Review: Powerful PARADE from Sound Theatre Company

In any given show you usually have the good guys and the bad guys. The people you identify with as being in the right and those in the wrong. But even when some people are clearly wrong it's possible to see why they react the way they do if the performances are strong enough. Such is the case with Sound Theatre Company's current production of "Parade" as the performances throughout are so clear and so strong that even those doing despicable and abhorrent things can seem reasonable, at least within their own ideologies.

Based on a true story, the Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown musical focuses on Leo Frank (Jeff Orton), a Yankee Jew who has moved to Georgia in the 1910's with his new Georgia wife Lucille (Tori Spero) to work as the supervisor of a pencil factory. When one of the young girls who works in the factory shows up dead in the basement, the mob mentality of the locals along with the remaining distrust of the northerners points the blame to the outsider Leo.

The events of racial stereotyping, mob rule and trying people in the court of public opinion is all too familiar today even though these events occurred over 100 years ago and that's what director Troy Wageman and his team have beautifully tapped into. But beyond the relevance of the piece, Wageman and his cast have managed to focus on the emotion of the people at the heart of the story making their actions almost seem rational and making the story all that much more engaging. And when that emotion and storytelling is combined with the wonderful music direction of Nathan Young and the fluidly woven choreography of Scott Brateng what amounts is a stunner of a show.

The ensemble manage to inhabit these characters with ease and sound amazing in their roles. Brian Lange turns in an awesome performance as the District Attorney doing the majority of the railroading. Justin Carrell makes his devout Tom Watson quite terrifying in his beliefs. Jordan Jackson and Ann Cornelius manage some wonderful scenes as the Governor and his wife and Cornelius pulls in some heartbreaking double duty as the victim's Mother especially with her stirring "My Child Will Forgive Me". Delaney Guyer and Ben Wynant as the victim Mary and her young suitor Frankie make for an adorable couple which only makes Frankie's subsequent grief and pain all the more palpable. And DeSean Halley brings in a deliciously duplicitous character in Jim Conley.

But it's Orton and Spero who truly shine as the victimized husband and wife. Spero brings in a strength and assuredness to the role that perfectly counterbalances Orton's meek, fish out of water character and the two have amazing chemistry together. And special kudos to Orton or tackling a role that is quite different from the ones I've seen him in and turning in a subtle yet quite powerful performance.

I'd caught the larger production of the show when the 5th Avenue did it years ago and this production will be the one that will stick with me with it's more intimate and hard hitting air. And so with my three letter rating system I give Sound Theatre Company's "Parade" a solid YAY. They took on a difficult and resonant story and managed it with honesty and heart and it deserves to be seen.

"Parade" from Sound Theatre Company performs at 12th Avenue Arts through March 26th. For tickets or information visit them online at www.soundtheatrecompany.org.

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