Review: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at The Paramount Theatre

Chances are you were forced to read Harper Lee's classic, "To Kill a Mockingbird" in school. And why not, it's stunning. But have you seen the recent Broadway adaptation? This adaptation from the amazing Aaron Sorkin, directed by Bartlett Sher, currently playing at the Paramount Theater, takes all that's great about the source material and presents it in a way that will make you remember why it's such an enduring classic and why you were forced to read it.

The story you may remember, local attorney Atticus Finch (Richard Thomas) is tasked to represent Tom Robinson (Yaegel T. Welch), a black man accused of assaulting and raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell (Arianna Gayle Stucki), a crime he definitely didn't and could not have committed. And if all that weren't contentious enough by today's standards, consider that this story takes place in Alabama in the 1930's. And the whole story, as in the book, is seen through the eyes of Finch's daughter Scout (Melanie Moore). Although in the play we're also guided through the story by Scout's brother Jem (Justin Mark) and his best friend Dill (Steven Lee Johnson), as all three serve as narrators for the piece.

If you're at all familiar with the works of Aaron Sorkin (TV Shows like "The West Wing" or "The Newsroom" or plays like "A Few Good Men", or how about his Academy Award winning Screenplay for "The Social Network") you know that the man can handle dialog and make it engaging and vibrant and he's no stranger to hard hitting issues. And his work with this adaptation is sublime. And when combined with the brilliant staging and direction from Sher, as well as an incredibly fast-moving modular set from Miriam Buether, what we have is a tour de force of a hard hitting and, sadly, still relevant story.

Plus, the wonderful ensemble cast on this tour is nothing short of superb. Thomas plays the stalwart Atticus Finch with an unwavering subtle strength. And it's this subtlety and restraint that only makes his climactic moments of the piece so much stronger. The trio of "kid" narrators, Moore, Mark, and Johnson, carry forth with the lion's share of the exposition of the play but never make any imparting of said exposition feel like it. It's all just part of telling the story and their commitment to their characters and the story is incredible.

But then everyone in this show is incredible. This is the crème of the crop of actors at the top of their game. Welch (who Seattle audiences may remember from "The Piano Lesson" or the production of "The Brothers Size" that still haunts me) conveys a vulnerability that takes Robinson from being the defendant of the trial and into being the victim of the story. A victim whose fate is heartbreaking. And Stucki as the supposed victim of the crime, brings in her own broken vulnerability to the role of Mayella and ends up like a raw nerve come to life on stage.

Jacqueline Williams as Calpurnia, the Finch's housekeeper who's been with them so long she's practically family, manages a stunning complexity with tons of layers to her role. And I must mention Mary Badham as the Finch's curmudgeonly neighbor, Mrs. Dubose, not only because she gave a stellar performance but also to point out the Mockingbird royalty in the cast as she was the Oscar nominated little girl who played Scout in the 1962 film of "To Kill a Mockingbird" with Gregory Peck.

This is simply a classic tale, told incredibly well, by consummate professionals completely invested in the work. And one not to be missed. And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give "To Kill a Mockingbird" at the Paramount Theater a blown away YAY+. It may be difficult to get tickets at this late date, but if you can, do! It's shows like this that remind us why we love live theater.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" performs at the Paramount Theater through October 16th. For tickets or information visit Seattle Theatre Group online at www.STGPresents.org.

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