Parade

Starring: Max Chernin, Talia Suskauer, Griffin Binnicker, Evan Harrington, Ramone Nelson, Jack Roden, Andrew Samonsky, Chris Shyer, Michael Tacconi, Alison Ewing, Olivia Goosman, Danielle Lee Greaves, Jenny Hickman, Robert Knight, Bailee Endebrock, Sophia Manicone, Jason Simon
Directed by: Michael Arden
Book: Alfred Uhry
Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
Genre: Musical, Drama
2025

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: In 1913, a Jewish man, Leo Frank (Max Chernin) is accused of murdering a young girl in Georgia. Despite only circumstantial evidence, public opinion rises against him and sways the justice system.

Review:

Tim: I'm not sure what it was about Parade that first attracted me to it- I just felt like it was a musical worth seeing. I caught the second showing in Boston, as part of the musical revival's 2025 U.S. Tour. I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating play, this tragic and disturbing look at a travesty of justice in U.S. history that I'm sad to report I previously knew nothing about. This play is entertaining, thought-provoking, and informative. I really enjoyed it and I'm thankful I went.

The sad thing about the tragic story of Leo Frank is that it's not all that uncommon. How is it that I never learned about this horrible miscarriage of justice? Well, the reality is, there's a lot of these stories littered throughout American history, and those in charge tend to dampen them down. Wouldn't do a lot of good to highlight the history of injustice in this country. The only problem with that thinking if that without a knowledge of history, it's doomed to repeat itself. As I look at America in 2025, I see chilling parallels between us today and the country as it was in 1913-1915. The events depicted here were caused by an us vs. them mentality- in this case, antisemitism. Truth, facts, reality mattered less. What mattered more were the ignorant opinions of confident stupid people. Why was Leo Frank guilty? Well, just look at him! When we only search for confirming evidence, we only see what aligns with our bias. The facts of the case be damned, the public needed someone to blame. A northern Jewish man that talks different was a perfect fall guy. There was no question of justice here, just blame. I shudder to think of whose stories we'll be seeing on the stage thirty years from now, what tragedies are set to befall us- because America is going down the same path, returning to a place of ignorance and hate. I know I'm a little preachy here, but that's what Parade does- it's as relevant today as it ever was.

I thought the cast did really well, even if they aren't filled with notable stars. Max Chernin was excellent as Leo Frank. His performance is filled with emotion, as the musical gives him a chance to show his range as an actor in different ways. He's a good singer and added so much throughout the production. I liked that he had a great deal of familiarity with the production, playing smaller supporting characters on Broadway. His emergence into this role was seamless. One of my favorite parts of the musical was during the Intermission, Chernin stays on stage with the curtain open the entirety of the time. The stage represents his prison cell, and he sits, walks, lays, and otherwise continues acting while the audience hits up the bathroom and refills their wine glasses. It was a very cool visual cue to the length of Frank's time in prison.

Talia Suskauer was a heck of a singer. I thought she gave a strong performance as Lucille Frank. She has some nice moments throughout the production, and she gets to showcase her singing talent. She played Elphaba in the traveling tour of Wicked, so you know she can sing. She and Chernin worked well together- their chemistry, their performances were the standouts of the play. Andrew Samonsky is frightening in his selfish single-mindedness. Chris Shyer was excellent as the Governor- I just really enjoyed his performance and what he did on stage. The whole cast did well.

The music and lyrics worked, but I don't know that there were any real standout songs. I thought they amplified the story, let us better understand the characters, and entertained. They were fun and impressive to hear. The whole production is well done.

Part of me wishes I saw the Broadway production, but I can't reasonably get to NYC for all the shows I'd like. The traveling U.S. tours may not feature the same stars, but my experience has been that the productions are still top notch. Chernin and Suskauer were effective in their roles. I thought Michael Arden did a nice job directing- it's funny that I saw his previous effort, The Queen of Versailles last summer. He's a solid director. Parade is a powerful, emotional, surprising true story that Americans need to see. It's a frightening reminder of the injustices that can take place when we stop caring about truth and instead focus on hate and blame.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Production, We Recommend:
All the Way, The Queen of Versailles, Ragtime, Lucky Guy