‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ to Give Free Madison Square Garden Performance for 18,000 Public School Students

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Broadway’s “” will play a special, one-night only performance at Madison Square Garden. The hit adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel will be performed free of charge to an audience of 18,000 public middle and high school students from across New York’s five boroughs. The goal is to provide an opportunity for kids to experience a play that is frequently sold out and commands one of Broadway’s highest ticket prices.

To pull it off, producers Scott Rudin and Barry Diller partnered with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza, and enlisted the support of James L. Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Company. This special performance will feature the entire Broadway cast, led by Ed Harris as Atticus Finch, Nick Robinson as Jem, and LisaGay Hamilton as Calpurnia. Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”) adapted Lee’s novel, putting a new spin on the story.

“This is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and will undoubtedly have an indelible impact on our students for years to come,” said Carranza in a statement. “In New York City, we’re making record investments in arts education, and we thank the producers, artists, and everyone at Madison Square Garden for their incredible generosity in bringing the arts to life for our school communities.”

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is the most financially successful American play in Broadway history, will a total gross of more than $100 million. A national tour will kick off in August and a London production is planned for May.