Afghan-American novelist Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner is coming to Broadway this summer for a limited-engagement run.
It is a stage adaption of his 2003 international best-seller, which was adapted into a 2007 movie directed by Golden Globe nominee Marc Forster with a screenplay by Game of Thrones’ David Benioff.
According to Broadway News, Amir Arison and Faran Tahir will star in the stage adaptation of The Kite Runner due to play Broadway’s Hayes Theater this summer, producers announced Monday.
Arison, known for his role on television series The Blacklist, will play the lead character named Amir. Tahir, an actor with credits in Iron Man, Star Trek and television’s Scandal, will play Baba. Both actors will make their Broadway debuts with the production.
The production is described as “a haunting tale of friendship spanning cultures and continents” that centers on a man’s journey as he confronts his past and finds redemption. Based in Afghanistan, two childhood friends in Kabul attend a kite-flying tournament but face being torn apart by their country, which is on the verge of war, and a “terrible incident which will shatter their lives forever.”
Faran Tahir’s wife, actor and photographer, Zara Tareen took to Instagram and shared the big news. She expressed how proud she is of her husband’s achievements.
“To say that I am proud of you is an understatement. I always wished I’d seen you on stage doing your Othello or your Richard III but my wish has come true even better than that. I get to see you on the most prestigious stage on earth, Broadway!! In my heart you’ve always belonged here, it was just a matter of time. I’m so excited for you and cannot wait to watch you experience this beautiful journey,” she wrote.
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The cast also features Demosthenes Chrysan, Danish Farooqui, Azita Ghanizada, Joe Joseph, Dea Julien, Dariush Kashani, Beejan Land, Amir Malaklou, Christine Mirzayan, Haris Pervaiz, Alex Purcell, Eric Sirakian, Houshang Touzie and Evan Zes. Salar Nader, a percussive instrumentalist, will provide music for the play on the tabla.
The Broadway production will be directed by Giles Croft. The story, which will feature music, was adapted for the stage by Matthew Spangler. Humaira Ghilzai is the production’s cultural advisor and script consultant.
The play will officially open at the Hayes Theater on July 21 and is slated to run through October 30. Previews will begin on July 6, which currently makes it the first play scheduled for the 2022-2023 Broadway season.
