Review Roundup: PARADE National Tour Starring Max Chernin & Talia Suskauer

The touring production of the recent Broadway revival of Parade is now on tour across the United States.

The company is led by Max Chernin (Broadway Revival of Parade) and Talia Suskauer  who will play Leo and Lucille Frank. The case also includes Griffin Binnicker, Evan Harrington, Ramone Nelson, Jack Roden, Andrew Samonsky, Chris Shyer, Michael Tacconi, Alison Ewing, Olivia Goosman, Jenny Hickman, Oluchi Nwaokorie, Robert Knight, Prentiss E. Mouton (Broadway Revival of Parade), Danielle Lee Greaves (Broadway Revival of Parade), Ben Cherington, Emily Rose DeMartino (Broadway Revival of Parade), Bailee Endebrock (Broadway Revival of Parade), Caroline Fairweather (Broadway Revival of Parade), Trevor James, Sophia Manicone (Broadway Revival of  Parade), Trista Moldovan, Ethan Riordan, Brian Vaughn and Jason Simon.  William Bishop, Jerquintez A. Gipson, Brianna Javis, Benjamin Magnuson, Jodi Snyder, Eden Witvoet and Jake Ziman will be the swings. 

Parade is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Arden, with book by two-time Tony Award winner, Pulitzer Prize winner, and Academy Award winner Alfred Uhry, music and lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, and co-conceived by 21-time Tony Award-winning legend Harold Prince.  

Katherine Kiessling, Times Union: The heart of the show is assigned to Leo and his wife Lucille, played by Max Chernin and Talia Suskauer. The pair is charged with embracing the Franks’ rough edges — his aloofness, her initial desires to cling to her privileged life and flee the hardships of her husband’s trial — and eliciting empathy. Chernin’s Leo is a heartbreaking, tightly coiled ball of anxiety, one that softens with the desperation of his final courtroom plea, "It's Hard to Speak My Heart.” Lucille glows with fiery determination for justice and fierce love, thanks to Suskauer expertly calibrated performance, and the pair's chemistry makes the Franks’ reignited tenderness in act two palpable.

Bill Kellert, Nippertown: The cast of nearly three dozen is flawless in their approach under the direction of Michael Arden. The choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant creates wonderful pictures framed on Dane Laffrey's scenic design, Heather Gilbert's lighting, Jon Weston's sound design, presented in Sven Ortel's production design. Charlie Alterman leads the cast of this nearly entirely sung through musical pitch perfectly as the Musical Director and Conductor.

J. Peter Bergman, The Berkshire Edge: Leo and Lucille are respectively played by Max Chernin and Talia Suskauer. They are a handsome couple, and Suskauer has a special voice that she uses for the dramatic effect that defines Lucille Frank. Particularly in the second act when she sings her aria, “Do It Alone,” and the duet with Chernin, “This is Not Over Yet,” her voice and her dramatic ability are riveting. Chernin is her vocal mate, although his character is calmer and more complacent, and this limits his dramatic impact in their music.

Rohan Preston, The Minnesota Star Tribune: Suskauer is the real star of the show, delivering with heart and polish even as Lucille’s powers are diminished and underestimated by her own husband. Suskauer helps Lucille bloom into a quiet and devoted powerhouse.

Jared Fessler, BroadwayWorld: At the heart of the production are the extraordinary performances of the leads. Max Chernin delivers a nuanced and deeply empathetic portrayal of Leo, capturing both his intellectual reserve and his vulnerability. His voice, rich and expressive, brings Jason Robert Brown's complex score to life, particularly in the haunting "It’s Hard to Speak My Heart."

Average Rating: 86.0%