“It's such a strange, uncomfortable and painful character to take on, because obviously it's this kind of evil that is so easy for the townspeople to see in him, given his Judaism. And I feel like sort of what I have to offer is being able to create and shape this character as a real three-dimensional human being who is flawed and also deserves justice and fair treatment. And given the anti-Semitism at the moment and always, obviously, I always feel like everybody in any situation has a way that is special to them, to be an activist and to contribute to the conversation, whether that's antisemitism or any kind of oppression. So it's kind of a beautiful way to begin and end to show is this woman finding her Jewish voice.”īen Platt: “As Michela was saying, the nice thing about us being Jews playing these roles is that there's a lot of natural instinctual texture that we bring just based on who we are as people. And so she's kind of surprised by her husband's openness and love for his religion and for using words like meshuga, which she is like, ‘why do we have to speak this foreign language?’ And then her arc of the deniability of her Jewishness. But yeah, Lucille is really assimilated into Southern society, which I think a lot of Jews did at the turn of the century, hoping to create some close proximity to safeness, which could also be considered whiteness at the time. What's kind of lovely about this show is there's researching of the real story, and then there's being the normal detective of a script. “And the neo-Nazis outside of our theater are seeing my picture outside of the theater.” 4 questions with ‘Parade’ stars Ben Platt and Micaela Diamondĭid you research the real Leo and Lucille Frank? Micaela Diamond as Lucille Frank. “I think doing this show, it's been interesting to kind of lean into knowing that I will always be a Jew and people always see me as a Jew,” Diamond says. After backing away from the religious side of her identity throughout her life, Diamond says “Parade” has brought her on a journey of understanding her Jewishness. The revival marks the first time two Jewish actors have portrayed the couple. “I painted my dressing room pink to sort of counteract some of that heaviness.” So there certainly is a weight for all of us when we enter the theater,” Platt says. “I think we have felt, at this moment in time, the gravity. The “hopeful and human love story” between Leo and Lucille Frank brings a sense of beauty to this gut-wrenching story, Platt says. Ben Platt plays Leo Frank in "Parade." (Emilio Madrid) And the show has been the target of Neo-Nazi protesters. The events are a century old, but they feel like they could have happened last week. The revival stars a heartbreaking Ben Platt as Leo Frank opposite an equally powerful Micaela Diamond as his wife, Lucille Frank. “Parade” was written by Alfred Uhry and premiered in 1998. He was tried, convicted, and exonerated - but lynched in prison before he could be released. The show unravels the real-life story of a Jewish man named Leo Frank who was falsely accused of killing a 13-year-old girl in Atlanta 110 years ago. Director Michael Arden won for Best Director. The haunting musical " Parade" took the award for Best Revival of a Musical at Sunday night's Tony Awards. Facebook Email Micaela Diamond and Ben Platt participate in the curtain call during the Broadway opening night for "Parade." (CJ Rivera/Invision/AP)
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