Jason Robert Brown & Alfred Uhry talk PARADE

Posted: 3/8/16 at 12:09pm

    Last night, Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry discussed their musical PARADE with journalist Steve Oney (author of a book about Leo Frank) and moderator Julie Bernstein, during a special program that mixed live performances with a panel discussion at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, near Battery Park.

    The museum just opened an exhibit about Leo Frank, who they say is the only Jew ever lynched in America.  Bernstein asked Brown if he thought the story told in PARADE still had any relevance today, more than a century later, and he said yes, mentioning unnamed racist demagogues currently running for office.

    Uhry revealed a very personal connection to the story: his relatives owned the pencil factory where the murder took place.  Both Uhry and Oney said they knew or met with many of the descendants of people on both sides of the story.

    During breaks in the discussion, Brown conducted the band while Stephanie J Block (Lucille) and Sebastian Arcelus (Leo) led an ensemble that sang eight or nine of the songs from the score.  Standouts were Leo and the three factory girls (Allie Trimm, Caitlin Houlihan, & Caitlin Kinnunen) dueling on "Come Up to My Office" and Leo and Lucille sweetly embracing during "All the Wasted Time."
 

An Evening on Parade

Updated On: 3/8/16 at 12:09 PM

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 3/8/16 at 12:46pm

Not sure how you can mention "standouts" and not mention how truly incredible Stephanie was as Lucille.

Posted: 3/8/16 at 11:26pm

 

Yes, I thought I said their song "All the Wasted Time" was a highlight.  Maybe I should have been clear and said that the act of them singing it together was a highlight.  Anyway, that's them in the photo above and that's Jason Robert Brown just behind Arcelus in this photo flash from TheaterMania.

Updated On: 3/11/16 at 11:26 PM