Broadway tour of "Parade" at the Orpheum Theatre

Last night, the National Tour of the 2023 Tony winner for best revival of a musical opened right here in Minneapolis. Parade premiered on Broadway in 1998 and ran for only three months, but won the Tony for score (Jason Robert Brown, his first of two Tonys, the second for The Bridges of Madison County) and book (playwright Alfred Uhry, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Driving Miss Daisy). Almost 25 years later it was revived in a stunning and devastating production that I was fortunate to see.* I'm so glad that it's going on tour, because this is a story that America needs to see right now. Unfortunately, this very American story of antisemitism, racism, otherism, corruption in the judicial and political systems, fearmongering, mob violence, and media distortion of the facts only gets more relevant with each passing day. Heavy subject for a musical? Yes, but not all musicals need to be light and happy. In fact the best ones delve into heavy issues and shed light on the dark places of our past and present, and do it with gorgeous music that evokes the emotions of the story better than a history book or even a play ever could. Twin Cities theater-goers should feel honored to be the first ones in the country to experience this brilliant production, and if you're a fan of meaningful and relevant music-theater that's also beautiful to watch and listen to, go see Parade (through Sunday only - click here for info and tickets, including group sales and student/educator rush).

Parade tells the true story of Leo Frank, and it's a dark one. A Jewish man from Brooklyn who married a local woman and ran a pencil factory in Atlanta in the early 20th Century, he was an easy scapegoat when a 13-year-old girl who worked at the factory was found dead in the basement. Politicians used the case to further their career, playing to the antisemitism of the community and promising to "clean up" the South, and witnesses were bribed to falsify testimony. Leo was convicted by "a jury of his peers," and when the governor eventually commuted his death sentence to a life sentence after re-examining evidence, an angry but well-organized mob kidnapped him from prison, transported him to the girl's hometown, and hung him from a tree. A brutal subject for a musical, but an ever more timely and important one with the recent rise of antisemitism, otherism, and hate crimes. 

the cast of Parade (photo by Joan Marcus)

The play begins in the Civil War, then flashes forward 50 years to our story, with the memory of that time still very much alive in the minds and hearts of Southerners, celebrating their "heroes" who were "never defeated" (history tells us otherwise) with a parade every year. As Atticus Finch says in To Kill a Mockingbird (a play very similar in themes to this one), if we don't heal this wound, we'll never stop bleeding. 1913 Atlanta is a world very much still bleeding, and ripe for a horrific incident such as this. In an article responding to Neo-Nazi protests of the show, Jason Robert Brown calls the story of Leo Frank "a signal event in the history of antisemitism and white supremacist terrorism in this country, and the case was behind both the creation of the Anti-Defamation League and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan." What better subject for music-theater to shine a light on?

This ugly story is beautifully told by the creators and director Michael Arden, aided by the design. The raised platform on the stage puts the main action on display, with the cast often sitting in chairs around it. Watching the always-in-character actors watching the story play out (when not in it) is illuminating, especially the Black characters who are often on the sidelines but say volumes with their physicality and facial expressions. In another smart and effective bit of staging, during the trial characters jump off the platform or out of the surrounding seats to reenact the testimony in the way it's being told, whether true or not.

the cast of Parade (photo by Joan Marcus)

The stage is decorated with early 20th Century Americana, and also a few Confederate flags waved proudly about - disturbing to see. As each character is introduced, the historical figure's name and photo is displayed on the back wall of the theater, reminding us that this is a true story. Projections of the real places where this story takes place, or headlines from newspapers of the era, also ground us in history. Characters are dressed in authentic period clothing, specific to their role or class. (Scenic design by Dane Laffrey, costume design by Susan Hilferty and Mark Koss, lighting design by Heather Gilbert, sound design by Jon Weston, and production design by Sven Ortel.)

Lucille (Talia Suskauer) and Leo (Max Chernin)
in a tender moment (photo by Joan Marcus)

Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond were both amazing in the 2023 Broadway production, and were both nominated for a Tony for their roles as Leo Frank and his wife Lucille. The highest compliment I can give Max Chernin (who was part of the Broadway company) and Talia Suskauer is that the moment they stepped on stage as Leo and Lucille, I forgot all about their predecessors. First of all, they both sing gorgeously; their duets in particular are a wonder. But more importantly, they honestly portray all of the emotions that these characters go through. Perhaps the most (only?) heart-warming part of this musical is the way that Lucille and Leo's relationship grows and deepens throughout the story, from a bit distant and not quite connecting, to truly believing in and supporting and loving each other fully. Both Max and Talia embody that, and bring depth and humanity to these complex characters.

Other highlights in the large and talented cast include Andrew Samonsky (last seen at the Orpheum in 2016 starring in that other JRB masterpiece, The Bridges of Madison County) as the D.A., so believably evil I wanted to boo him every time he stepped on stage; Chris Shyer as the governor who does the right thing despite the fact that it ends his political career (and getting big applause because we're seeing so much of the opposite right now); Olivia Goosman as Mary Phagan, not letting us forget the first victim in this case; Jack Roden as her charming would-be boyfriend bent on vengeance; the Guthrie's Into the Woods Baker Robert Knight as Newt Lee, the night watchman who discovered the body; and Ramone Nelson as factory sweeper Jim Conley (spoiler alert: most likely the murderer), nearly bringing the house down with a powerful performance of the Act II opener "A Rumblin' and a Rollin'."

Jason Robert Brown's Tony-winning score is gorgeous, haunting, and unsettling. As always, he perfectly captures the emotions of the story in music. And he also really evokes a feeling of the time and place through the music, especially in the continuing theme "The Old Red Hills of Home." The way he weaves this melody back in towards the end of the piece is incredibly moving and really brings the story full circle and into the present. The music sounds gorgeous performed by this cast (including some lovely a capella moments) and the nine-piece orchestra (including five local musicians), conducted by Music Director Charlie Alterman and seated onstage behind a scrim, almost visible and sometimes referred to when the characters call for music. And because the orchestra is on stage and not in the pit, the Orpheum has added a few extra rows in front for an up-close-and-personal view (possibly uncomfortably so, but probably worth it).

Seeing Parade is a beautiful and highly emotional experience. This is not a show to see to forget the problems of the day, but rather to take a square look at the often disturbing history of this country, and how that history is reflected in the present. e.g., a Neo Nazi group protested the first preview of this show on Broadway - 110 years later and this ugliness still exists in our country. We can't whitewash the past and pretend it was "great" for everyone, because it just simply was not for many people. We need to continue to tell these stories, and what better or more emotionally effective way to do that than through the art form of music-theater?!

Parade continues at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Minneapolis through January 26 only, after which it will travel the country, with dates currently scheduled through the fall.

*Some text borrowed and adapted from my review of the 2023 Broadway production.