Parade by Slow Burn Theatre: Review

We attended Saturday evening’s performance of Parade by Slow Burn Theatre. It was an impressive performance.

For starters, the acting and singing were excellent. Lead actor Tom Anello nails the nebbishy Brooklyn Jew as a fish out of water in early 1900s Georgia.

Ann Marie Olson brings warmth to the wife and the two develop their characters’ growth and love, especially in the second act.
There were no weak links in the cast. I’m quickly becoming a fan of Matthew Korinko. He stood out in his supporting role here and was great in their last show, Next to Normal.

Korinko reminds of Jason Alexander (aka George Costanza), somehow more likable even though his character is not. He evokes a substantive feel on the stage.

Despite those solid performances, Jerel Brown stole the show. He played three different parts and two of them in particular were clearly written to showcase someone with talent. His rich voice fit the part well and his vibrant presence bounced into the audience.
The story is dark. There’s no happy Hollywood ending. It’s based on the true story of Leo Frank, who was convicted of a murder under dubious circumstances. His case led to the founding of the Anti-Defamation League. The music, with a Tony-award-winning score, is performed well. Some of the songs are harsh, which fits with the story. But it doesn’t leave many Broadway show tunes you’ll want to sing in the car on the way home. The New York Times had similar concerns about a Los Angeles performance of Parade.
The show appeals most strongly to a Jewish audience and to others interested in ethnic bias. At a key moment Leo sings a Hebrew prayer that makes perfect sense to Jews and probably none to anyone else. That is pretty good demographic targeting for much of Boca Raton. However, the story depicts almost everyone else, mainly white and black southerners, in a negative light.
There was one other minor irritation for me that wouldn’t bother anyone else. The story has Frank’s defense lawyer depicted as doing nothing. It’s a far cry from what really happened as Frank actually had a team of eight lawyers led by Luther Rosser and they put on a vigorous defense. The writer took major liberties with the truth on that, while also eliminating the important role racism against blacks played in the case.
None of these concerns should reflect on Slow Burn Theatre, as their performance of the show was spot on.
Performances are held at West Boca High School. Showtimes are 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 pm on Sundays through February 9th.
Full disclosure: As members of the press, we were provided two free passes to the performance.