Sammie Purcell

“Kimberly Akimbo” has a fine line to walk, navigating a tricky balance of humor and tragedy. The show, which is playing at the Fox Theatre through Oct. 19, doesn’t always nail that balance. But this particular production features excellent performances that smooth out most of those kinks, proving that when the show falls into the right hands, it can move past the page.

People often see musicals as a means of escape, a way to forget about the real world for a little while. But ‘Parade’ asks us to remember. The trial of Leo Frank was highly publicized at the time, and the show calls attention to reality through enlarged photos and newspaper clippings splashed on a screen behind the action. When a new character is introduced, we see photos of their real life counterparts. When the action moves to a new location, the set stays the same, but the photograph changes. The use of screens in theater has historically been a touchy one for this critic, but here, the photographs serve as a reminder that this all really happened. The set itself stays in its courtroom formation for the show’s entire run, a wooden platform surrounded by chairs where cast members sit and silently watch the horror unfold, but do nothing to stop it."

Not only did the vocal prowess of each performer stand out during their individual songs, but their vocal tone always fit neatly with their character. As Sophie, Weaver sounds like Broadway’s version of a pop princess, and Sherrill turns Donna into a warbling former diva who can’t help but let the drama out every now and again.