Parade

Parade on Broadway Background

The 2023 revival of Parade is directed by Michael Ardenhad, who headed the recent seven-performance tryout run of the show at the New York City Center that took place in the Fall of 2022.

The City Center production garnered strong reviews in its very short tenure, but this may have been the plan all along.

Previous Incarnations Of The Show

The show has been known to have many other brief runs

1998 Version of Parade on Broadway

In November 1998 Parade opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre in Lincoln Centre, but closed at a loss in February 1999. The show received poor reviews and it appeared little more than a minor footnote in Broadway history.

Even though the run was commercially and critically unsuccessful, it still managed to win TONY Awards for both book and score - which just goes to show that about anyone with some pull can win a TONY Award.

1935 Version of Parade on Broadway

The 1935 version of the show at the Guild Theatre (Now The August Wilson Theatre) did not fare any better, opening in May 1935 and closing a few weeks later in June. The show failed to find an audience and failed to impress critics.

What's Parade Like?

Ben Platt plays Leo Frank, a factory boss convicted of killing a young girl in a case tainted by antisemitism. The trial comes at a time just prior to the World War I where Fascism began building its roots in society and the world was about to experience the most destructive war of all time, WWI.

Timely Exploration of Fascism In The US

The musical’s exploration of antisemitism has made it timely, when there is rising concern about Fascism in the United States and beyond and attacks upon Jews are becoming prevalent in society.

The story that the show depicts about Leo Frank and his wife is real. Frank was convicted in 1913 and then lynched in 1915 at the age of 31 after two years on death row. In 1986 Frank was posthumously pardoned, but that was 70 years too late.

Is Parade Good for Kids?

This show is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 16 years old.
This production contains theatrical haze, flashing lights, graphic violence, themes of racism, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy.