“It’s great to see how a historical event actually comes around and can teach us lessons today even when we’re looking at the past,” says Mike Artis about Parade, a musical by Jason Robert Brown. “There are different social aspects to this. It does deal with racism. It deals with anti-Semitism. It deals with social injustice. It deals with so many different topics that are relevant today, political corruption and social media of the time, which was newspaper, influencing people's decisions and creating an outcome that wasn't always fair.” Artis directs Parade at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, opening on the mainstage on Friday, Mar 14. Artis, lead actor Jordan Bruner, and music director Marie Kerstetter joined Cara Lieurance to talk about the production.
Jordan Bruner, a Western Michigan University music composition student, plays the lead role of Leo Frank, in a story taken from true life. “Playing Leo is a very daunting task,” Bruner said. “When there's as much history to a show as this one, it's hard not to research every little thing you can about it to make sure you're doing it as accurately as possible.” Frank, a Jewish American factory supervisor, was falsely accused of murder in a small Georgian town in 1913. He was sentenced to life but then killed by a mob. In the musical, his deepening relationship with his wife Lucille is an important storyline.
Music director Marie Kerstetter emphasized the genius of Jason Robert Brown’s score, drawing parallels to the works of Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein. “This is like a conglomeration of musical madness," she says.
“You’ll be moved by the fact that we’re repeating history in ways,” Artis concludes. “We see a lot of similarities, but you’ll also be moved by this lovely, wonderful love story.”
The show runs for two weekends only, beginning Mar 14. For tickets and more information, visit the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre website.
