FLASH SPECIAL: PARADE Marches Back To New York In A Big Way

By: Pat Cerasaro Feb. 16, 2015

In honor of tonight's star-studded Manhattan Concert Productions presentation of PARADE at Avery Fisher Hall, we take a look back at the colorful and unique history of the modern musical masterpiece.

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Pretty Music
Documenting a real life event rife with cultural and political overtones as important today as they were a century ago, PARADE is one of many musicals to take on a complex actual historical incident but one of only a few modern mainstage musicals to do so with such dignity, grace, style, import - and, above all else, dramatic accuracy and fidelity. While details of the events surrounding the rape and death of 13-year old Georgia pencil factory employee Mary Phagan will always be left up to courts to decide - and they did, way back in 1913, as the story of the musical presents; right, wrong or indifferent - the extremely moving and seamlessly told treatment of the story as envisioned by wunderkind composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Alfred Uhry along with legendary uber director Harold Prince in their adaptation of the true tale utilizes strong source material overflowing with potential and completely fulfills its expansive promise - and then some. Indeed, Brown and Uhry both received 1999 Tony Awards for their efforts in creating the score and book of the original production of PARADE, helmed by Hal Prince at Lincoln Center Theater in 1998, which spurred on a lovingly produced national tour following the unfortunate short run of the musical on Broadway, where it closed on February 28, 1999, after having played less than 100 regular performances. Nonetheless, PARADE has marched on far beyond that breathtaking premiere mounting in many famed professional and amateur productions all around the world and it is clear to see and hear why - this is one of the finest scores ever crafted for an American musical in the modern age and the compelling way in which the story is told maximizes how the characters, story and songs land to spectacular effect.

The original production of PARADE opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on December 17, 1998, with a cast led by Tony Award winner Brent Carver as the accused murderer of Mary Phagan, Brooklyn-born, Jewish pencil factory supervisor Leo Frank, while renowned Broadway leading lady Carolee Carmello essayed the pivotal role of Leo's wife, Lucille. The rest of the cast was comprised of many Broadway regulars and some fresh-faced newcomers, as well - and appropriately so given the nearly 50 characters represented onstage and the delectable performance opportunities afforded them by the impossibly rich story and score. Among the original cast were Christy Carlson Romano as Mary Phagan, along with Kirk McDonald, Evan Pappas, John Hickok, Jessica Molasky, Brooke Sunny Moriber and Rufus Bonds, Jr., to name just a few of the standouts in the spectacular company. Nevertheless, the tough subject matter made the material a hard sell with audiences and the run was brief, but the score was painstakingly, perfectly preserved in a remarkably pristine and impacting manner on the sublime original Broadway cast recording. Thanks to that recording and the subsequent national tour - not to mention the legacy and lore surrounding the seminal first production - the influence of PARADE on audiences in the intervening years has been significant and undeniably pronounced in the theatre community.

Although it is difficult to improve on perfection, Brown and Uhry utilized the opportunity of a 2007 mounting of the musical at famed London theater hotspot the Donmar Warehouse to refine the material further still for a reworked new iteration of PARADE the following decade, directed by Rob Ashford and starring Bertie Carvel, Lara Pulver and Jayne Wisener. New songs were added while a few were excised and the story was clarified even further in this fresh new take and the success of the Donmar iteration led to a stateside transfer in 2009 via the Mark Taper Forum's revival starring T.R. Knight. Other famous faces in the Los Angeles production of PARADE included Lara Pulver (repeating her West End role), Michael Berresse, Charlotte D'Amboise, Davis Gaines, Christian Hoff, Rose Sezniak Hemingway and Phoebe Strole, among others.
Now, PARADE is back in New York in a very big way for one night only thanks to the starry Manhattan Concert Productions event at Avery Fisher Hall directed by Gary Griffin and conducted by Brown himself, which will be headlined by Jeremy Jordan, Laura Benanti, Ramin Karimloo, Alan Campbell, Andy Mientus, Katie Rose Clarke, Davis Gaines, Joshua Henry, Rachel De Benedet, John Ellison Conlee, John Jellison, Allie Trimm and more. Perhaps a brand new PARADE will inspire a new open-ended production for a new generation now that it has been nearly 20 years since the musical graced the Great White Way. Undoubtedly, a Broadway without a musical as momentous, important and relevant as PARADE brings to mind one of the many showstopping moments in the exquisite score - "All The Wasted Time". Indeed, in regards to a revival of PARADE there is absolutely no time like the present.

More information on the Manhattan Concert Productions presentation of PARADE is available at the official site here.
The Glory
So, now, let's take a look at some highlights from the various productions of PARADE since its 1998 inception.
First up, see the original cast of PARADE on the 1999 Tony Awards led by Brent Carver and Carolee Carmello.
Preview the sights and sounds of the epic production via the TV spot for the Lincoln Center debut.
Next, take in a spirited tune from Jason Robert Brown's earworm-packed score.
Director Hal Prince elaborates on his ideas for the original production of PARADE.
A star is born in London production standout Stuart Matthew Price with a PARADE jewel.
Now, hear an emotional highlight from the comprehensive London cast album.
Also, take a look at T.R. Knight and Lara Pulver in PARADE in Los Angeles.

Don't miss BroadwayWorld's full coverage of the Mark Taper Forum production.
Peruse T.R. Knight discussing his association with PARADE in LA.
Get a glimpse of a Kentucky amateur production of PARADE. The message lives on!
Lastly, view BroadwayWorld's extensive rehearsal footage of tonight's concert.
What has been your absolute favorite production of PARADE to date? Furthermore, what is your choice for finest song from the incredible score? A musical this strong with a message so vital is certainly worthy of being heard again and again, bringing the music and message to new eyes and ears every time it is played or performed - even if it is only just for one very special night, like tonight.

Photo Credits: Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Concert Productions, etc.

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