Interview: Theatre Life with Talia Suskauer

Today’s subject Talia Suskauer is currently living her theatre life on tour playing the role of Lucille Frank in the Jason Robert Brown/Alfred Uhry modern day musical theatre masterwork Parade. The tour will make it’s final stop in the Eisenhower Theater at Kennedy Center from August 19th to September 7th.

Talia is probably best known for playing Elphaba in the Broadway and touring versions of Wicked, but her talents are not limited to just that one show. Her other stage credits include Be More Chill (Broadway and Signature Theater), Sunday in The Park with George at Axelrod PAC playing the role of Dot, Gypsy at Goodspeed Opera House playing Louise, The Secret Garden in the role of Lily, and Little Women in the role of Jo.

You might have seen her in an episode of FBI: Most Wanted and look for her in the 2026 release of 31 Candles.

Talia has also had the pleasure of performing at Carnegie Hall and also doing solo shows all around the country.

Talia is one of those talents that never ceases to amaze an audience. As you will read, she considers Parade to be one of her favorite shows to perform. As many performers have a jaded outlook on things, that definitely speaks volumes for the work.

Parade is one of those shows that should be seen by everyone for many reasons. I highly urge you to make it only about the art and “Go on, go on, go on, go on” to see it when it begins performances here at Kennedy Center next week. The material tells a story you shouldn’t ever forget.

From “Defying Gravity” to “You Don’t Know This Man” Talia’s versatility is a true force to be reckoned with for sure. She is absolutely living her theatre life to the fullest.

Did you know as a child that you wanted to become a performer?

Yes! As far back as I can remember, I have always been drawn to performing. From watching my older cousin in her high school musicals to listening to cast albums on car rides, I was surrounded by theatre and music. I was a very dramatic kid, and my parents encouraged me to funnel that energy into singing lessons and dance classes, which I did! 

Where did you receive your training?

My training started very young. My voice teacher growing up in Florida who I credit with helping me find my voice through all of its changes was Craig Wich. My acting training pre-college I credit to Jennifer Yormak at Starstruck Theatre in Stuart, FL, where I cut my teeth doing about 20 shows throughout high school. I then went to Penn State where I earned my BFA in Musical Theatre.

What was your first professional performing gig?

I’d consider my first professional gig to be the summer I spent as an acting intern at the New London Barn Playhouse, the summer after my freshman year in college. The first show we did was Gypsy— I played Mazeppa, one of the strippers. The next show was The Sound of Music— so I was a nun at rehearsal during the day, and a stripper at night. Gotta love summer stock.

Can you please tell us something about your character in Parade as well as a brief overview of the show in general?

Parade is the true story of Leo and Lucille Frank. The show takes place in Atlanta in 1913 and follows the aftermath of the murder of 13 year old factory worker Mary Phagan, the trial and conviction of Jewish factory manager Leo Frank, and the journey his wife goes on to prove his innocence.

I play Lucille Frank. She finds her strength throughout the course of the show on a journey that has been one of my favorite to go on as an actor

Some would say that the show’s story should never have been musicalized. What do you say to those naysayers?

Come see the show and decide for yourself. I think the music enhances the storytelling— and anyone who walks away a “naysayer” I feel is uncomfortable with being uncomfortable.

You performed the role of Elphaba in Wicked both on Broadway and tour. Are there any similarities of touring in Wicked to touring in Parade? Which show do you find to be more challenging to be on the road with?

I mean, other than leading both shows and touring the country, this is a completely different experience. We are sitting down in places for much shorter lengths of time with Parade than we did with Wicked. Playing Elphaba required me to really center my life around preservation and making sure I could do the show at night due to the demand of the role, and I find I do not have to do that with Lucille. It’s a more freeing experience, and I find that I can really enjoy the touring experience more.

You were part of the Broadway company of Be More Chill. The show had, in my opinion, an undeserved short run despite having a following from its fans. Why do you think that show did not have a longer run on Broadway?

I think there is all this pressure on shows to “move to Broadway”, this idea that a show isn’t fully cooked or hasn’t reached its full potential until it has a Broadway run. I think BMC is the perfect example, in my opinion, of a show I don’t feel should’ve moved to Broadway. I say this carefully because I am so beyond grateful to have made my Broadway debut with the show. However, I think the thing that made the show so special— that little spark that made thousands of fans feel so connected to it that it resurrected in 2018, was lost when we moved to Broadway.

Our Off-Broadway run at the Signature Theater felt perfect— it was a small house, packed every night to the brim, and housed our weird little show perfectly. I think moving to big corporate Broadway was not the move. I think we could’ve run forever off-Broadway. But what do I know?

What do you enjoy the most about performing the words of Alfred Uhry and the score of Jason Robert Brown as you take Parade across the country?

When you have words and music like the ones we have in Parade, you don’t have to work nearly as hard as you have to. This is a rarity— all we have to do is sing and speak and inhabit as truthfully as we can. There is not an ounce of fat in this script/score, and to change anything about it would be criminal. This feels like a once, maybe a twice in a career moment where you get to be in a show that is so perfect, so I don’t take a single show for granted.

As DC is the last tour stop for Parade, what is next for you in 2025 and into 2026?

Not sure— hopefully a COMEDY!

Special thanks to Kennedy Center's brand new Director of Public Relations Emily Flower for her assistance in coordinating this interview.