Review: PARADE at Ahmanson Theatre

When PARADE debuted on Broadway in December 1998 it won Tonys for Best Book and Best Original Score and six Drama Desk Awards. The 2023 revival was nominated for six Tony Awards itself, winning two. Now touring, the show, based on a true story, is in Los Angeles through July 12. And while it takes place 1913–1915, it is still just as relevant today as it was a century ago.

A newly married Jewish couple, Leo (Max Chernin) and Lucille (Talia Suskauer), reside in Atlanta, and while Lucille is content there, Leo misses life in the northeast. When a child turns up raped and murdered in Leo’s office building, the police — and the city’s denizens — turn on two primary suspects: a Black man, Newt Lee (Robert Knight), and the Jewish man, Leo. The ensuing trial, in both the literal court as well as the court of public opinion, is an ugly morass of racism, antisemitism, and theatrical politics. (The real-life story led to the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan and the launch of the Anti-Defamation League.)

With a book by Tony, Pulitzer Prize, and Academy Award winner Alfred Uhry and music and lyrics by three-time Tony winner Jason Robert Brown and its literally ripped-from-the-headlines story, this should be a slam dunk. The problem is that the story, and thus the cast, is so bloated, it’s difficult to track. It would land much more powerfully if it had been trimmed, both characters and songs. Another problem is that the music doesn’t really pop. There’s a lot of it, but not much is memorable, which ends up being true for the characters as well. There are so many, it’s hard for them to stand out. It also means many of them are so thinly characterized, they’re not fully realized, so there’s no significant connection to them, no emotional tie. If a third of the musical acts had been scuttled, PARADE would buzz with electricity, making the pacing and the story that much more effective.

Director Michael Arden does a fantastic job with his performers, all of whom are extraordinary. It’s quite a rush when they all come together under the music supervision of Tom Murray, music direction of Charlie Alterman, and music coordination of Kimberlee Wertz. Tony nominee Dane Laffrey’s tri-level scenic design is creative and effective, but it makes the stage seem crowded, especially with such a large ensemble. Co-costume designers Susan Hilferty and Mark Koss have created exquisite clothing, the quality jumping off the stage like it’s in 3D. Choreographers Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant make great use of the stage, especially considering how large the set is and how many performers need to utilize it.

The story PARADE tells is a meaningful one that most do not know, but it would have much more impact if it had been streamlined.

Photos by Joan Marcus

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