Review Roundup: THE KITE RUNNER National Tour is Now Underway

The North American tour of The Kite Runner opened on April 9 at ASU Gammage in Tempe, AZ before moving on to nearly 20 cities. 

The powerful stage production of THE KITE RUNNER tells a haunting tale of friendship spanning cultures and continents, following one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country, and two childhood friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul and the skies are full of the excitement and joy of a kite flying tournament. But neither of the boys can foresee the incident which will change their lives forever. Told across two decades and two continents, THE KITE RUNNER is an unforgettable journey of forgiveness, and shows us all that we can be good again. 

Starring in the tour is Ramzi Khalaf as Amir. The cast also features Raji Ahsan, Danish Farooqui, Shahzeb Zahid Hussain, Hassan Nazari-Robati, Haythem Noor, James Rana, Jonathan Shaboo, Fawad Siddiqui, Kevin Stevens, Wiley Naman Strasser, Awesta Zarif, Jade Ziane, and Sophie Zmorrod. They join Salar Nader, the renowned musician who dazzled audiences in the Broadway production, who was previously announced to be reprising his role as tabla artist for the tour. 

Read the reviews here!

Bill Kellert, Nippertown: The play takes some time to dig into and to feel a part of, though when it does the journey soars. Ramzi Khalaf does a wonderful job as Amir, carrying the production with the prodigious amount of dialogue during the show's two plus hours. He recounts his journey to the audience stepping into the action after setting up each scene.

Zac Thriffiley, BroadwayWorld: When adapting any literary work for the stage, the creative team must ask what their iteration can accomplish on the stage that could not be achieved on the page. In this regard, Spangler’s script and Giles Croft’s direction succeed on several counts. This dramatized version of KITE RUNNER gives audiences a much more concrete sense of Afghan culture and how it connects a community forced from their homeland. One of the second act’s more moving tableaus comes during a nikah, the Islamic marriage ceremony that unites Amir and his fellow refugee Soraya (excellently played with sweetness and strength by Awesta Zarif). In fact, one of the benefits of adapting this story for the stage is that it creates a greater sense of intimacy between the characters and the audience, bringing them into a time and place that risks feeling fantastical within the limits of the novel. Standout scenes include when Hassan lies to Baba about a stolen watch as a means of protecting Amir, and Amir’s hesitant courtship of Soraya.

Steven Oxman, Chicago Sun Times: I was surprised but not disappointed. This piece, it turns out, is quite modest, but I found that modesty — the focus on the central character’s interior journey, the clarity of the relationships, the novel’s language, the spare rather than the spectacular — to have its own beguiling charms.

Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader: There are some brilliant visual interludes here involving kite imagery and the juxtaposition of Kabul streetscapes with San Francisco. (Credit to the combined efforts of scenic designer Barney George, lighting designer Charles Balfour, and projection designer William Simpson). The percussion accompaniment (especially as performed by tabla artist Salar Nader; Jonathan Girling is credited as composer and music supervisor) creates an often hypnotic soundscape, aided by the sound design of Drew Baumohl, that moves us from dream to nightmare.

Shelby Tyler, BroadwayWorld: The Kite Runner is a masterclass in storytelling, gripping the audience with every single word. A perfect balance of pacing, humor, and tragedy, you do not feel the show’s length at any moment. In the rare instance where the second act is longer than the first, such as with this production, you run the risk of the audience getting antsy. This script never lends itself to allowing the audience to turn away or fidget, being absolutely hooked into every moment. In terms of how strong the adaptation itself was, I’m afraid I cannot speak to it as I have never read the novel. Though, this has absolutely put it on my immediate list to buy, so I can only imagine how much more to this story there could be from an already heavily packed script.

Savannah Brooks, MD Theatre Guide: Playwright Matthew Spangler ensures that the audience is able to understand Amir’s motivations by crowning him as the narrator, which allows for a deeper look into his character. Unfortunately, this development also meant that the play sometimes resorts to relying on Amir’s narration to convey key story developments that they do not have the time to stage. While this fault is understandable given the breadth of Amir’s story, it removes key moments of hope from a heartbreaking story. Most of the major plot points that Spangler had to stage are incredibly depressing: racist attacks, the rape of a child, and the death of a father. When the moments in-between—Amir’s conversations with Rahim Khan or Amir and Soraya nursing Sohrab back to health after his suicide attempt—get lost in the shuffle, the story’s meaning changes. It becomes about the tragedy rather than the atonement. In two and a half hours, sacrifices have to be made, but they still have an impact on how the story lands.

Average Rating: 75.0%

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