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Regional Reviews: Las Vegas Parade
With a book by Alfred Uhry and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, Parade tells the true–and to this day incomplete–story of Leo Frank, a young Jewish transplant from Brooklyn who was convicted in 1913 of raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl who worked in the Atlanta pencil factory that he managed. Post-conviction, the evidence against him began to unravel, as key witnesses admitted to committing perjury under pressure from the ambitious prosecutor and the influence of growing antisemitism. Yet before Frank could be pardoned or exonerated, he was lynched by a mob of prominent citizens who were never prosecuted. Although the state of Georgia granted him a posthumous pardon in 1986, the pardon pointedly did not address his guilt or innocence, merely acknowledging that the state failed to protect him or to prosecute his murderers. Somber tales are hardly a natural fit for Broadway musicals (in contrast to operas). They seem to work best when they are fictional (Sweeney Todd, Carousel, Chicago) or at least semi-fictional (Cabaret). It's tougher when the audience knows the tragedy was real, although The Scottsboro Boys proved that artistic success is still attainable. Parade, unfortunately, does not fully rise to the occasion. Although it combines a powerful story with some excellent musical numbers, there are too many tonal shifts that simply don't work. The Scottsboro Boys induced uncomfortable squirming that worked in service of the play's message. Here, however, the discordant notes too often take us out of the story rather than driving it forward. Even Michael Arden's well-paced direction cannot overcome these mood swings. The show gets off to a rough start with an opening number set in 1863 Georgia, as the locals rise up to fight for the South, followed immediately by their descendants mounting a raucous parade on Confederate Memorial Day in 1913. Due to the murky sound, it was hard to decipher the lyrics on opening night. The Las Vegas audience–not booze-fueled tourists, but a cosmopolitan group of locals who count on the Smith Center for their culture fix–offered muted applause, clearly discomfited by the onslaught of Confederate flags. While the opening number at least serves the important purpose of establishing the dangerous mindset that led to Frank's murder, several other numbers strike jarring notes that seem purposeless and even counterproductive, including a too-cute dance number at the Governor's Ball and a misguided fantasy sequence depicting Leo Frank as a "party animal" inviting the factory girls to dance with him in his office. The most baffling moment, placed in the time slot traditionally reserved for an "eleven o-clock" number, is a quasi-Chippendale's performance by a convict laboring on a chain gang. (This critic has no idea what that was about, and judging by the audience response, neither did they.) In contrast to these misfires, a number of the songs are both haunting and beautiful, including "You Don't Know This Man," soulfully performed by Talia Suskauer as Frank's wife Lucille. While the audience might not be humming these tunes on the way home, they are truly captivating in the moment. The production itself is merely serviceable. Dane Laffrey's minimal set design consists largely of tables and chairs backed by changing projections. The small orchestra (unseen behind the projections) sounds a bit thin, and the lyrics in the larger group numbers are muddled. Some of the stage business is distracting, including an inexplicable amount of dressing and undressing. Because the furniture remains largely unchanged from one setting to another, changes of venue are signaled by the rise and fall of different pendant lamps flying in from above. Most audience members probably don't notice much difference between the lamps, making their constant coming and going both unnecessary and distracting. (The worst is the moment after Leo Frank is lynched, when a glowing lamp immediately rises from that very spot. If it's a resurrection metaphor, it needs to go.) While the use of projections may not be to everyone's taste, in this production the images have historic value. We see many of the inflammatory headlines that fueled the tragedy, the actual plaque memorializing Georgia's mealy-mouthed pardon, and the horrific image of Frank's lynched body surrounded by the proud perpetrators. Despite the production's shortcomings, there are some truly exceptional performances. At the top of the heap is Max Chernin as Frank. While Uhry's book provides limited insight into Frank's character, Chernin presents him as a man of natural reserve and sincerity, hampered by his inability to connect with others. At times reminiscent of Jesse Eisenberg, Chernin has a soft and effortless charisma, together with a crystal clear voice (both speaking and singing). Either he has the best microphone among the cast, or he has a remarkable vocal gift. Another standout is Griffin Binnicker, playing the conniving politician and yellow journalist Tom Watson, a JD Vance lookalike whose inflammatory rhetoric plants the seeds for Frank's lynching. With the seductive unctuousness of a television preacher, Binnicker oozes deceptive piety and false sincerity, yet never crosses the line into overacting. As a result, his Watson is calmly terrifying. Binnicker is a marvelous singer as well. Also noteworthy is Jack Roden as young Frankie Epps, Mary Phagan's flirtatious friend whose subsequent perjury drives one more nail into Leo Frank's coffin. While the book leaves Epps' motivation unclear, Roden ably conveys his youthful passion, showcasing great skill as both actor and singer, together with impressive stage presence. These performances, combined with the continued relevance of Leo Frank's tragedy, go a long way toward salvaging an otherwise problematic piece of theatre. Much like the recent production of Good Night, and Good Luck, what Parade lacks in dramatic sensibility it largely makes up for as a powerful reminder of how easily xenophobia and demagoguery can subvert basic human decency. Parade runs through June 15, 2025, at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas NV. Performances are Friday-Sunday at 7:30 pm, also Sunday at 2 pm). For tickets ($40-$173) and information, please visit thesmithcenter.com/tickets. For information on the tour, visit https://paradebroadway.com/tour/. Cast: Orchestra: Additional Creatives: |
