NEW YORK — When A Raisin in the Sun was last produced on Broadway in 2004, it was a vehicle for Sean Combs, the multitasking celebrity better known as, variously, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and just plain Diddy. Though director Kenny Leon surrounded him with accomplished actors, Combs proved rather less adept at animating a flesh-and-blood character as he was at juggling stage names.
Ah, what a difference 10 years and a worthy leading man can make. The new Raisin (* * * * out of four) that opened Thursday at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre is also helmed by Leon, but it stars a riveting Denzel Washington, leading a flawless cast with his best work to date on the Main Stem.
