The Kite Runner (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Production Covid-19 Safety ProtocolsMember Reviews (411)
See it if There's a good story that they take from the book. Mostly Ok acting. Main actor has some severe blunders.
Don't see it if But, for Broadway, the production was definitely cheap. It's overly narrated and should have been edited to 1:45. The movie is way better. Read more
See it if You were a fan of the book or have never read it. It's mostly entertaining.
Don't see it if The story is good however much of it is told in narration (which is the cheap&easy way to adapt a book). Lead is very unlikable.
See it if You want to be swallowed up into the beauty, luxury and excruciating pain of this grand story that spans lifetimes, cultures and countries.
Don't see it if You’re looking for a light/fluffy story. Exquisite acting here only makes the painful story harder to bear (but so much more worthwhile). Read more
See it if you loved the book, are a fan of epic stories across miles and years, want to learn a bit about Afghanistan, enjoy family stories
Don't see it if Thinking about Afghanistan is a trigger, you don't enjoy linear narratives with the action more described than seen, many digressions
See it if you like a superbly acted drama with a very relevant story. You will be moved to tears by the well written play. The staging is simple.
Don't see it if you like comedy or simple plots. This story will tear you heart out and make you think how many people suffer in other parts of the world. Read more
See it if About friendship, betrayal, country in war, and founding peace.
Don't see it if Parts are very sad, that I cried a few times. If you want happiness thru a whole story.
See it if You enjoy dramatic sagas that involve immigration, religion, and redemption.
Don't see it if You dislike narration-heavy shows — more talking than action. This felt like a decent regional show that isn’t good enough for Broadway.
See it if themes of friendship, guilt, and self forgiveness appeal to you—or if you could use a cathartic cry.
Don't see it if a scene of implied rape may be triggering for you.
Critic Reviews (21)
"Under Giles Croft’s direction, Arison’s Broadway debut proves spotty. He recites his opening lines with the stiffness of a child delivering a book report, and never totally eases into the role."
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" 'The Kite Runner' is more of a vivid recitation than fully realized drama."
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"Turning 'The Kite Runner' into a play must have been a challenging endeavor, but this new Broadway production does well, for the most part, by the source material, even if it can be frustratingly earthbound."
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"Playwright Matthew Spangler’s adaptation of 'The Kite Runner,' Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling 2005 novel about the friendship of two boys living parallel lives in Afghanistan, is a heartbreaker – but so uplifting, it’s worth the pain."
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"It may seem strange to say, but 'The Kite Runner' may be more engrossing for those who have not read the book or seen the movie, or who no longer remember the dramatic, even melodramatic, narrative. As with many if not most fine books brought to the stage or the screen the theatrical version, despite its accomplishment, is not the aesthetic equal of the book."
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"Despite its heartfelt intentions and some impressive performances, 'The Kite Runner' doesn’t improve in any significant way over 'The Kite Runner' on screen. And it’s a whole lot talkier."
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"As far as literary stage adaptations go — a touch-and-go genre if there ever was one — 'The Kite Runner' is enormously satisfying and soulful."
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"If only 'The Kite Runner' on Broadway depended less on the novel and trusted more on its stagecraft. There might have been more moments like this, of flight and transcendence."
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