nuggets of their friendship well after curtain. Joseph keeps it real with conversations true of sports-focused male friendships. It never gets trite or overly mushy. Instead, Perfetti tells us how many times he watched a TV show. Davis describes what he did to the person next to him at the game. These passing comments beautifully show the depth of their feelings."
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...It seems like it's all about basketball but it really isn't-until it finally is. King James, the wickedly funny world premiere play by Rajiv Joseph, is on stage at Steppenwolf Theatre to give us something else to think about during these dark times. Direction by Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway, 'Hairspray Live" on NBC-TV) gets to the heart of the story with two strong actors."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...King James, while touching on issues like loss, betrayal, racism, and internalized pain, keeps that message alive and running in the foreground in a very funny, hugely entertaining, and emotional piece of theatre."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"..."KING JAMES" is a surprisingly deceptive, complex play that works at Steppenwolf through April 10. It's written by ensemble member Rajiv Joseph, staged by the excellent, award-winning director Kenny Leon, and charming in how it sneaks up on you with the tale it tells. As the audience enters, it is greeted by music that might be played in a sports arena, complete with DJ (a fun appearance throughout the evening by Khloe Janel, who says not a word), accompanied by dancing lights and the audience clapping along. The sheer craft of the theatre itself is on full display through an effective, two-headed stage design by Tony Award-winning designer Todd Rosenthal that rotates between acts. One side is a lovely little wine bar; the other is a full-of-items pawn shop."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Kenny Leon, Davis and Perfetti give magnificent and congenial performances. The rapport between these two actors is so strong, and the friendship feels entirely real. They volley their lines back and forth at one another with ease. Much of the dialogue feels light and playful, but Joseph hints at more serious undercurrents. In this way, the dialogue and the line deliveries mirror real conversations between friends; sometimes, the meaning comes from the subtext."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"..."King James," deftly written by Steppenwolf ensemble member Rajiv Joseph, is divided into four quarters filled with crisp, smart dialog. It's a play with no wasted lines, and the subtlest exposition. The most brilliant part of the work, however, may be in how it matches that liveliness with characters who change little. It is a fascinating exploration of lives and a friendship that ends in a tie, pretty much in the state in which it started."
