Theatre review: Raincity Theatre's Parade still resonates with chilling effect
True story of Jewish-American lynched in 1915 sees a strong and heartbreaking staging in a historic Gastown bank
Josh Epstein as Leo Frank in Raincity Theatre’s production of Parade. Photo by Nicol Spinola
Raincity Theatre presents Parade at 191 Alexander Street to April 13
THE TRUE STORY of Jewish American Leo Frank’s wrongful murder conviction and lynching in 1915 in Marietta, Georgia is bone-chilling, heartbreaking, and fascinating.
These events are dramatized in the Tony Award-winning musical Parade, which originally premiered in 1998. Raincity Theatre, known for its audience-immersive productions of Broadway musicals, has made the brave decision to tackle Parade—a difficult feat because of its subject matter, twists and turns, and sophisticated score by Jason Robert Brown. With creativity and skill, and immense talent on- and offstage, Raincity has succeeded in bringing Parade to life in a way that honours the show’s messaging and music, and will leave audiences on the edge of their seats and deliberating story elements long after this compelling two-act musical is over.
Audiences enter the site-specific venue of 191 Alexander Street in Gastown, which once served as a bank in the early 1900s, with complete brick walls, tall wooden beams, and American flags strewn everywhere. Taking a seat in the mismatched wooden chairs surrounding the thrust stage evokes the feeling of being at a town hall in the early 1900s American South—and that’s exactly the point of Ryan Cormack’s immersive set. As an audience member, you’ve stepped back in time and you’re going to witness the show’s story as if you’re one of the locals.
In the book by Alfred Uhry, we first meet a young soldier (Zac Bellward) bidding farewell to his girlfriend before going off to fight in the American Civil War. Moments later, we’ve fast-forwarded many years, now seeing the soldier as an old man (Stephen Aberle), still professing his same Confederate pride. This opening not only introduces us to Brown’s intricately thoughtful lyrics and sweeping melodies—delivered by the strong voices of Bellward and Newman—but it also demonstrates the Southern patriotic pride that will later be twisted into a weapon against Leo Frank.
When we meet Leo (Josh Epstein), he’s disaffected with the Memorial Day hoopla, coldly rejecting his wife Lucille’s (Miranda MacDougall) plans for a picnic. Instead, he resolves to spend the day working at his job as a superintendent at the National Pencil Factory. When 13-year-old employee Mary Phagan (Alina Fenrick) is found murdered in the basement the next day, Leo is among the suspects. Amid public outrage and mounting pressure for the state to make a conviction in the case, and wanting to make a stronger statement than hanging yet another African American for a murder, corrupt prosecutor Hugh Dorsey (Warren Kimmel) pushes for Leo’s conviction.
What ensues is a three-ring circus in every respect. The audience finds itself in the courtroom, as actors intermix and the focal point shifts around the room. And while the verdict is made at the end of Act One, the second act dives beneath the surface as Lucille convinces Governor Slaton (Tainui Kuru) to re-question witnesses and try to uncover the real truth.
Director Chris Adams and choreographer Nicol Spinola have designed an intriguing experience that feels like a true crime podcast is happening around you. Their concept also makes great use of the space, with a highly skilled orchestra under the baton of music director Sean Bayntun stationed up in the balcony. Without the use of mikes, we’re treated to the cast’s fine voices unmodified as they sing up-close-and-personal at audience level.
Epstein’s uptight and emotionally reserved portrayal of Leo in the first act entertains the plausibility of his involvement in the crime, and the development between him and MacDougall in the second act is deeply touching. While both offer outstanding performances, the show is written so that the weight of its emotional effect lies in the delivery of Lucille’s character, who has a fully developed arc. And thankfully, MacDougall is phenomenal as Lucille. From the nuanced inner dialogue of “What Am I Waiting For?” to the emotionally raw “You Don’t Know This Man”, we see Lucille develop from a “mousey housewife”, as referred to by reporter Britt Craig, into an unapologetic and strong survivor of unthinkable events. MacDougall delivers all of this with excellent vocal control and musicality, and sincere storytelling ability.
Special mention must be made to Ivy Charles, Alexis Hope, and Ricardo, who portray the African-American characters. This show does not shy away from illustrating some of the terrible injustice Black Americans in the South were subject to. In turn, Charles, Hope, and Ricardo showcase formidable bravery and character commitment.
This production is minimal on props and set, which means we rely on the staging and dialogue to figure things out. For the most part, this works fine, with only a few scenes where things aren’t clear, such as the opening transition of the young soldier into the old man, or the fact that Mary and her suitor Frankie Epps are riding a trolley car during their duet. Because some actors play multiple characters, there could be stronger indicators at some points about who is who.
Those quibbles never overshadow the importance of this show right now. The aftermath of the story’s events sparked both the formation of the Anti-Defamation League (a Jewish Civil Rights organization), as well as the revival of the KKK. Anti-Semitism is a major theme in the show, and during the 2023 Broadway revival, neo-Nazi supporters rallied outside the theatre in protest of the production. For these and many more reasons, Parade’s commentary on racial and religious intolerance, not to mention corrupt governance, still resonates with chilling effect—and shows why stories like this need to continue to be told. Raincity Theatre’s Parade bravely stands its ground. 
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