To Kill a Mockingbird to Play Free Performance for Public School Students at Madison Square Garden

The hit Broadway play To Kill a Mockingbird is headed to Madison Square Garden. Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's novel will perform at the world-famous arena for one night on February 26, 2020, producers Scott Rudin and Barry Diller announced today. The entirely free performance, featuring the full Broadway cast, will be made available to an audience of approximately 18,000 New York City public school students.

"Madison Square Garden has been the backdrop of a number of entertainment firsts over its history—but few have been as impactful or important as the upcoming performance of To Kill a Mockingbird," said James L. Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of The Madison Square Garden Company. "This show will mark the first time a Broadway play has appeared at The World's Most Famous Arena, which will give thousands of New York City students the chance to witness the incredible power of live theater—an experience we know they will never forget. We applaud Scott Rudin and Barry Diller's vision for bringing this celebrated production to life on such a grand scale, and look forward to working with their teams, as well as with the Department of Education, on this extraordinary event, which we hope will be the first of many."

Set in Alabama in 1934, To Kill a Mockingbird centers on one of the most venerated characters in American literature, the small-town lawyer Atticus Finch, played by Ed Harris. The Broadway production, directed by Bartlett Sher, began previews on November 1, 2018 and officially opened on December 13.