‘Parade’ Starring Ben Platt, Micaela Diamond Sets Limited Broadway Run
Written by djfrosty on January 10, 2023
Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond will star in Parade on Broadway this spring, reprising their leading roles in the Tony-winning musical following a sold-out New York City Center run.
On Tuesday producers announced the Michael Arden-directed production will open at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre for a limited engagement run starting March 16. Previews will begin on Feb. 21 with a final performance slated for Aug. 6.
“Jason Robert Brown’s and Alfred Uhry’s masterpiece, Parade, is one of the most beloved musicals of the past 25 years. Whenever you mention the show to a theater fan, they light up talking about the first time they saw a production or heard a recording,” producers Seaview and Ambassador Theatre Group said in their own statement. “At City Center, Michael Arden mounted a magnificent production with incandescent performances from Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond that had audiences enraptured. We are overjoyed that we can bring this to Broadway so more people can experience Parade anew.”
The production, written by Pulitzer Prize winner and Academy Award winner Alfred Uhry with music and lyrics by Tony-winner Jason Robert Brown, stars Platt and Diamond as Leo and Lucille Frank, a newlywed Jewish couple already struggling to build a life in the old red hills of Georgia when Leo is accused of an unspeakable crime. It’s an event that propels them both into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice and devotion.
“Twenty-five years ago, we were honored to bring the story of Leo Frank to the musical stage, guided by our visionary director, Hal Prince,” Uhry and Brown said in a statement. “It was an extraordinary gift to watch a whole new audience connect with Parade at City Center under the thrilling direction of a new visionary: Michael Arden. We couldn’t be more grateful that this production is now moving to Broadway, where even more people will get to see Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond deliver phenomenal performances and lead this large and gifted cast.”
After tickets went on sale Tuesday, users trying to buy tickets on Telecharge reported experiencing long wait time and error messages, in part because of demand and also because of the start of the discounted Broadway Week. “After experiencing overwhelming demand for both Parade and Broadway Week, Telecharge service has been restored and tickets are once again on sale. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming audiences to Broadway this winter and beyond,” said a spokesperson from Telecharge.
In its initial Broadway run, the musical — which scored nine Tony nominations and two wins for best book and best original score, was directed by Harold Prince.
“I am delighted that Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown’s musical will be seen by Broadway audiences again after our brief run last fall. Parade has been a seminal piece of theater for me as an artist since it premiered 25 years ago, and to be collaborating with this incredible group of producers, designers, and artists led by the brilliant Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond is truly a dream come true,” Arden said in a statement. “The story of Leo Frank is more important than ever to re-examine, and it is my hope that audiences are both inspired and activated to reflect on both the past failure and the enduring promise of the complicated tapestry we call America.”
Parade‘s creative team includes choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, scenic design by Dane Laffrey, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Heather Gilbert, sound design by Jon Weston and projection design by Sven Ortel. Tom Murray serves as the music director, with Tom Watson heading up hair and wig design and Justin Scribner serving as production stage manager. Telsey + Co and Craig Burns, CSA handled casting.
This is the second show from New York City Center to come to Broadway this year, following Into the Woods, which ran from August 2022 through Jan. 8. Both shows are musical revivals, and therefore would seemingly be considered in the same Tony Awards category. New York City Center’s Encores! program stages concert versions of older musicals for runs of about one to two weeks.
This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.