Youth Musical Theater Company (YMTC) is staging the award-winning musical, Parade, a show set in 1913 that offers lessons relevant to the present day. It will run July 20–29 at El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater, 540 Ashbury Ave., El Cerrito.
“Parade is a story about one of the most glaring miscarriages of justice in recent American history,” says Director Jennifer Boesing. “It’s also a cautionary tale, a warning against scapegoating, racism, xenophobia, and sensationalism in the media—all issues that we can see playing out in American politics today." She adds, “Underneath these issues, Parade reveals a deeply human lesson about how love and human connection can be forged, even in a climate of intolerance—a story that needs to be told now more than ever. Theater has the power to change hearts and minds, and the young artists at the heart of YMTC take their role as storytellers very seriously.”
Parade tells the true story of Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jew living in Georgia. Frank is put on trial for the murder of thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan, a factory worker he employed. Already deemed guilty in the eyes of everyone around him, Frank suffered the added consequences of sensationalist news stories and a janitor's false testimony. His only defenders were a governor with a conscience and, eventually, his assimilated Southern wife, who finds the strength and love to become his greatest champion.
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The book was written by Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy), and the music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, The Bridges of Madison County). Parade premiered on Broadway in 1998 and won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score, and six Drama Desk Awards. Brown re-worked the show and the orchestrations in 2007 for a revival at the Donmar Warehouse in London, which is the version YMTC will be performing.
The show features a cast of over thirty performing arts students (ages 13 to 21) from cities throughout the Bay Area. The young cast is led by a team of professional directors, designers, and musicians, including Boesing and Music Director David Möschler. The production features a 25-piece orchestra playing the updated arrangements from the 2007 Donmar Warehouse, London production.
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PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, 7/20, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, 7/21, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, 7/22, 2:00 p.m. (includes post-show conversation)
Friday, 7/27, 7:30 p.m. (Pay-What-You-Can performance, cash only, at the box office.)
Saturday, 7/28, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, 7/29, 2:00 p.m.
Tickets are available online at http://www.ymtcbayarea.org or at the door one hour before curtain. Ticket prices are $15–$28, with discounts for students, seniors, military, teachers, and groups.
Parade examines adult themes, depicts acts of violence, and is not recommended for children.