T.R. Knight has confirmed his next project; the "Grey's Anatomy" actor will star in PARADE at the Mark Taper Forum. The Los Angeles production is based on the 2007 London production, which appeared at the famed Donmar Warehouse. Knight will star as Leo Frank in the Jason Robert Brown-Alfred Uhry masterpiece.
Knight tells the LA Times, "I am very fortunate to return to the theater playing Leo Frank in this incredible, acclaimed production of ‘Parade.'" The actor adds, "After a five-year break, it feels great to be on stage again."
PARADE's London bow was the directorial debut for Rob Ashford. The show features a book by Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy, LoveMusik), and music and lyrics by Brown (The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World, 13). The production was designed by Christopher Oram, with lighting by Neil Austin and musical direction by Thomas Murray.
Parade, which won the 1999 Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Musical Score, is set "in 1913 Atlanta, (where) Frank, a Jewish man, was convicted of the murder of 13-year-old factory worker Mary Phagan. As the press frenzy and public hatred surrounding the trial grew, Frank's wife continued to campaign for justice. In a time of religious intolerance, political injustice and racial tension, the musical explores the endurance of love and hope against all the odds," state Donmar notes. Parade also won the Drama Desk and New York Critic's Circle Award for Best Musical.
PARADE will play at the Mark Taper Forum September 24 through November 15, 2009.
Tickets for the show go on sale June 26. For additional information about the Mark Taper Forum production of PARADE, click here.
Recently, it was reported that the "Grey's Anatomy" star was eyeing a return to the Broadway stage, after exiting the hit ABC television show. It is not known if Knight is still looking for a Rialto bow in the near future.
Jason Robert Brown's Tony Award-winning 1998 musical, Parade, made its London premiere in September, 2007 at the Donmar Warehouse. The production began previews September 14th, 2007, opened September 24th and ran through November 24th.
Leading the cast were Bertie Carvel (The Man of Mode, Coram Boy at National Theatre, "Doctor Who") as Leo Frank and Lara Pulver (The Last 5 Years at The Menier Chocolate Factory) as Lucille Frank with additional cast members Helen Anker, Mark Bonnar, Norman Bowman, Bertie Carvel, Shaun Escoffery, Joanna Kirkland, Gary Milner (West End Evita), Steven Page, Malinda Parris, Stuart Matthew Price, Lara Pulver, Zoe Rainey, Celia Mei Rubin, Stephen Webb and Jayne Wisener. Bowman, Rainey, Rubin and Webb had been seen in the Donmar Warehouse's Guys and Dolls, while Wisener was seen as Joanna alongside Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and more in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd.
