Local Production Of Tony Award-Winning ‘Parade’ Launches In North Jersey

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Pixie Dust Players. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The Pixie Dust Players’ production of “Parade,” the Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown musical, is taking the stage at the JCC Metrowest from Feb. 13 through Feb. 22. The production tells the story of the 1913 trial and imprisonment and 1915 lynching of Jewish American Leo Frank in Georgia.

In 1913, Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jew living in Georgia, is put on trial for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan, a factory worker under his employ. Already guilty in the eyes of everyone around him, a sensationalist publisher and a janitor's false testimony seal Leo's fate. His only defenders are a governor with a conscience and, eventually, his assimilated Southern wife who finds the strength and love to become his greatest champion.

The musical premiered on Broadway in December 1998 and won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score and six Drama Desk Awards.

The Pixie Dust production features cast members from Morris, Essex, Hunterdon, Union, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, Bergen, Passaic and Warren Counties in New Jersey and Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York.

The show tackles religious intolerance, political injustice and racial tension, while exploring the endurance of love and hope against all the odds.

"Pixie Dust Players always produces work that is story driven, and aims to leave the audience with an experience they will never forget," Director and Choreographer Matthew Dranzik said.

The book by acclaimed playwright Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) and a rousing, colorful and haunting score by Jason Robert Brown (Songs For a New World, The Last Five Years, Bridges of Madison County), allows Parade to be a moving examination of the darkest corners of America's history. And a history that might not be as far in the past as one might assume.

"Parade drew me in because it challenges both artists and audiences to confront history honestly, while also being urgently relevant today. It’s a powerful reminder that storytelling isn’t just about entertainment," Dranzik said. "It’s about remembrance, accountability, and empathy. It is a fearless production that refuses to look away and through its complexities, lies deep humanity."

Parade the Musical is recommended for ages 13 and up. Themes include injustice, prejudice, and references to violence. Audience discretion is advised.

The show runs from Feb. 13, Feb. 14, Feb. 20 and Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 15 and Feb. 22 at 2 p.m., at the JCC Metrowest 760 Northfield Ave Suite 210A in West Orange.

Tickets can be purchased online here.

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