The Kite Runner
Joan Marcus
Cast members of "The Kite Runner" tour.
Cast members of "The Kite Runner" tour.
The beloved 2003 novel and book-club favorite The Kite Runner has been adapted into a play, centering on the same themes, sparked by a news story that kite flying had been forbidden in Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Kite Runner follows the saga of two young avid kite-flying, and kite-fighting, boys in a violent and war-torn land. The original story by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini has been adapted by Matthew Spangler. Shows are at 8 p.m. on May 24, 2 and 8 p.m. on May 25, and 1 and 7 p.m. on May 26.
8 pm on 5/24, 2 & 8 pm on 5/25 and 1 & 7 pm, 5/26, Capitol Theater. $79-$59.
media release: THE KITE RUNNER, a play with music based on Khaled Hosseini’s internationally best-selling novel, will play at Overture Center’s Capitol Theater from Friday, May 24 to Sunday, May 26 for five performances. Tickets starting at $59 are available at overture.org.
The North American tour of the acclaimed Broadway and West End production opens on April 9 at ASU Gammage in Tempe, Arizona, before moving on to nearly 20 cities, including Chicago and Washington DC. Prior to the launch, the show returns home to San Jose for seven performances from April 3-7. Click here for the full tour route.
Starring in the tour is Ramzi Khalaf as Amir. The cast also features Raji Ahsan, Danish Farooqui, Shahzeb Zahid Hussain, Hassan Nazari-Robati, Haythem Noor, James Rana, Jonathan Shaboo, Kevin Stevens, Wiley Naman Strasser, Awesta Zarif, Jade Ziane and Sophie Zmorrod. They join Salar Nader, the renowned musician who dazzled audiences in the Broadway production, who was previously announced to be reprising his role as tabla artist for the tour.
The powerful stage production of THE KITE RUNNER tells a haunting tale of friendship spanning cultures and continents, following one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country, and two childhood friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul and the skies are full of the excitement and joy of a kite flying tournament. But neither of the boys can foresee the incident which will change their lives forever. Told across two decades and two continents, THE KITE RUNNER is an unforgettable journey of forgiveness, and shows us all that we can be good again.
Originally published in 2003, Hosseini’s The Kite Runner became a bestseller across the globe and has since been published in 70 countries, selling 31.5 million copies in 60 languages. Now this powerful story has been adapted into a stunning stage production.
THE KITE RUNNER originally premiered at the San Jose Repertory Theater in 2009. In 2013, Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse staged a new production in the UK. In 2017, THE KITE RUNNER returned to the stage in London’s West End for two critically-lauded, limited engagements at Wyndham’s Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre. The much-anticipated Broadway production played a strictly limited run at the Hayes Theater in the summer of 2022.
THE KITE RUNNER is directed by Giles Croft and adapted by Matthew Spangler. The creative team includes Jonathan Girling (Composer and Musical Supervisor), Barney George (Scenic and Costume Design), Charles Balfour (Lighting Design), Drew Baumohl (Sound Design), William Simpson (Projection Design), Wojcik Casting Team (Casting Director), Kitty Winter (Movement Director), Damian Sandys (Associate Director), John Fortunato (Production Stage Manager) and James Latus (Production Supervisor). Humaira Ghilzai serves as Cultural Advisor and Dialect Coach.
THE KITE RUNNER is produced by Victoria Lang, Ryan Bogner and Tracey McFarland of Broadway & Beyond Theatricals, Jayne Baron Sherman, Hunter Arnold and Kayla Greenspan in association with Martin Dodd for UK Productions Ltd., and Stuart Galbraith for Flying Entertainment Ltd/Kilimanjaro Group Ltd. Daryl Roth is the Executive Producer.