The Kite Runner (Broadway) NYC Reviews and Tickets

86%

(124 Reviews)

Positive

93%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Great acting, Thought-provoking, Relevant, Intelligent

About the Show

The West End play based on Khaled Hosseini's international best-selling novel comes to Broadway.

Two childhood friends, Hassan and Amir, live in Afghanistan, a divided country on the verge of war. They spend their time flying kites, unaware that they are about to be torn apart.

Amir Arison ('The Blacklist') and Faran Tahir ('Scandal') star as Amir and Baba, both making their Broadway debuts.

Playwright Matthew Spangler ('Albatross') adapted the book for the stage.

Member Reviews (124)

Long, Barebones production, Uneven, Indulgent, Disappointing

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

Great acting, Emotional, Absorbing, Great writing, Great staging

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.

100

Thought-provoking, Intelligent, Great acting, Great staging, Absorbing

See it if you loved the book or never read it.I was afraid they would turn one of my favorite books into a soap opera, but they honored the story.

Don't see it if you only like light, fluffy musicals.This tells a story and has something to say.It's one of the best plays I've seen in awhile.

Masterful, Great writing, Great staging, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if This award winning novel has come to Broadway with a tremendous roar. A play skillfully tells an Afghanistan man’s journey to Redemption.

Don't see it if If you prefer a musical or comedy then skip this one.

Thought-provoking, Profound, Absorbing, Slow

See it if you want to see how the source material is handled on stage. Terrific musical percussion accompaniment throughout.

Don't see it if you don't care for story-telling. Amir has many monologues, where dramatizations might have been more effective.

Overrated, Thought-provoking, Ambitious, Slow, Disappointing

See it if you neither read the excellent book or saw the very good movie. This is talky rather than connected and in general feels like a pale version

Don't see it if you loved the book.There is none of the intensity or the poetry of the book although it is as if he is reading a story rather than living it

Great acting, Great staging, Great writing, Intelligent, Profound

See it if you want to see a play that has an engaging story about a family and neighbors with difficult relationships. It is beautifully staged

Don't see it if you are wanting to see a lighthearted comedy with a happy ending. I would advise do not bring children to this show.

“a boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything.”

See it if Afghanistan, 1970s, two boys grow up on the same grounds, one wealthy, the poor … beautiful storytelling …

Don't see it if Family, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, refugee, rape, secrets, genocide, politics, immigration …

Critic Reviews (20)

"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."
Read more

" 'The Kite Runner' is more of a vivid recitation than fully realized drama."
Read more

"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."
Read more

"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."
Read more

"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."
Read more

"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."
Read more

"Matthew Spangler's script is just so clumsy, and Giles Croft's production is just so bland, that I couldn't help but wonder why this is the theatricalized version of the material that a group of more than two-dozen producers chose to take to Broadway."
Read more

Matthew Spangler clearly has a deep affection for Khaled Hosseini's blockbuster novel…But the playwright's ardor is sometimes misplaced. Indeed, he may be blinded by love, failing to address the original's very real problems; in some cases, he makes them worse. The good news is that The Kite Runner retains the page-turning qualities it had in print; the bad news is that, like Hosseini, Spangler lets the narrative spin out of control, sacrificing credibility for yet another twist in the tale.
Read more