This fall, one of the most compelling plays will take over major theaters across the U.S. The Tony Award-winning epic about an intense court battle, To Kill a Mockingbird, is embarking on an extensive North American Tour, and it includes a stop in Kansas City! Kicking off in October, this highly-acclaimed comedy drama adapted from the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name will take over the Kansas City Music Hall from October 24th to 29th, 2023! Get ready for some epic storyline this fall as To Kill a Mockingbird explores themes of prejudice, racism, roots of human behavior, and more! The play tackles both complex and simple themes with a hint of humor and a whole range of emotions! If you want to experience this groundbreaking play at the Kansas City Music Hall, you should hurry and score tickets now! Tickets to see To Kill a Mockingbird this fall are now available through the Get Tickets link!
To Kill a Mockingbird Tickets:
“Harper Lee would approve of snappy Sorkin update!” – The Guardian
“Engrossing, provocative!” – amNY
“Beautifully framed with an eye toward rural artistry!” – BroadwayWorld
During the 1930s, the situation for African Americans was not the best. The justice system was tremendously biased against people of color. In a small town in Alabama, a middle-aged lawyer named Atticus Finch was appointed to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who was accused of attacking a young white woman, Mayella Ewell. This was not a simple task because the townsfolk of Maycomb, Alabama, had already made up their minds about the black man, even when the trial hadn’t even started. It also doesn’t help that when Finch accepted the assignment, he was called names, including a “n****-lover.” Moreover, his children were also affected by the situation as other kids taunt them. But being the honorable attorney that he is, Finch promises to defend Robinson to the best of his ability. This play was set during a time when the justice system was biased against people of color, especially African Americans. The prejudice and racism of the past are highlighted in this compelling story. Will Tom Robinson be proven innocent or guilty? Meanwhile, will the townsfolk, including the judge, set aside their prejudice and let true justice prevail? Find out when you see To Kill a Mockingbird at Kansas City Music Hall this October!
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Harper Lee released the novel in 1960. The storyline closely resembles her experiences, and the novel was described by readers to have autobiographical elements. Her father was also a lawyer who defended black men wrongfully accused of murder. The novel has become one of the most-read American literature. With a great plot and countless values that can be learned from this incredible story, it was only a matter of time before the makers turned this novel into a stage play. American playwright and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin did just that and more. In 2018, he staged the first To Kill a Mockingbird play on Broadway. The adaptation has a few variations from the book, but it still possesses the same complexity, compassion, and valuable message from the novel.
Upon premiering on Broadway, To Kill a Mockingbird brought in all the stops, which included hiring acclaimed director Bartlett Sher. The original production included several esteemed stage actors: Jeff Daniels, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Will Pullen, Gideon Glick, Fred Weller, and many more. The original cast was later replaced by several more notable actors whose previous works include Broadway and Off-Broadway masterpieces. After premiering on Broadway, the play opened in London’s West End in 2022, followed by the North American tour in the same year.
One year after its premiere, To Kill a Mockingbird earned numerous accolades, including A Tony Award and eight Tony nominations, a Drama Desk Award, three Drama League nominations, and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Over in London’s West End, the play earned five Laurence Olivier nominations, including Best Play and Best Director.
This 2023, attendees can look forward to a fantastic cast as the touring production travels across North America with esteemed actors, such as Richard Thomas (Atticus Finch), Maeve Moynihan (Scout Finch), Jacquelin Williams (Calpurnia), Justin Mark (Jem Finch) and Yaehel Welch (Tom Robinson). The play will be as fantastic as the Broadway production and give audiences a fresh new perspective on the novel read by virtually everyone who attended American schools.
The play received rave reviews from both fans and critics alike. The Guardian commended the play for having modern references despite being set in the ‘30s in America’s southern state of Alabama. “There are modern-day resonances of Trump’s left-behinds in their characterizations that feel utterly real and uncontrived; both father and daughter sneer at Atticus’s intellectual elitism and could be today’s forgotten populists of the rust belt.” The writer then continued that the play offers a “thorough indictment of the American justice system” pointing out the bigoted white jury and an innocent black man. “ A dysfunctional judicial system in an ugly southern town. One imagines the late Lee would approve.”
Meanwhile, the Harvard Crimson commended the touring production for delivering “a new look on the beloved tale.” Writer Jennifer Gao is quick to compliment the play’s comedy. “Aside from the humor, the show also nails its delivery of emotional scenes and pivotal moments convincing enough to move anyone in the audience. These moments are often punctuated by a weighty sentence deftly capturing the essence of the situation at hand.”
Ultimately, the stage adaptation is considered a gem among theater lovers. Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney proudly attests to that statement. “Perhaps the most notable achievement of this thoughtful adaptation, and Bartlett Sher’s meticulously calibrated Broadway production, is that it takes Harper Lee’s 1960 novel – a modern American classic that pretty much all of us know either from studying it in high school or watching the outstanding 1962 film version – and makes us hang on every word as if experiencing the story for the first time.”
“Genuinely radical” and “thoroughly gripping” – Chicago Tribune
“Gorgeously orchestrated world” – Vulture
This fall, To Kill a Mockingbird will light up the Kansas City Music Hall from October 24th to 29th, 2023. The production will deliver a total of eight performances from Tuesday to Sunday, with evening and afternoon performances (depending on the date). Theater fans can look forward to a great production of one of the most successful American plays in Broadway history. Thankfully, Kansas City Music Hall has vast experience hosting top-tier productions such as To Kill a Mockingbird. The music hall is located inside the multi-purpose venue, the Municipal Auditorium. The theater is the archetype of modern architecture with influences of Art Deco, boasting the incredible work of the architectural firm of Alonzo H. Gentry – who has done impeccable work with magnificent structures, such as the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. Theater fans in Kansas can look forward to a great time as they experience the captivating story of the play, as well as enjoy the facilities of the world-class venue.
Hurry and secure tickets now to see To Kill a Mockingbird at the Kansas City Music Hall! Tickets are now available through the Get Tickets link!