Married actors dig into poignant and tragic love story in musical ‘Parade’

Heather and Craig Weiskerger met and started falling in love during rehearsals for a 2007 production of “Oklahoma” at the Manatee Players. It has been more than 10 years since they last shared the stage in the musical “I Do! I Do!” at the Golden Apple Dinner Theatre, other than for a concert or a reading.

But they will be celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary doing what they love, performing together in poignant, challenging and timely musical “Parade,” which is based on a true story.

Craig Weiskerger plays Leo Frank, a New York-born Jewish businessman who manages a pencil factory in 1913 Atlanta before he is charged with the murder of one of the young women who worked for him, Mary Phagan. The case was closely followed by a community and touched on anti-semitism and prejudice.

Heather Weiskerger plays Leo’s Southern Jewish wife, Lucille, whose initially tentative relationship with her husband grows stronger through the accusations, defense, the hatred and court trials.

“These are bucket list roles for both of us,” Heather said. “Theaters don’t do shows like this very often, for understandable reasons. We’re glad it resurfaced on Broadway last year and got more attention because it’s an incredible show.”

The musical was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Alfred Uhry (the author of “Driving Miss Daisy” and “The Last Night at Ballyhoo”) and three-time Tony Award-winning songwriter Jason Robert Brown, who also created “The Last Five Years,” “The Bridges of Madison County” and “Songs From a New World.”

“Parade” returned to Broadway last year in a Tony Award-winning revival, opening at a time of increasing anti-semitic attacks around the country. Some audience members were met by protestors outside the theater during the run.

The show is not often produced, particularly in community theaters, because it can be a hard sell to audiences who prefer lighter and more familiar musicals.

“This is probably the darkest piece I’ve ever done, but I have always wanted to do it ever since it opened at Lincoln Center,” said director Scott Keys. The former director of the theater program at Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Center, Keys said he used the show for a script analysis class. “It was the one musical that really has stuff to analyze. I have revisited it several times over the years when I was teaching it. It’s so rich.”

It also can be emotionally wrenching for audiences and for the performers.

“I have never really done a dramatic musical. I’ve always done jukebox musicals or more lighthearted and fun shows, and I wanted something meatier to sink my teeth into,” said Craig, who last starred at the Manatee Players in a 2017 production of “The Producers.” “Jason Robert Brown writes shows with a lot of depth. I love his musicals in general. He’s a brilliant composer.”

Heather said the hard work involved in preparing for the show is rewarding. “This is hopefully one of those shows that will expand your horizons and help you gain more respect for everyone in the world. That’s what I hope people will take away from it. Yes, it is emotionally trying to watch and be part of it, but I hope everyone grows from that.”

A story of hope

Keys has stressed to the cast that the musical features a thread of hope through the story “that makes you want to keep watching,” Heather said. “We already know it’s tragic, but there’s hope. It’s fascinating to see Leo and Lucille’s love story through the trying ordeals they went through.”

Keys said Brown’s “beautiful, inventive score” helps tell a story “about the relationship that transpires between these two people. It centers around a love story, two people falling in love because of a tragedy that befalls them. There is a mystery to it, but there’s something very compelling about the mystery and the politics and the cynicism that surrounds this story, which is ultimately about a young girl who is murdered.”

The murder of Mary Phagan, the pencil factory employee, has never been solved.

Arts Newsletter: Sign up to receive the latest news on the Sarasota area arts scene every Monday

World premiere: 1950s Florida murder case inspires home-grown, original musical at Westcoast Black Theatre

“I’ve read almost more than I want to about this trial and it shows how the media and politcs overwhelmed the actual tragedy, which is the murder of a young girl and how it was used for political gain,“ Keys said. “There is anti-semitism, white supremacy. It’s a very ugly subject. But it really reflects the times we are in right now, more than I realized it was going to.”

Emily Croome is serving as musical director. The large cast also includes Kila Sons as Mary Phagan, Tim Spradlin as the governor who launches an investigation into the case, and Terry Spann as Jim Conley, who Keys says is the most likely person to have committed the murder, based on much of the research available.

While the show was first produced 26 years ago, Keys said the subject “resonates now with what is going on in the world in terms of anti-semitism, political unrest and how all these politicians glom onto a murder case for political gain.”

‘Parade’

Book by Alfred Uhry, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Scott Keys. Runs March 7-17, Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave., West, Bradenton. Tickets are $33-$38. 941-748-5875; manateeperformingartscenter.com

Follow Jay Handelman on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Contact him at jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com. And please support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tony-winning musical ‘Parade’ steps off at Manatee Players