TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Reopening Night Thread

All rise, once again.

This court has determined that To Kill a Mockingbird will resume performances tonight at the Shubert Theatre. Based on the bestselling Harper Lee novel, the Tony-winning play welcomes back original cast members Jeff Daniels and Celia Keenan-Bolger (as Atticus and Scout Finch) upon reopening. The two join an almost completely new principal cast, including Portia as Calpurnia, Hunter Parrish as Jem Finch, Noah Robbins as Dill Harris, Michael Braugher as Tom Robinson, Zachary Booth as Horace Gilmer, Gordon Clapp as Judge Taylor, Erin Wilhelmi as Mayella Ewell, and Amelia McClain as Miss Stephanie / Dill’s Mother. The show will also welcome five new ensemblists.

As previously announced, Orin Wolf has taken over as executive producer for this show and is now in control of all aspects of the production. Also, playwright Aaron Sorkin has adapted his script to include reflections on the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as the reenergized Black Lives Matter movement.

Anyone on these boards going tonight is a witness. Prove yourselves innocent by posting thoughts and reactions below.

Updated On: 10/5/21 at 12:02 AM

I do not believe that the rewrites were significant enough to add the time. I think it was always long but the pacing is probably not up to what it was when the show had been running for a few months. They will probably tighten it up over the next few weeks.

I was kind of surprised to see that 5 of the actors that joined the show as replacements (i.e., Kyle Scatliffe, Taylor Trensch) on November 5, 2019, and whose run ended prematurely during the shutdown, did not return to the show. Unless an offer wasn't made.

DottieD'Luscia said: "I was kind of surprised to see that 5 of the actors that joined the show as replacements (i.e., Kyle Scatliffe, Taylor Trensch) on November 5, 2019, and whose run ended prematurely during the shutdown, did not return to the show. Unless an offer wasn't made."

Could also be after 18 months, an eternity for an actor, they really preferred to move on to something new, especially since they didn't originate the role.

ColorTheHours048 said: "I saw this last week, and I didn’t love it. I thought Celia was lovely but was generally kind of lukewarm about the whole evening."

I feel the same way about this show. However, I think my enjoyment was greatly impaired by my seat. When I saw the show I was sitting in row E seat 3 in the orchestra (supposedly a full view premium seat). One would think this would be a GREAT seat. It was not. I saw the back of the actors heads for 80% of the show. Barlett Sher is one of my favorite directors of all time, but the blocking was so bad (at least for the view from my seat).

Quick seating question.

I can do Q101 in center orchestra or C101 in center front mezzanine.

Thoughts?

Thank you.

Hey all, back in the city this weekend, I saw Ed Harris right before the pandemic. Didn't get the chance to see Jeff Daniels or Celia in their original run. Worth going back to see them now? Also considering Caroline, or Change.

Love to to hear your thoughts. --Eddie

Thanks this is great to know! I'm excited!

On the topic of bad audience behavior:



I was at the Christmas show at Radio City--which probably attracts an audience of non-theater-goers. The crowd chatted through the organ "prelude"- where those two magnificent Whilitzers play a medley of Christmas tunes.(Dammit, I really wanted to hear those organs!).

I also had the misfortune of sitting behind a whole family but I was directly behind the father and his adult son. Between the 2 of them, they got up and left SIX times, coming back with a large cup of beer each time. ( Can you imagine drinking that much beer in the course of a 90 minute show?). During the Nativity segment, they pulled out their phones and were checking their messages.

Of course there were lots of crying babies but you have to expect that at this type of show.