Show guide
Parade
Parade dramatizes the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager in 1913 Atlanta who was wrongly convicted of murder and later lynched.
- Broadway premiere
- 1998
- Music by
- Jason Robert Brown
- Genre
- Drama
- Setting
- 1910s
Parade: quick answers
What is Parade about?
- Parade dramatizes the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory superintendent in Atlanta who was convicted of murdering 13-year-old employee Mary Phagan in 1913 and lynched in 1915, and of his wife Lucille's fight to save him.
When did Parade open on Broadway?
- Parade opened on Broadway on December 17, 1998, at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater and closed on February 28, 1999, after 85 performances. Its 2023 revival with Ben Platt at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.
What kind of musical is Parade?
- Parade is a serious historical drama with an original score by Jason Robert Brown and a book by Alfred Uhry, both of which won Tony Awards. It is a book musical based on a real case, not a comedy.
Where and when is Parade set?
- Parade is set in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia, from 1913 to 1916, opening with a prologue during the Civil War.
Has Parade played in London's West End?
- Parade was staged in London at the Donmar Warehouse in 2007, directed by Rob Ashford, earning Olivier nominations for Bertie Carvel and Lara Pulver.
Is there a Parade movie?
- There is no film of the musical, but the Leo Frank case was dramatized in NBC's 1988 miniseries The Murder of Mary Phagan, with Jack Lemmon as Governor John Slaton and Peter Gallagher as Leo Frank.
The story of Parade
Parade is based on the real 1913 trial of Leo Frank, a factory superintendent accused of murdering thirteen-year-old employee Mary Phagan in Atlanta, Georgia. The show follows Leo and his wife Lucille as a flimsy, prejudiced case builds against him, fueled by antisemitism and a sensationalist press eager for a story, culminating in a wrongful conviction and, ultimately, mob violence.
At its heart, Parade is as much about Leo and Lucille's marriage as it is about the injustice around them, tracing how the ordeal pushes a distant, formal couple into genuine intimacy. It is a somber examination of prejudice, mass hysteria, and the failures of the American justice system, grounded in an actual historical tragedy.
The music and the makers
Jason Robert Brown wrote the music and lyrics, with a book by Alfred Uhry, and the original production was directed by Harold Prince. Brown's score draws on early twentieth-century Southern styles, hymn-like ballads, marches, and gospel-tinged ensemble numbers, to root the story firmly in its place and period.
That historical grounding gives Parade a weightier, more classically dramatic sound than a typical Broadway score, closer to a sung history play, with music used to underscore grief and injustice rather than provide conventional entertainment. It remains one of Brown's most acclaimed and demanding scores.
Parade on Broadway
Parade opened on Broadway in 1998 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, starring Brent Carver as Leo Frank and Carolee Carmello as Lucille Frank. Despite a short original run of under three months, it won Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.
The show has had a long afterlife in regional and international productions, and returned to Broadway in a celebrated 2023 revival directed by Michael Arden, starring Ben Platt as Leo Frank and Micaela Diamond as Lucille, which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and introduced the story to a new generation of theatergoers.
Parade: frequently asked questions
When did Parade open on Broadway?
Parade opened on Broadway in 1998 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.
Who composed Parade?
Jason Robert Brown wrote the music and lyrics, with a book by Alfred Uhry.
What is Parade about?
It dramatizes the true story of Leo Frank, wrongly convicted and later lynched for the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan in Atlanta.
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