The Kite Runner on Broadway – 2022 Performance Schedule
Can you believe that it’s been nearly two decades since The Kite Runner came into our lives? Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 novel about two Afghan men, and the turmoil they face at the hands of their country, has made it into the hearts of millions. The tale of love, guilt, hopelessness, devastation, and ultimately redemption is undeniably human, and fans have waited for many years to see it come to life on stage. That day has finally come, with The Kite Runner premiering in July 2022 at the Hayes Theater in New York City.
The bright lights of Broadway are quite the journey from the protagonists’ hometown of Kabul, Afghanistan, but the play does justice to Hosseini’s novel with an identical plot. We first meet Amir as a child in 1970s Kabul, where he lives with his well-off father, or “Baba,” and their servants Ali and his son Hassan. Despite being from opposite ethnic and economic classes, Amir and Hassan are the best of friends. They fly kites and see movies in their free time as they enjoy the beauty of Afghanistan, years before historical events like the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the Soviet Invasion and the rise of the Taliban regime.
However, their friendship and their lives as they know them begin to fall apart on one fateful day. Amir witnesses a violent sexual assault on Hassan and runs away out of fear and a desperate need to please his father. From that moment on, neither of their lives would ever be the same. Amir gets consumed by guilt and projects his anger and betrayal onto his former friend, while Hassan becomes a shell of who he once was. The boys go their separate ways after Hassan and his father set off for a new life, while Amir and his Baba do the same.
As the play progresses, we see Amir’s life unfold. He escapes Afghanistan with his Baba and becomes a successful author in the Bay area of California, marries a beautiful woman named Soraya, and makes a name for himself in many ways. However, he still cannot hide from his guilt and shame over his past. He knows that he has to make things right and redeem himself, and it’s only after decades and endless traumatic events that he learns “how to be good again.” It’s a tale of an extremely flawed protagonist who can’t put his past behind him, and one that many audience members will deeply relate to. We’re all human, and nobody knows the pain that another person is hiding underneath their facade of success and smiles.
Variety says it best in their review of playwright Matthew Spangler’s Broadway adaption of The Kite Runner… “It’s a heartbreaker – but so uplifting, it’s worth the pain.” You’ll laugh, cry, think, and cry some more when you see this stage adaptation, with one of the most treasured novels of our time coming to life on stage. Get your tickets to see the play today in New York City!
The Kite Runner 2022 Tour Dates
August 17 – October 30, 2022 – New York, NY – Helen Hayes Theatre
The Kite Runner tickets are available on the secondary marketplace, TicketSales.com. Stay tuned for more announcements!
