‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Becomes First Broadway Show Performed at Madison Square Garden | NowThis

Madison Square Garden just hosted its first Broadway show ever-'To Kill a Mockingbird'-to an audience of 18,000 local public school students.
» Subscribe to NowThis: go.nowth.is/News_Subscribe
» Sign up for our newsletter KnowThis to get the biggest stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox: go.nowth.is/KnowThis
In US news and current events today, 18,000 public school NYC kids got to see Broadway's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' for free at Madison Square Garden.
On Feb 26, the world famous venue played host to a quintessential NYC event, but one that not everyone has the opportunity to experience.
The beloved novel-turned play tells the story of a Black man accused of rape in 1930s Alabama and a white lawyer who decides to represent him despite the objections of overtly racist neighbors.
It’s told through the POV of young, passionate kids in the town. The play notably covers themes that are still relevant today such as racial inequality, gender identity, and criminal justice.
The Broadway show was held in large part to bring the costly production to a wider audience. Tickets for the Broadway show can reportedly range from $40-$200. A survey of the 2018- 2019 Broadway season found that audiences spent an average of $145.60 a ticket. The staging is the first time MSG has ever hosted a Broadway show. Only roughly 3% of NY’s public and middle schools could fit in the arena. So the seats were reportedly given to the first schools to respond but with special attention to make sure each borough was represented.
Opening remarks from Mayor Bill de Blasio, his wife Chirlane McCray, and Brooklyn born filmmaker Spike Lee set the tone to re emphasize the play’s themes about the power that young people, and like the students in attendance, have.
For more U.S. and entertainment news, subscribe to NowThis News.
#ToKillAMockingBird #NYC #Broadway #News #NowThis #NowThisNews
Connect with NowThis
» Like us on Facebook: go.nowth.is/News_Facebook
» Tweet us on Twitter: go.nowth.is/News_Twitter
» Follow us on Instagram: go.nowth.is/News_Instagram
» Find us on Snapchat Discover: go.nowth.is/News_Snapchat
NowThis is your premier news outlet providing you with all the videos you need to stay up to date on all the latest in trending news. From entertainment to politics, to viral videos and breaking news stories, we’re delivering all you need to know straight to your social feeds. We live where you live.
/ nowthisnews
@nowthisnews

[@superninja6481]

That's amazing that so many students were given the opportunity to watch a Broadway show for the first time, especially since the show tackles issues of social inequality, so ensuring diversity in the audience was a very appropriate demonstration of the kind of moral lessons about tolerance and equality that the story tries to teach. I'm interested in how they changed the novel and film versions to fit a Broadway show :)

[@Chas-OTE]

Was that Ed Harris?! Then again the people behind this are just as impressive. They should feel truly proud for doing this for these students. I would've loved to watch this entire play there.

[@Ccoppens03]

This is amazing! What an experience that must have been for everyone there. This is one of my favorite books, and I have read it more times than I can count since I was 12 years old. I'm so excited that they made it into a play, and even more elated that they did this for so many students💗

[@r1chergt737]

Nah i was there and trust me, it was insanely boring. The play was overrated and the book is way better

[@catalinacurio]

This should be rolled out for every kid! 👏👏👏💙

[@cargobrm7632]

This was really fun. I didn't expect to have a good time but I did and it's something that I'll never forget

[@Gala-yp8nx]

This is Theater as it was in Shakespeare’s day. I hope they do this far more often.

[@xwwg1wgax277]

Positivity 👍

[@JGLoops_]

I was there:)

[@consu6155]

Nick Robinson ahhh

[@masterintheforestx9338]

😳😈😎😇

[@__Andrew]

Wait what? Been a long time since iv read To Kill a Mockingbird but i dont remember anything about "gender identity" in the book other than Scout was sort of a tomboy.

[@arealhuman826]

You answered your own question.

[@arealhuman826]

You just want to find a reason to hate, huh?

[@__Andrew]

@@arealhuman826 No, i do not "want to find a reason to hate" but it seems more like you are looking to find a reason to get outraged. I happen to like the book, it was one of the few books that im glad school made me read and just the other week at dinner i recommended it to my niece to read. Granted its been quite a few years since iv read it or watched the movie, but Scout being a tomboy doesnt really translate into addressing issues of gender identity. Nor do i think Harper Lee ever intended it to be. Gong back and trying to say Scout represented gender identity issues is like people who want to go back and say that Sam and Frodo's relationship in the LOtR books is a representation of a homosexual relationship. Its grasping at straws and looking for more meaning places where it was never intended, and in a way starts to cheeping the original and core meanings. If you want to read a book about gender identity there are plenty of other books that actually set out to address the issue, explore it, or just give a story from that perspective. Iv read books were gender identity was a core concept, and to Kill a Mockingbird doesnt appear at all to be one of them.

[@javiertenorio3246]

First

[@notmoria325]

That was rude to clap when they were preforming You always calp at the end

[@justme-ew3ri]

No it wasn't, especially in a show like this they know it's coming and actors can hold and I'm so sure during rehearsals they were like be prepaid to hold

[@amiciprocul8501]

You should not cheer during a play, just a heads up.

[@justme-ew3ri]

That's not true lmao

[@r1chergt737]

I was there and just saying, it was boring af😅