On December 1, AABANY members got together for a theater outing to see “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the Shubert Theater on Broadway. The event was organized by the Membership Committee and co-sponsored by the following Committees: Asia Practice, Immigration, and Real Estate. Nearly 30 members attended.
We had initially planned to have a mixer inside the theater once we got our tickets, but theater management wanted all ticket holders to line up outside the entrance to get checked for vaccine status first. Once we were all checked in, we found our seats in the packed theater and by then it was nearly curtain time so there was not much time left for a pre-show mixer.
We took up three rows of the orchestra section, in the rear right part of the theater, and had a good view of the stage. This theatrical version of the acclaimed novel by Harper Lee was written by Aaron Sorkin, no stranger to plays about trials and legal proceedings. You may have caught “The Trial of the Chicago 7” on Netflix, from 2020, which he wrote and directed. Or you may have seen “A Few Good Men” (1992), based on his play, which seems to be a staple on cable tv movie channels these days.
Many people are familiar with the classic novel or the acclaimed film version made of it in 1962, starring Gregory Peck, for which he received the best actor Oscar in 1963. The play is different from both. The basic story is the same: the young children of Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Alabama in the 1930s, recounts his defense of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of rape. However, Sorkin adds details and characters that bring a more 21st century perspective, informed by our contemporary struggles with race, with nods to the Black Lives Matter movement.
After the show, a group of us gathered at Junior’s in Shubert Alley, diagonally across from the theater, for some food and their world-famous cheesecake. Most expressed that they loved or liked the play. As a group of lawyers we could not help but point out the aspects about the trial that were not quite accurate or sensationalized. Those of us who were familiar with the book or the movie talked about the parts that were changed. No one had read the book or seen the movie in some time and mostly we wondered about various details that departed from the novel or the film. It made us think that we should go back and read the book.
Thanks to all the members who made it out for “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It was a treat to be able to catch Jeff Daniels playing Atticus Finch live on Broadway, along with a talented cast of excellent actors. Thanks to the Membership Committee for organizing yet another fun and memorable event. We hope to see everyone at the Membership Committee’s next event, the Holiday Party on Dec. 17. Sign up for it now at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1578998.
