Review: PARADE Marches Into Uncomfortable Territory

The Omaha Community Playhouse once again tackles a complicated and serious subject. PARADE, the Tony Award-winning musical based on the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man falsely accused of the rape and murder of a 13 year old girl in Marietta, Georgia opens tonight and runs through March 11.

With music and lyrics by the incomparable Jason Robert Brown and book by Alfred Uhry, the musical tells the story of a Southern town's reaction to the murder of a young girl, Mary Phagan. Eager to find resolution for political reasons, the powers in charge intimidate townspeople to falsely testify against Leo Frank, a transplant from Brooklyn who is the superintendent of a pencil factory where Mary worked. Lucille Frank, Leo's wife of two years, summons her courage and fights to free him. As stories change, the ending remains the same. This is not a happy tale. It is a life changing event that led to the development of the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights organization.

Director Jeff Horger with Assistant Director Suzanne Withem have put together an excellent team of actors, musicians, and crew to present a compelling production. The scenes are quick and snappy. The vocals are solid. The visuals are riveting. Everything works.

James Verderamo is perfectly cast as Leo Frank. His appearance, his demeanor, and his stellar voice are ideal to express this complex character. His outwardly meek personality is bonded to his iron clad faith. Megan Kelly as his wife Lucille is a pillar of strength... when she needs to be. Kelly's voice is resonant with a uniquely pleasing quality; her interpretation of the suffering, but embarrassed wife is genuine. You sense her feelings of being torn. Her solo, "You Don't Know This Man," is undeniably one of the performance highlights.

Grant Mannschreck shows off dulcet tones as Frankie Epps. With trembling sensitivity he delivers, "It Don't Make Sense," adding contrast to his usual roiling anger. Enamored of Mary Phagan but seemingly rejected, I wonder about Epps' innocence. The not knowing intensifies the tension throughout.

The more despicable characters in PARADE, Michael Markey as the unrelenting prosecutor Hugh Dorsey and Brian Priesman as the religiously misguided Tom Watson, are good at being bad. Mike Palmreuter (Governor Slaton) reveals a surprising depth of character when he realizes that he does not wish to be known as "a fool or a coward" and works to counteract the hasty actions of a few.

The young actresses do a great job. Chloe Irwin (Mary Phagan) is sweet and winsome with a clear, lovely voice. Grace Titus (Mary's friend, Iola) is particularly impressive with both her gifted voice and her subtle facial expressions, so effective in a small theatre. The girls' trio is beautiful, and when combined with the skillful choreography of Melanie Walters and a male dancer, becomes simultaneously innocent and seductive.

The quartet of Breanna Carodine (Minnie), Brendan Brown (Riley), J. Isaiah Smith (Jim Conley), and L. James Wright (Newt Lee) humorously present both the public face and the true private attitude toward racial tension in "Rumblin' and a Rollin'."

Probably a spotlight stealer is J. Isaiah Smith as Jim Conley. His performance in "That's What He Said," and again as part of the chain gang is so wildly entertaining, that it almost distracts from the story. I forgot I was watching Jim Conley because I was thoroughly captivated by Smith. I found myself laughing at his antics despite the seriousness of the subject.

Ensemble work is impressive with some interesting moments of both group movement and vocal harmonies/disharmonies.

Jim Boggess deftly leads his orchestra through the complex musical arrangements. Vince Krysl on drums/percussion is especially impactful in climactic moments.

Jim Othuse, scenic and lighting director, never fails to craft the most wonderful sets! For this show, the small Howard Drew Theatre is turned into suggestion of a 1913 Southern town with ragged brick backdrops and sketched in buildings. There is an enormous tree to one side, and different levels of floor, a partially viewable staircase, and a pair of street lamps. The lighting is subdued.

Also subdued are the costumes created by Lindsay Pape. Pleasing color schemes of muted grays, blue-greens, and various intensities of peach throw back to the past. The one exception is the cherry red jacket worn by the governor's wife, Sally Slaton.

There are scenes in PARADE that make you say, "What???" When the Governor says, "Just convict one of them," because it would hurt their political careers if they let the murder investigation linger, it delivers a blow to the gut. When Newt Lee (wonderfully played by L. James Wright) is pressured to confess, and then let off because it would be even more effective to convict the Jew rather than the Black man, humanity appears lost. In one of my favorite discourses, Governor Slaton refers back to more than 2,000 years ago when an innocent Jewish man was released to an angry mob. He declares that he too is washing his hands of this miscarriage of justice.

There's a lot to make you angry in PARADE. But there's a lot to like. The nobility of Leo Frank. The steadfastness of Lucille. The turnaround of Governor Slaton.

In the classical musical AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, there is a line that says something to the effect that if you have the means to make a positive difference in people's lives through art, then you must do it. PARADE does that. It makes a difference by revealing history through performing arts.

Omaha Community Playhouse seeks to make an even greater difference by sponsoring the Omaha chapter of the Anti-Defamation League in a discussion which will be open to the audience following the performance on February 25.

Photo Credit: (Megan Kelly as Lucille, Christopher Scott as Luther Rosser, and James Verderamo as Leo Frank)

Robertson Photography

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