Theater review: Lies, lynchings and love fuel the musical parade

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parade

When: Until April 13

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Where: 191 Alejandro St.

Tickets and information: From $43 at raincitytheatre.com

Some of the best stage musicals dramatize some of the worst scenarios: the tragedy of the star-crossed lovers of West Side Story, the miserable lives of the downtrodden in Les Miz. What redeems them are monumental stories, good music and songs, vital characters, excellent performances and love.

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The unlikely subject of Parade, now playing at Vancouver’s Raincity Musical Theatre, is a real-life lynching in 1915. Alfred Uhry’s book, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, tells the story of Jewish New Yorker Leo Frank, who worked as a supervisor at his uncle’s pencil factory in Atlanta, who was convicted of what was likely fabricated evidence for the murder of a young girl. . He was sentenced to death and hanged by a mob after his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Originally produced in 1998 and successfully revived. on Broadway Last year’s Parade does not lack contemporary resonance in its political extremism and corruption, anti-Semitism and racism. Director Chris Adams’ ambitious Raincity production features a six-piece band with a cast of 20 performing on a small stage in the middle of the audience. in a Gastown store. Although successful on multiple levels, the production has to overcome acoustic problems, in addition to a cold protagonist and a rather dark and cynical script.

We find Leo (Josh Epstein) complaining about what he considers the primitive South. “This college-educated Yankee,” he complains, “he lives in a world that time forgot.” The play begins with the townspeople celebrating the glorious Confederate defeat 50 years earlier. Leo doesn’t even find much comfort in his lovely Southern wife Lucille (Miranda MacDougall), unlike young lovers Frankie (Zac Bellward) and Mary (Alina Fenrick).

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When Mary is found murdered in the factory, Leo is arrested along with Newt (Ivy Charles), the Black night watchman. District Attorney Dorsey (Warren Kimmel) is eager for Leo to be convicted because “hanging another Nigra isn’t enough.” Governor Slaton (Tainui Kuru) and anti-Semitic firebrand Tom Watson (Victor Hunter) pressure him further, along with a local reporter who smells a good story.

At the trial, Dorsey obtains false testimony from Minnie (Alexis Hope), the Franks’ maid. three factory girls and janitor Jim Conley (Ricardo Pequenino) to frame Leo. This is where the strength and love of his wife Lucille almost saves the day. She convinces the governor to reinterview the false witnesses, most of whom recant. This section has the best singing in the show. MacDougall’s Lucille shows off her power and a lovely soprano, and Pequenino’s Conley provides chained dynamite-style blues counterpoint.

Because the story is historically true, we know how it will end. But at least Leo and Lucille have one last moment of grace in a beautiful love duet.

The show has other strong musical elements, including Kimmel’s rich baritone, the voices of Bellward, Charles and Hope, and choral director Dawn Pemberton’s choral arrangements. But musical director Sean Bayntum has sometimes misjudged his singers’ ability to outperform the band’s accompaniment, especially his drums and horns. Even sitting in the second row, six feet from the three-sided stage, I often couldn’t hear the lyrics unless the singer was looking directly at me.

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Although the production has no actual dancing, kudos to choreographer Nicol Spinola and director Adams for perfectly maneuvering the large cast through the small space. Nice period costumes also by Christina Sinosich.

Parade lacks the charisma of the great musicals, as well as their moving arias. But its clever script coupled with Raincity’s adventurous staging and strong performances make it a highlight of Vancouver’s spring season.

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