How about Daniel Radcliffe as Leo Frank...

[markypoo]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:14pm

in a first-class, expertly cast revival of PARADE?

Even tho I didn't catch the 2011 B'way revival of How To Succeed, I'm under the impression that he's quite capable of both singing and dancing.  I already know he can act.

Plus IMHO he bears a strong resemblance to the original Mr. Frank.

Additional casting ideas anyone?  (His Lucille mustn't be too tall...)

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:26pm

I don't think he has the vocal chops to handle the score, but I actually think he'd be a fantastic choice for a non-singing film, miniseries, etc about the Leo Frank case.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:28pm

I agree with givesmevoice. Leo Frank is a long and difficult role musically. Radcliffe is a passable singer with a real winning stage presence, but I don't think he could do this role justice (vocally at least) 8-times a week.

[WayTooBroadway]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:33pm

Ditto.  The role is vocally challenging... and it will be deeply satisfying to hear that music well-sung. 

Methinks Jonathan Groff could sing and sweat the sh*t out of Parade.

[markypoo]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:34pm

Well just as a reference can anyone tell me how well T R Knight handled the score when he played Leo?

I've seen 4 productions of the show including the original, but did not catch the aforementioned.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:37pm

Wouldn't mind seeing Josh Radnor in this.

[WayTooBroadway]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:38pm

I saw the Ashford production at the Mark Taper.  His acting was really strong but there was more to be desired in the vocal department, especially next to Lara Pulver.  I enjoyed Bertie Carvel in the London recording of that production, though.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:38pm

WayTooBroadway said: "Methinks Jonathan Groff could sing and sweat the sh*t out of Parade."

I would cry. PLEASE.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:39pm

After his shockingly great performance in the 2015 concert production, I don't want to see anyone but Jeremy Jordan in a Parade revival.

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:39pm

Casting someone like him would probably be the only way a revival of PARADE would happen so I'd be down for it. The part is pretty vocally demanding though and while I enjoyed DanRad's voice in HOW TO SUCCEED, I just don't think it could handle HOW CAN I CALL THIS HOME?, COME UP TO MY OFFICE, THIS IS NOT OVER, and ALL THE WASTED TIME eight times a week. Acting wise, I'd think he'd be pretty stellar though. 

Subjective physical traits aside, I would love Megan Hilty as Lucille. Or, if we're still going with stunt casting, I would find Anna Kendrick to be a very interesting Lucille. 

After that concert version, Joshua Henry would NEED to be Jim Conley, hands down. 

That score eight times a week though... not for those performers who sporadically appear on stage.

[markypoo]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:44pm

Right now inside my head I'm seeing Daniel perform Come Up To My Office and pulling it off flawlessly!

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:46pm

I could definitely see Daniel in the role. While he probably can't do it 8 times a week he could do it 6 times. 

Does anyone know if the mark taper/donmar  production had any chance of transferring to Broadway? It looked like a nice production and TR was pretty famous at the time and is still so a little bit.

[cknick]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:51pm

I LOVE the Donmar recording, but never thought Bertie Carvel had the greatest voice (and he is excellent but I wouldn't compare his voice to a Groff or Jordan).  I always thought of it as more of an acting role.  But the score is very demanding, that's for damn sure.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:53pm

There was talk of transferring the Donmar/Taper Forum production, but I don't think it ever seriously got off the ground. The show is a tough sell for a commercial run, even with a star.

[markypoo]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 12:58pm

But he seems to be selling well enough in an oddity like Privacy.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 1:18pm

Privacy is playing a limited run at a small theater with a membership base. (It's also playing in the summer when there are fewer theater options). It's not the same as a commercial Broadway run of a musical.

[Sprinkles2]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 1:25pm

I thought this said Leo Bloom for a second. Which may not actually be a bad idea...

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 1:28pm

Not exactly going to put butts in the seats...but can we have a revival starting Jeremy Jordan and Carmen Cusack?

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 1:36pm

What about Josh Groban as Leo?

[newintown]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 1:38pm

It seems unlikely that Parade would receive a commercial revival; even the original production was nonprofit, and only ran 85 performances (despite winning a Tony for Best Score, admittedly with no real competition).

I say "unlikely" rather than "impossible;" there's been an odd mini-trend of producers thinking that they can "fix" flops and make them profitable (Side Show, Gigi, Carrie, Jekyll and Hyde, etc.), but with no success.

In fact, I think that there are only two revivals that have run longer than their original productions: Mornings At Seven and Chicago (whose original production was not, despite popular opinion, a flop).

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 1:43pm

A revival of Parade is my dream but I don't know if Radcliffe can really sing it the way I want to hear it. I agree with givesmevoice, I think he'd be a wonderful Leo Frank in a non-musical version of the story. After hearing Jeremy Jordan sing it so flawlessly (and after years of listening to Brent Carver's beautiful vocals on the original recording), I don't know that I want to hear it done less than brilliantly. I adore Radcliffe in general and thought he was utterly wonderful in How to Succeed, but the difference between the vocal ability the parts require is huge. 

If a revival of Parade were to ever happen, I highly doubt it would be done commercially. Perhaps Lincoln Center can tackle it again, and cast Kate Baldwin as Lucille, please. 

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 1:47pm

In fact, I think that there are only two revivals that have run longer than their original productions: Mornings At Seven and Chicago (whose original production was not, despite popular opinion, a flop).

This, on its face, just sounds wrong. Off the top of my head, Boeing Boeing, both revivals of A Delicate Balance, and the LaPaglia A View From the Bridge all ran far longer than their originals; I'm sure there are others.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 1:47pm

I'd love to see him as Leo BLOOM, as someone mentioned. 

Also, while we're at it, I just want to put out there that my long-standing DanRad dreamcast is for him to play Hamlet. I think he would be an excellent Hamlet. Someday...

[newintown]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 2:04pm

"This, on its face, just sounds wrong. Off the top of my head, Boeing Boeing, both revivals of A Delicate Balance, and the LaPaglia A View From the Bridge all ran far longer than their originals; I'm sure there are others."

Yes, you're definitely right about Boeing Boeing - that revival ran almost 200 performances longer than the true flop original (I don't think it turned a profit, though). The first revival of A Delicate Balance ran 53 more performances than the original; the second revival, however, ran 24 fewer performances. The LaPaglia View ran 90 more performances than the original; the other three revivals did not exceed the original's 149 performance run.

The only one I would call "far longer" would be Boeing. But still, this doesn't really change the argument that converting a flop into a hit is really unlikely, despite the excessively romantic allure of the idea.

Updated On: 8/11/16 at 02:04 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/11/16 at 2:26pm

The first revival of A Delicate Balance ran 53 more performances than the original; the second revival, however, ran 24 fewer performances.

Actually, we are both wrong. The original production and the Glenn Close revival both ran exactly 144 performance (including previews and regular performances). I agree with you on principle that it's exceedingly rare to change a flop to a hit, though it's certainly not impossible. But it seems to happen more commonly in other art forms (one need only consider how many works in the standard operatic repertory were poorly received initially).