To Kill a Mockingbird at the Eccles

The final show in the Broadway at the Eccles 2021-2022 season is To Kill a Mockingbird and I had the opportunity to see it last night.  I love the book by Harper Lee and the movie starring Gregory Peck so I knew I would enjoy this new production!  Jem (Justin Mark) and Scout (Melanie Moore) learn that their father Atticus (Richard Thomas) is a hero when he defends an innocent Black man named Tom Robinson (Yaegel T. Welch) against a charge of rape, even though he knows he will lose, simply because it is the right thing to do.  They also learn not to judge people until they have seen things from their perspective through their interactions with the irascible Mrs. Dubose (Mary Badham) and the reclusive Boo Radley (Travis Johns).  These themes are very powerful and I was incredibly moved.  I was impressed, and a little bit star-struck, by Thomas (better known for his portrayal of John Boy in The Waltons) who gives a brilliant performance.  I was holding my breath during his closing speech at the end of the trial because he was speaking directly to the audience as if we were the jury about the kind of change that still needs to happen in society for true equality and it was so powerful!  Welch is heartbreaking as Tom and, once again, I kept hoping that the verdict would be different this time.  The young actors, including the aforementioned Mark and Moore as well as Steven Lee Johnson as Dill, are impressive because they act as narrators as well as a part of the narrative.  I particularly enjoyed Johnson because Dill provides a bit of comic relief which is needed in a play with such heavy themes.  I also enjoyed seeing Badham as Mrs. Dubose because she played Scout in the movie!  The set, including the Maycomb courthouse and jail, the porch and dining room of the Finch house, and various streets in Maycomb, is quite elaborate but pieces are moved on and off very efficiently by the cast and I was impressed with how seamless it was.  This is an important show and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).  It runs at the Eccles Theatre through Sept. 11.