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To Kill A Mockingbird Reviews

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Average customer review: 3.5 star rating (3.6 Stars)

Number of reviews: 66

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5.0 star rating Beckie Jones from San Francisco, California

GO!! TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

Just as the book is a masterpiece, this play is as well!! I wondered how the play could reach the depths of the novel, in such a short time, but it was PERFECT!! Everyone NEEDS to hear this message, yet not everyone wants to invest the time in reading this classic. We saw it in small theater in Omaha. It is wonderful for everyone in the family above 12, with the subject matter being a little harsh for anyone younger. Tell everyone you know, they NEED to see this show. It was very moving!.

5.0 star rating Barbara Kawa from East Aurora, New York

OUTSTANDING!

I’ve been a season ticket holder at Shea’s for many years, and this is one of the finest productions I’ve seen. The adaption from the book was well-done, the acting flawless. The messages..and there are many..delivered at a time when we can all benefit from them, were well-delivered AND received. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen an ovation last as long as what was offered by the audience for this amazing cast. So glad I was able to take my 13 and 16 year old granddaughters, and I wish more local school districts would have offered to take students to Shea’s to see this show. If you have the chance to go, don’t let it slip by.

5.0 star rating Juliana L'Heureux from Topsham Maine

A CLASSIC FOR OUR TIMES

Thank you to the producers of this exceptional play! Fantastic performances. Harper Lee's story is relevant to our times. Fabulous performances.

5.0 star rating Donna V. from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

BEST PLAY

This play was outstanding. The acting was top notch and Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch was perfect as was all of the supporting actors/actresses. Broadway performances by all. The message is one that needs to be shared and heard as the struggle for minorities and people of color that still goes on today is recognized and acknowledged. As well as not all people are racist and there are people with kindness ,who recognize and strive to change that struggle and discrimination.

5.0 star rating Charlotte Heppner from North Royalton, Ohio

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

The show was wonderful, the stage scenery sparse but had everything that was needed.Story went right into the court room and I loved that because that is what it really was about how, Tom Robinson was falsely accused and Atticus taking on his case to defend him. Scout, Jeb and Dill told the story. The entire cast were wonderful. If you loved the book, the movie you will enjoy the theatre performance. Enjoy!

5.0 star rating S.J. Foster from Washington, District of Columbia

EXCELLENT SHOW, EXCELLENTLY PERFORMED

Saw the show at the Kennedy Center this week, and cannot say enough good things. Sorkin's adaptation works well, and serves to point up certain parallels to today's social division, without wallowing in "wokeness," which would have been less effective. Richard Thomas is a great fit as Atticus, and like the show itself seems timeless. Supporting cast is fabulous, with Tom Robinson, Mayella, her (despicable) father, the sheriff, and the judge all particularly notable. The only blemish for me was the lighting, which is to say the lack thereof. It's not that easy to see in a venue as large as the Opera House, so the dim lighting -- which had the feel of a 40-watt bulb when 100 watts was needed -- left me perplexed. All in all, however, a great evening of theater. Highly recommend!

5.0 star rating from Memphis, Tennessee

YOU MUST GO!

Absolutely marvelous! Every actor was perfect in his/her role.

5.0 star rating Kim Preston from Seattle, Washington

WHAT A SHOW A MUST SEE.....

The play was delightful, funny in spots and dead serious in others. The Paramount theater in Seattle was a great backdrop for the play. Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch was outstanding and the actress that played Scout was just awesome. The play is timeless and is just as powerful today as 50 years ago. Very well done indeed.

5.0 star rating Terri Naughton from Seattle, Washington

VENUE NOT SO GOOD

The Paramount needs to do something about its noisy filtration/air conditioning system. The mechanical noise (sounded like cars on an overpass) coming from the rear of house left made it impossible to hear more than about 80% of the dialogue. We were in the middle front of the second mezzanine and others noted this as well.

5.0 star rating Cecelia Ceppi from Portland, Oregon

OUTSTANDING EVENING!

Outstanding evening! Richard Thomas did not disappoint – excellent performance, mastered the role. His ensemble cast also was there with excellent portrayals of their characters. There were some surprising laughable moments that one would not expect in “to kill a mockingbird“. A shout out to all the cast crew and production. The evening was well spent. If you have a chance to see this play I highly highly recommend it.

5.0 star rating David T Johnson from San Diego, California

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

I saw the 12/2/2022 performance at the San Diego Civic Theatre. When I was around 9 at 2am I went into my sisters room she wasn't there and turned on her black and white TV and saw the original movie starring Gregory Peck as Attiscus Finch, I knew I was watching something incredibly special. I suspect that original B&W movie couldn't capture the full book (on my reading list), and the broadway production couldn't capture the full B&W movie .. that said, on a scale of 1-10, the performance rates a 10. On a scale of 1-10 Melanie Moore's portrayal Scout rates 1000 and captures the essence of the child actor Mary Badham's playing Scout in the original B&W movie. Interesting the B&W movie there are child actors, on Broadway they are adult actors playing kids. Gregory Peck in the original B&W is such a better Atticus IMHO, still Richard Thomas' performance of Atticus is outstanding but many times effeminate which Gregory Peck never was, Richard he does get tough when its called for. Overall I rate the play a 10, what a great production.

5.0 star rating David from Omaha, Nebraska

REALLY GREAT; REALLY FUN.

Great show, Scout and her bothers steal the show. Funny at times and the dramatic parts were gripping. Wish it was in town longer.

5.0 star rating Michael Gronlund from Minneapolis, Minnesota

TEAM EFFORT WINS!

This play is so well acted. And it allows your imagination to flow. Respectfully done with a tender understanding. Dealing with a dark disturbing and serious plot line, the producers were able to add genuine humor to the telling of the story. No actor upstages the next. You feel the family kinship in the group! I absolutely loved this play! Left me feeling empathy and sadness for my forefathers and hope that we have matured since the story took place. Richard Thomas and Melanie Moore are superb! The theater is magnificent and of course the crowd and staff were exercising proper behavior. Such a grand experience! I Highly recommend this play..

5.0 star rating Ron Hawotte from St. Louis via Peoria, Illinois

A TIMELY LESSON…

I traveled 170 miles to see this and was not disappointed. The scenery is simple but relates to the times and focus of the plays heart and soul, the message and lessons of racism. The direct character to audience narrative is amazing and inclusive. The characters are engrossed with one another, then turn and draws you to the characters in a way not experienced by the standard recital process of a play. It astounds you with hard language, then comforts with easy conversation but all is intertwined with aptly timed raw and poignant humor. It whispers to our vocal innocence and naivety, then yells at our withdrawn arrogance and pride. It’s soul searching and reminds us of issues we are uncomfortable about but allows the audience to reflect on what’s happening on stage. Fabulously entertaining production.

5.0 star rating from Baltimore, Maryland

YOU CAN TRUST THE CAST!

A story like this requires that the story tellers earn your trust. Scout, Jem and Atticus did just that and more. They were terrific!

5.0 star rating Adam from Orlando, Florida

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD ORLANDO

Disney Theater is beautiful, Tech, audio and lighting were perfect. Richard Thomas and ensemble were exceptional. Beautiful production......highly recommended. !!

5.0 star rating Alan from Greenville, South Carolina

FASCINATING ADAPTATION OF AN AMERICAN CLASSIC

The Peace Center is as good as any Broadway theater that I've ever seen. Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird is extremely well done and reminds us that this great American novel is as poignant today as it was 60yrs ago. The acting is outstanding and Richard Thomas is a phenomenal Atticus Finch. The play is more than 2.5 hours long but worth every minute. Don't miss it!!!¡!!

5.0 star rating Vickie L. Snyder from Columbus, Ohio

EPIC

The production, cast and venue are engaging in a beautiful theater. Bravo! Well done & story telling at its best!

5.0 star rating Veronica Florio from Morris, Connecticut

DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW

Loved the book, loved the movie, was not sure how it would translate onto the stage....TOTAL SUCCESS! Loved the simplicity of the sets, cast was wonderful, cried, laughed & would see it again.....DON'T MISS IT! Salute restaurant was great also, had the best service & meal!

5.0 star rating Kathy Eaton from Norwich Connecticut

MUST SEE!

Excellent production. Richard Thomas portrays Atticus Finch like a boss! The play is well casted, Melanie Moore has incredible energy and Jacqueline Williams was amazing. This was a real treat, I highly recommend going.

5.0 star rating from Charlotte, North Carolina

OUTSTANDING SHOW!

We have definitely come full circle from the 1960’s! This is a timeless story and the performance tonight was outstanding. True to the book a very important message about innocence lost. Again, well done. Enjoyed it!

5.0 star rating Suzanne McLean from Santa Cruz, California

PITCH PERFECT!

This is an amazing production. I wondered if I could separate Richard Thomas from “John Boy.” But it was a non-issue - from the very beginning he doesn’t just play Atticus Finch, he IS Atticus Finch. He does a fabulous job but guess what? He doesn’t steal the show because everyone else is equally as good! OMG! Every role is fully developed, totally convincing and pitch perfect. Treat yourself to the best theatre has to offer! I’m hoping to see it again!

5.0 star rating Kasia Maria from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A MUST SEE

Whether or not you’ve read the book, or saw the movie, this stage production of TKAM is a superior theatrical production you don’t want to miss. Every role is perfectly cast. The stage changes from a courthouse to the porch of a southern household are creative. However the twirling door panels could certainly be eliminated with no loss of subject. Being as long as it is ( almost 3 hours ), it easily could be a 3 Act Play with 2 intermissions. The message is powerful and carries no less meaning that when the book was first published. Spend your theater dollars wisely…get your ticket to this one!

5.0 star rating Mary Jane from Indianapolis, Indiana

GREAT SHOW

I was thinking the movie was so intense, how was it going to be on stage? Richard Thomas was great, as so was the whole cast. I liked the way they did put a little humor into it. I was very glad I went to see it. It did send the same message I got from the original movie.

5.0 star rating Doug Richards from Richmond, Virginia

OVERALL, WHAT A WONDERFUL PRODUCTION! LAST TIME I SAW THIS SHOW WAS AT THE BARKSDALE THEATER IN 2002 WITH JOE INSCOE AS ATTICUS FINCH AND I BELIEVE AN ACTOR NAMED SHAWN PLUMMER PLAYED BOB EWELL

Thought the production was wonderful, and went to the Marriott hotel for drinks and dinner before and had an excellent time! Great job, Richmond!!!!!

5.0 star rating Shawn from Detroit, Michigan

OUTSTANDING

What an incredible experience. Acting was phenomenal. Only downside was the audience , who for the most part, acted as if they have never been to a play before…laughing at in appropriate times, cell phones ringing and constant coughing ( note…if you are having a coughing spell, get up and leave the theatre for a few minutes so others can hear the actors)

5.0 star rating Lloyd Barnes from Detroit, Michigan

LLOYD FROM DETROIT

Excellent performance with a message for those who wish to kill or persecute the innocent today as they did back in the 1930’s. If we need an example of a dedicated Advocate to emulate, see Atticus Finch. Bravo Bravo to the entire cast!!

4.0 star rating B N Mitchell from Boston, Massachusetts

FAV BOOK, MOVIE & SCREENPLAY WRITER - BUT NOT EXACTLY A HOMERUN

When asked what my favorite book & movie are, my answer has always been the same - TKAM. Add Alan Sorkin talent (West Wing is my favorite TV show) and it should have been a perfect storm. This production is not a staged version of the film as some people may expect, but is a fresh retelling of a classic. Most of the performances were great - especially Melanie Moore & Steven Lee Johnson as Scout & Dill. But beloved actor Richard Thomas just didn't have the gravitas on stage to capture the presense of a character such as Atticus Finch. He spoke way too fast for a southern man and didn't carry himself with the strength of Gregory Peck or my literary vision of the character. Having the actor who portrayed the screen version of Scout, Mary Badham, seen here in a supporting role was a thrill. The play strays from the original content's seriousness. Albeit some very funny & timely lines were incorporated, it took away from the important issues raised. The inclusion of a deaf actor portraying a non-deaf character gladdened my heart especially during the recent successes of films & deaf actors receiving accolades.

4.0 star rating from Boston, Massachusetts

FROM CAPE COD

What a wonderful novel but why was there not sound amplication for this production? The novel can be read in three hours but this play was bit too long.

4.0 star rating Tpl from Chicago, Illinois

GREAT BUT I HAVE NOTES

It was a great show but there was a little too much exposition by the kids. They need to cut about 10 minutes of exposition and get the lead narrator to use her normal voice versus the in and out Forrest Gump impersonation. Then it would be perfect. Atticus was awesome, the judge was terrific, the evil guy was solid, his daughter was the understudy and she did a fantastic job! Life is like a box of chocolates and this show was a good one.

4.0 star rating GNA from Seattle, Washington

GREAT PERFORMANCE

The actors did a phenomenal job. The play did a great job of capturing the seriousness of the story while providing some lightness as well. I think everyone who sees the play should have read the book or know something about the story as to not be surprised. If you're sensitive to the N word, be prepared. It was a word used regularly during that era, and had to be used in the story to convey the message of the extremely ignorant, hateful, rascist of that time. I brought my 15 year old son to see it, his English class read the book last year. I was a little nervous taking a black teen boy to see such a play, I wasn't sure how it would make him feel, but he thoroughly enjoyed the show and said it was better than the book. It was a story of American history, that many children his age have never seen, but should, because it is our history, yet, has many parallels today. A must see for all.

4.0 star rating Bobby from Tempe, Arizona

GREAT SHOW TERRIBLE AUDIENCE

Loved the show but the audience was extremely inconsiderate and distracting. Someone’s cell phone went off continuously for several minutes during an intense scene. I was afraid they were going to stop the show.

4.0 star rating Anita Mattos from Costa Mesa, California

GREAT, EXCEPT FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF ATTICUS

The flow of the story in and out of the courtroom is brilliant and the cast does a great job. However, the liberties taken with Atticus’s character ruin him as the most noble character in literature. He would never say, “You’re welcome” under his breath to Calpurnia, would never be mean to Mayella in the courtroom, and he would certainly never manhandle Bob Ewell, even in the book when he was spit upon in the face. Left with a sick feeling in my stomach knowing that it must have been presumed that a modern crowd would find his original character too meek.

4.0 star rating Cindy Ireland from Hartford, Connecticut

OVERALL EXCELLENT

Super powerful play, with interesting takes on a classic book. Impressive acting. I’ve read the book and seen the movie; not sure how many liberties they took with the story itself because it’s been years since I read it. Complaints: Difficult to hear from our Mezzanine seats, though they seemed to turn the volume up at one point. We had poor luck in being behind tall folks and had to crane our necks to see. The seats are tight and our knees bumped against those in front of us. As much as I enjoyed the play, I believe it could have been cut by as much as 20% and been more effective.

4.0 star rating K. Spellman from Fort Myers, Florida

MOCKINGBIRD AT BARBARA MANN

The show itself was well done and very close to the 1962 film. The venue is not well suited for plays due to the acoustics. Up in the balcony there are these two large speaker columns...that they didn't turn on...but they did want to rent you some headphones so you could hear the play. Either rent the headphones, or find a better venue for plays of this sort.

3.0 star rating Chris irwin from Cincinnati, Ohio

WAY TOO RACIST FOR OUR TIME

It’s not like I haven’t read the book but the racist language wasn’t only over the top but pure hateful speech. We left at intermission but would have left sooner if we were closer to the aisle. Brilliant acting, amazing set production but completely inappropriate for 2022.

3.0 star rating S.Schuman from Nassau, New York

DO WE REALLY WANT TO LAUGH AT RACISM?

Yes, I agree, the acting was superb. However, I was disgruntled by the fact that humor was peppered into the scenes after serious points in a play depicting the racism and white supremacy present at that time and not extinguished today. (The black person who did NOT commit a crime is killed and the white -albeit mentally ill person-has his crime covered up with no trial or consequences. The humor took away from the audience focusing on these serious issues. Did the playwright think we needed to be entertained? Or was the playwright assuming that humor would prevent feelings of white fragility? Society needs to sit with discomfort and tune into what happened in the past and what's happening today, take ownership, and take action and not be laughing at such a serious topic. The playwright missed the mark.

3.0 star rating John from Washington, District of Columbia

DISAPPOINTED

Although the actors were excellent, the first Act was too busy, too frequent changing of scenery. Second Act better. But what I found most disconcerting was having adults play the children. Not convincing. We sat front row first tier. Several of us had a hard time understanding some of the dialog/ actors muttering. We are not hard of hearing.

3.0 star rating Joe Warren from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER

The frequent moving of the sets was distracting. The set could have been designed to have a lot less changes. And the staging itself of the actors was not creative - more like a high school production. With the exception of Jacqueline Williams, Ariana Gayle Stucki, Joey Collins, & Yaegel Welch, the actors could have been from that same high school production where casting is limited. Very disappointing. Could have been much more creative all around. Just because something is a classic doesn't mean it has to be performed stiff & dry.

3.0 star rating Vicki from Memphis, Tennessee

BUCKET LIST BUST

My husband and I flew from Georgia. I was so excited to see Richard Thomas and Mary Badham. Both had understudies. 😞My disappointment did not allow me to critique well. Atticus was good. Kids too adultlike. We could hear and see fine on row y.

3.0 star rating Karen C. McWhirter from Tucson, Arizona

HARD TO HEAR THE DIALOGUE

To Kill a Mockingbird was a very good play, but I had a hard time understanding a lot of the dialogue. I was sitting two thirds of the way back. I do have mild hearing loss in my left ear, but had an especially hard time understanding Scout....she spoke quite fast, and her voice had a shrillness to it. I especially missed a lot of the humorous lines.

3.0 star rating Candice Baumann from St. Louis, Missouri

TO KILL. MOCKINGBIRD

I was disappointed in this play. I found it patronizing. Atticus was NOT true to character at all. There was little warmth between him and the children and he would NOT a have lost his temper in the courtroom. It was his control that makes him such a hero in the novel. He would not have treated Calpurnia with contempt no matter what. There is much natural humor in the actual book and the wise cracks seemed out of place. I felt the dialogue was too explanatory and insinuated that the audience was too dumb to figure out what was going on. Although we’ll acted, the script proved disappointing.

3.0 star rating GE LeBlanc from Orlando, Florida

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

The Orlando performance was laced with too much humor. Both the book and the original film had little humor. Many injected lines, not from the book or original movie, were included to spur laughter. Apparently the producers of this 2023 stage play believed that today’s audience required humor in order to enjoy/appreciate this production. They were wrong. The over abundance of humor hurt the play and it’s original message- racism.

3.0 star rating from Spring Hill Fl.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

I was quite disappointed with the performances of just about everyone, including Richard Thomas. He seemed tired and less-than enthusiastic about his role, in Tampa last Thurs. evening. I expected more from a veteran actor. The introduction of Arthur Radley (Boo) during the last 1/2 hour of the show left me wondering why did they wait so long? He was instrumental to the outcome. It seemed unnecessary, as the big show stopper moment. Secondly, it was too long. 2 hours, 45 min. The actress that played Scout seemed too old for the part - should have had a younger, more believable “child”. Overall, not worth $200.. wishing I had spent it elsewhere. Goodnight Jon Boy.

3.0 star rating from Dallas, Texas

IT SEEMED LIKE A COMEDY

The tone of it just felt off. It didn’t feel like they were taking the story and the meaning seriously with all the jokes and laughing. Half the play was just jokes. I don’t know, it just didn’t feel right to portray the book as a comedy.

3.0 star rating Mik Myers from Rochester, New York

IS IT A COMEDY?

Play was good, but the audience thought it was a comedy and laughed and laughed at the most basic lines. What was so funny? - nothing, it was a serious play but the audience turned it into a comedy. Pretty pathetic.

3.0 star rating Kathy Sadler from Louisville, Kentucky

NOT THE SAME ICONIC STORY AND CHARACTER

Had this play not been “To Kill a Mockingbird”, as an adaptation of the book and/or the film version, one might have thought this play was good. The original was just as much or more about the beloved character of Atticus as much as the injustices of society. Although the play began and ended with a declaration of the finest man in Macomb being Atticus, the play spent little effort in showing that. Part of the character’s appeal was in showing how deeply he felt re everything from fatherhood to a deep moral consciousness of right and wrong, and he showed that in every deed, spoken or unspoken and never in anger other than the poignant closing argument. The unspoken tribute is when Atticus walks out of the courtroom, and the preacher says, “ Stand up, Jean Louise, your father is passing”. We all stood in our hearts. Not here. The play spends too much time trying to make a case for passive aggression and a modern day racial reform agenda. He is chastised for being himself, whom we love

3.0 star rating Kathy Johnson Sadler from Louisville, Kentucky

ATTICUS, BOO, THE CHILDREN, AND RACIAL INJUSTICE

Part 2: This play and dialogue spends no time in exploring the warm relationship between Atticus and his children, nor building one between them and Boo Radley, central to Lee’s story. They managed to distort the innate goodness of Atticus, relationship between Calpurnia and the Finch family and decided to not present the powerful understated story of racial injustice, but rather a modern day version where Tom wasn’t being transported to a safer place and didn’t just break and run, and was inadvertently fatally shot by a guard but to one where he was trying to climb a prison walk and was shot 17 times! Where’s Boo in this story, the signature character, made to be no more than a footnote! Atticus would have never displayed the ugly comment “your welcome”, alleged by Capernia. They sucked the life out of Atticus, one most beloved and honorable characters in literature. Much unnecessary swear words, kids portrayed by adults, let me count the ways that this is NOT Harper Lee’s story! Sad.

3.0 star rating Carolyn from Waterbury, Connecticut

DISAPPOINTING

Unmet expectations. I’ve always loved the novel as well as the movie. I found the play off , in that that they tried to introduce humor into a very serious subject- racial discrimination. I felt uncomfortable and distracted. Some guests were laughing. I was not. Acoustics were poor. Found it difficult to hear/ understand the dialogue with the southern accents. Also felt is was too long. Think I’ll stick with book on this one.

3.0 star rating from Birmingham, Alabama

DISAPPOINTED

The sound was terrible, cannot hear the actors. Why does it take 3 hours to tell a two hour story? The filler put us to sleep.

3.0 star rating Joanie from Richmond, Virginia

PERHAPS A LOVE - HATE RELATIONSHIP....?

This is is one of my favorite books and I've read it probably I have dozen times. I've watched the old movie a dozen times. It was difficult to understand the words that the actors were saying, especially Scout (This wasn't just me but several people said the same thing). I loved Richard Thomas; I grew up watching him in the waltons and found this a totally pleasant surprise. I just don't like this adaptation. The last thing we need in 2024 is to be lectured about racism as though the audience is made up of a bunch of current day Jim Ewells. The story itself is tragic I'm not sure I liked mixing comedy with a story that rips my heart out.... But there were some great lines. Capernium wins the show for sure...or a it Tom? The bright spot is that one can look at that play and at the book and see how far we have come in this world. No our world is not perfect and it cuts both ways. It never will be.. I would prefer if it had stuck closer to the original book.

2.0 star rating Kathy from Nashville, Tennessee

VERY DISAPPOINTED

Difficult to hear Humor and slapstick don’t belong in this play Link Deas, Tom Robinson, Calpurnia actors were quite good but if we could have left at intermission we would have.

2.0 star rating Richard A Phelps from Tucson, Arizona

UNDERWHELMED

The book is a cherished favorite. The film adaptation with Gregory Peck is a classic. The play I saw last night was simply disappointing. Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch was very good, as were some of the supporting cast including Yaegel Welch (Tom Robinson), Richard Poe (Judge Taylor), and Steven Lee Johnson (Dill Harris). However, Melanie Moore (as Scout and the principle narrator), whose performance was otherwise laudable, has apparently never been to Alabama or the south, and her inconsistent attempts at a southern accent was far more Brooklyn than 'Bama. Most disappointing were the organization of the jumping back and forth in time rather than presenting the story linearly, and the decision to make the racial bigotry message far more heavy-handed than the subtlety used so effectively in both the book and the movie. I went hoping for so much more, but came away quite underwhelmed.

2.0 star rating Erin Scharte from Minneapolis, Minnesota

ALL FEELING LOST IN COMEDY, NO WARMTH.

My husband and I adore this classic and we were thrilled to be apart of this experience. We both were curious how the current times would handle this heavy subject. Sadly, with humor and leaving many keys relationships and roles out. The movie was able to translate the literature into lightheartedness and handled the gravity of the subject realisticly. We felt this production made a mockery of it. The children were so important in the telling of the story and they had so much depth. What we saw here, they were used as punchlines. Atticus, has a quiet wisdom and warmth and we felt it was very much lacking. We did love the costumes and the sets were beautiful. There were molments to enjoy, but overall, it was mostly mowed over and the core was ripped out. We left disappointed. Would not recommend if you truly love the book or movie.

2.0 star rating Debbie Dyle from St. Louis, Missouri

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD WITH A BAD ACCENT

Omg. The accent was SO BAD that it was impossible to understand many of the lines. I do not know where Scout was from, but it certainly was NOT Alabama.

2.0 star rating Christina from Orlando, Florida

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - A COMEDY

Why would they think the decision to make this a comedy was a good one? The nonstop punchline and actual slapstick humor were so out of place and outright inappropriate. They added extremely racist dialog that wasn't from the book for no reason other than shock value. The accents were horrible and completely inconsistent. I left during intermission because I couldn't stomach one more second of this staged disaster.

2.0 star rating Karen from New Orleans, Louisiana

TERRIBLE

The southern accents were terrible!!! The accent attempt by Melanie Moore (Scout) was like hearing a New Englander mocking a southern accent. She also couldn’t keep the same accent throughout the play which became very distracting. The sets were moved too often. The better scenes were when the set stayed still and Moore didn’t speak.

2.0 star rating Bill Soller from Columbus, Ohio

BORING AND DIDN'T FOLLOW THE MOVIE

I thought they play was very slow and was not very interesting. They also changed a lot of things from the movie which I did not think was good. Boring to me. If you like the movie don't see the play.

2.0 star rating Dee from West Palm Beach, Florida

LONG AND PAINFUL

The comic attempts were unnecessary and ridiculous.

1.0 star rating Brian G from Seattle, Washington

POOR BALANCE OF (TOO MUCH) COMEDY VS. IMPORTANT STORY

While the movie does an amazing job addressing such an important social topic, I felt like the play turned a serious story into near slapstick. There was a moment of hope with the courtroom scene where the daughter testified. This scene was intense and excellent. No stupid humor in this scene. I'm all for comic relief, but not when the balance is not there and when the stupid lines overpower the important parts of the story. They did keep the racism and did not tone this down, which was important. They kept the use of the N word, which is important for this story. But when you add in all the slapstick, then the use of the N word starts to feel inappropriate, because it becomes part of humor instead of part of the message. This story is so powerful and so important. Why in the world mess it up and replace the powerful story with mindless ha ha moments? This is one where it is better to watch the movie and/or read the book.

1.0 star rating Thelma Lee from San Diego, California

SORKIN RUINS ATTICUS

How is it okay to alter the work of Harper Lee, and change the one of the most revered figures in modern literature into a buffoon in the service of fighting racism? Instead of a delicate hammer Sorkin’s work is now a sledge. To those unfamiliar with his work, it is well acted and has a topical progressive message about racism. To anyone who knows Lee’s masterpiece, however, it is a travesty.

1.0 star rating Julian from Dallas, Texas

WORSE THAN A HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCTION;; EXCRUCIATING!

We walked out of the play before intermission. First the acoustics at Fair Park are horrible and it’s very hard to hear the dialogue, especially when they deliver the dialogue so quickly, in poor southern accents, and with no artistic depth. Seems like the direction cue was to “shout and strut”. Not sure why the director thought it was wise to make this powerful piece of American fiction into a comedy. Seems like the entire cast was mugging for cheap, one-liner laughs. It was just excruciating. Richard Thomas was horrible. The actress who played Scout was horrible. Truly one of the worst performances that I have seen in my life — and that includes high school productions.

1.0 star rating Tee from San Diego, Illinois

I SAW THIS IN SAN DIEGO

It is a complete distortion of the original novel. A travesty. Abrasive at times and it complete distorts Atticus, taking him from one of most heroic figures in literature to rather a buffoon.

1.0 star rating Bring back FINDING NEVERLAND from Minneapolis, Minnesota

TIRED OF POLITICS AND PLATFORMS

I quit buying season tickets to the Minneapolis plays/productions. I’m tired of wonderful books and plays being rewritten to suit an agenda and characters having their “moments to lecture”. Leave that classic book alone as it was written! You did the same things to Jesus CHRIST Superstar. Omgsh! I walked out of both. No, I will not recommend this to anyone - this was so beneath Richard Thomas .

1.0 star rating Michael from Indianapolis, Indiana

POOR ADAPTATION

I am a big fan of Aaron Sorkin, but was extremely disappointed in this production of To Kill a Mockingbird. I've never walked out on a theatre production, but I came very close on this one. My question is this: when did this literary classic become a comedy? At times I felt like I was watching a TV sitcom. The added humor into this deeply moving and important story was not necessary and made many of the characters into buffoons. The way the story was told was also clunky and confusing going back and forth from the trial. The sets were also not impressive with too many parts moving around the stage. I know folks like to offer a fresh take on Broadway shows, but this was in my opinion disrespectful to the source material and embarrassing to watch.

1.0 star rating Christine from Indianapolis, Indiana

MOCKINGBIRD WAS KILLED BY THIS FIASCO

If you loved the book or the movie, you'll hate this adaptation by Sorkin. It's terrible! Racism is NOT funny, and yet he felt compelled to interject lame jokes throughout the play. The acting, except for Richard Thomas (the only saving grace on stage), was stiff and the rushed dialogue was difficult to hear. It seemed more like narration than actual character interaction. I cannot understand the casting of adults to play the parts of children, and they looked and acted ridiculous. Sorkin has made a point of saying that he wants his black characters to have meatier roles, and yet in this catastrophe of a production they have barely any stage presence, and usually just sit there silently. Such hypocrisy! We went hoping to see a production similar to the book or the movie- something that grabs your emotions and tells a heartbreaking story of injustice, but what we saw was a complete farce. It was a waste of money buying tickets to see this... thing. The best part of it for us was that we walked out when we couldn't take it anymore.

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