Parade - The Berkeley Street Theatre-Upstairs
In the opening scene,
Jeff Irving , dressed as a young confederate soldier sings about the red hills of home, followed seamlessly by
George Masswohl playing an old version of him. It's riveting, and sets the time, place and mind-set for what is to follow. Leo Frank
(Michael Therriault), a New York Jewish man married to Lucille (
Tracy Michailidis), a southern Jewish woman, is accused of murdering thirteen-year old Mary Phagan (
Jessica Greenberg) in 1913 Atlanta. The default of the good citizens is to accuse the black man (
Daren A. Herbert) first, and when that doesn't stick, well, lets go after the Jew. The trial is a mockery of justice; the verdict, a travesty. When the Governor(
Jay Turvey) re-examines the case after pressure to do so by Lucille and national criticism, he commutes Leo's death sentence to life. But this is not the justice people want, and Leo is lynched. There's a wonderful number in the second act; Minnie (
Alana Hibbert) and Newt Lee (
Daren A. Herbert) sing about how all the northerners flooding in to Atlanta to protest Leo's sentence won't even notice the black men hanging from the trees.
One couldn't ask for a more intimate setting than The Berkeley Street Theatre, Upstairs. One couldn't ask for a more gifted cast(there are fifteen on stage), and yet this musical never really takes off. Too linear? We know what's going to happen; it just takes a very long time to get there. There isn't the emotional punch one looks for. Don't just sing it; feel it. Make us feel it. Though it's won Tony awards, I think the problems are with the musical itself.The cast is worth more than the price of admission (how does a cast this big, in a theatre this small, break even?) I felt I'd been undercharged; time to make a donation to
The Acting Up Stage Companyand
Studio 180, who've given me some incredible theatrical moments in the past.
Two acts, one intermission
http://www.paradethemusical.com/
