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Video: Stars of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Walk The Red Carpet in Los Angeles
May 17, 2024
The stars of To Kill A Mockingbird walked the red carpet at Broadway in Hollywood's Pantages Theatre - and BroadwayWorld was on hand to talk about bringing the classic story to cities across the country as the production lands in Los Angeles. Watch the video!
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0:00
You know, I lived here 32 years and came out here many, many, many years before that to work
0:04
And L.A. has been a big part of my life. And I've never played at the Pantages, so I've played theater in L.A. many times
0:10
but never in this theater, which I'm very excited about. One of the exciting things about taking this show around the country is that
0:17
I would say a large percentage of the audience loves this material already
0:23
They loved it in school, it was an important book to them, they shared it with their children
0:28
And so they come to see a story that they love. What I'm hoping is that when they come to see the story that they think they know
0:37
they will see a new version of it which will enrich it and make it even more
0:42
perhaps even speak to them even more immediately in our time now
0:49
So it's like, oh, I love this old story that I've loved my whole life
0:54
but oh my goodness, this is so different and so interesting, and it's like it's new again
0:59
I'd like it if people who love the material find that it's a new story for them
1:05
even though it is the same story. And the people who have never seen it before, never read the book, never seen the movie
1:11
it's a first time, those are the most exciting audience members for me
1:15
It's been great. The audiences have been spectacular. We've just really enjoyed our run so far
1:23
Oh, absolutely. It's relevant. I think, unfortunately, it's always going to be relevant
1:32
But I think people who come to see the play, you're not coming to see the book or the film
1:42
This is something totally different in its presentation. And Aaron Sorkin's writing is just so brilliant, and I think they'll really enjoy it
1:55
because there's going to be lots of laughs, there's going to be a few tears, but mostly laughs
2:02
And it's a great story, and we have so much to learn from this book
2:06
And that's why, you know, 50 years later, I'm still here. Well, it's wonderful to see a play here. I've never seen a play
2:16
I've only seen musicals, fortunately some of mine. But to see a play here in such a big house, it's an amazing event
2:26
And obviously, they have not chosen any play. It's one of the most inspirational stories ever written
2:35
and I can't wait what Aaron Sorkin has done with it. Well, I've done a lot of theatre myself. I love it
2:46
And it is great. Look at these friggin' crowds. I mean, they're flooding in, so we're all looking forward to getting back together again
2:58
I'm so excited to be in LA. We've all been looking forward to LA. It's our longest sit-down. We have five weeks here
3:04
And the show is no longer on Broadway right now, and we're so jazzed that people across the coast are going to be able to see our show
3:13
and just bring it to a whole new audience. I mean, I saw the opening night of this play, and I loved what Celia Keenan-Bolger did
3:21
She's unbelievable. I'm such a fan of hers. And so I loved the play version already. I loved the movie. I grew up. I'm from the South
3:29
So I feel like every Southern girl sort of identifies with Scout Finch at some point in their life
3:36
And so I do think that I just have brought myself to the role
3:42
and that's what Erin has written so beautifully, is that we get to play Scout, the person who's playing it
3:48
and this version gets to play Scout at many different ages. So I get to imagine how these events shaped her life and moving forward and then going back in time
3:56
I had no idea that this theater is right on Hollywood Boulevard, and there's just such a legacy of great actors telling huge, impactful stories in this country
4:04
So, I mean, it's been amazing. We've just started, so... It also will be nice to be here for five weeks and really get to know the audience as well
4:11
It's not the same story. Erin Sorkin has really updated it in many, many ways
4:18
I find there's more laughter. There's more sort of consideration for an adult's experience of this world
4:24
rather than the children's experience of it. And more than that, it's a live event, and we really are lucky to have some great actors
4:32
who give their heart every single night. Diego T. Welch, who plays Tom, is one of them
4:37
And that's just... You can't get it any other way than at the theater
4:42
Oh my God. First of all, I grew up in California. I grew up... As far east as LA, you can get Pomona, and then I moved out to the Inland Empire, Riverside
4:51
I went to John Wesley North High School. And so it's like a coming of home for me
4:55
I'm really happy to be here, and I'm also happy that I'm getting to spend the winter months in this warm city
5:00
I know for you guys, this is freezing and chilly, but no, this is like amazing weather
5:05
And it's just an amazing city and amazing energy. And it's also nice because we're in a play in LA. You know, that's pretty awesome
5:12
I would say we started feeling it after we came back from the pandemic and we reopened in October
5:18
because the world had experienced George Floyd and several other instances that we got to witness on camera
5:24
this sort of murdering of innocent black people at the hands of the law
5:29
And so now we're coming to doing To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway, and we start to notice that the audiences are now calling and responding to the injustice
5:36
in a way that it wasn't necessarily happening the same way before. And now we're coming out on the road, and you can see that America is really united in that view
5:45
That is wrong, and we have to do something about it. And so that feels like a real privilege to get to be a part of that
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