October 11 – 16
STGâs Broadway at the Paramount almost exclusively programs musicals, so itâs worth paying attention when a drama tours through town.
So why To Kill a Mockingbird, a non-musical adapted from Harper Leeâs novel about⊠well, you went to middle school. Youâve read the book. Youâve probably seen the 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck, too. Why pay big money to see a new version?
For starters, this 2018 adaptation is the most financially successful Broadway drama of all time. Second, itâs written by Emmy- and Oscar-winning writer Aaron Sorkin and is his strongest work since 2010âs The Social Network. Third, itâs directed by Bartlett Sher, former artistic director of Seattleâs own Intiman Theatre before he became the resident director at New Yorkâs Lincoln Center Theater. Sher is responsible for some of the better revivals of the past 15 years, including Fiddler on the Roof, The King & I, and My Fair Ladyâall of which came through the Paramount in previous seasons.
Sorkin and Sher find a way into the narrative that keeps the story dynamic and direct. Atticus Finch, the noble Alabama lawyer defending a wrongfully accused Black man, is written with welcome shades of gray, and the three main children (Scout, Jem, and Dill) are played by adults, giving the narrative framing device an impressionistic kick. Plus, thereâs an added rub to the Bob Ewell character, the father of the accuser, that makes for a truly terrifying courtroom scene.
This tour stop wonât have the star power of the New York staging, but itâs still in good hands with The Waltonsâ Richard Thomas as Atticus and Melanie Moore (So You Think You Can Dance winner, Bette Midlerâs Hello, Dolly! revival) as Scout.
The production comes with its share of baggage. Shifts to characters and story prompted a legal battle with the Harper Lee estate, which almost culminated in a perfectly Sorkin-esque trial where the cast would perform the playâs entirety in a courthouse in front of a federal judge. The case was settled amicably, but Iâd love for somebody to make a play about the making of this play.
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