Emmy award-winning actor Richard Thomas stars in "To Kill A Mockingbird" at Denver Center for the Performing Arts
A classic novel, movie and now Broadway performance will be the next show to take the stage at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. "To Kill A Mockingbird" opens at the Buell Theater starting on Jan. 24.
Emmy Award-winning actor, Richard Thomas, stars in the show and recently sat down for an interview with CBS News Colorado reporter Dillon Thomas.
"It is our story. It is America's story. It is a story of our aspirations to be just and the ways in which we succeed and the ways in which we fail," Richard Thomas said.
The classic tale, which centers around the themes of race, prejudice, community, and family, is applicable even decades after the year it is set.
Thomas said he felt the show had modern takes implemented into the characters that made the performance relevant to all generations.
"Everyone reads this book in school. But, it is not a young adult novel. It is a novel written for adults," Thomas said. "(This show) has definitely taken Atticus Finch off his pedestal of a white savior."
The cast of To Kill A Mockingbird has already performed their rendition of the classic on stage more than 300 times.
However, actress Melanie Moore, says each time she takes the stage she still has the same passion for portraying a message of inclusivity and acceptance.
"I was a fan of the show before I got the offer to go on tour," Moore said. "It is a uniquely American story. It is for everyone, no matter your background."
Yaegel Welch, who plays Tom Robinson in the performance, says recent national headlines involving Black men being unjustly treated proved that everyone today can still learn from the underlying themes of To Kill a Mockingbird.
"We have come far from 1934," Welch said. "Some of that stuff is still happening today. Being a Black male I cannot help but to relate when I see these stories. I can't help but to feel connected, and I can't help to feel like this could be me."
Welch said he lets his background and view of the world influence how he not only portrays his character in the show, but also how he interprets the lessons learned during the performance. Moore said, no matter their background or age, everyone will be able to leave the performance with a conversation to be had.
"We hope that people sit in the audience and look at it and say, 'Oh my gosh, why does this look so similar to what I have read about last month, last year?' And, how can we come together as a country and planet to make it not look like that anymore?" Moore said.
To Kill A Mockingbird plays at the Buell Theater from Jan. 24 through Feb. 5 and tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/3wcVUu2
