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Leo Frank

Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry Have Unintentionally Become … – Playbill

Tony Awards Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry Have Unintentionally Become Leo Frank Historians

Their musical Parade won the 2023 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.

At the Tony Awards, after the statues are given to the winners, they are taken to the media room, where they speak to journalists about their prizes. Playbill was able to have some one-on-one time with some of the 2023 Tony winners. We spoke withcomposer Jason Robert Brown and book writer Alfred Uhryafter their musical Paradewas named Best Revival of a Musical.

Watch the video above to see Brown and Uhryreact to winning, with the latter remarking,"unbelievable, wonderfulI'm just saying adjectives over and over again."

Speaking more somberly, Brown added that he was surprised to find out that the revivals' stars:Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond, did not know aboutthe Leo Frank case (which the musical dramatizes) before encounteringParade."Ben and Micaela both said that the only reason they know about theLeo Frank case is this musical,"says Brown. "The idea that somehow this responsibility has passedinto our hands to tell this story. It wasvery heavy, and alsovery beautiful."

Adds Uhry:"I'm justdeeply proud as an Atlanta boy thatIgot to be the one to carry it forward."

READ:Parade Has Helped Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond Get Closer to Their Jewish Heritage

The Best Revival win was the production's second of the evening, following Michael Arden's win for Best Director of a Musical.The production came to Broadway following a 2022 run at New York City Center. Much of the cast from that production continued toBroadway, including 2023 Tony nominees Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond as Leo and Lucille Frank, respectively.

Originally directed by Harold Prince, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1998, receiving nine Tony nominations and winning two, for its book (Uhry) and score (Brown).

Brown also wonTonys for Best Orchestrations and Best Original Score for The Bridges of Madison County. Uhry previously won two Tony Awards:for writing the book forParadein 1999, and for his playThe Last Night of Ballyhoo in 1997.

For Playbill's complete coverage of the Tony Awards, visit Playbill.com/Tonys.

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Heather Gershonowitz

Greg Nobile, Alfred Uhry, Jason Robert Brown, and Kristin Caskey

Heather Gershonowitz

Bonnie Milligan and Miriam Silverman

Heather Gershonowitz

Brandon Uranowitz and Patrick Marber

Heather Gershonowitz

Bonnie Milligan and Miriam Silverman

Heather Gershonowitz

Brandon Uranowitz and Patrick Marber

Heather Gershonowitz

Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter

Heather Gershonowitz

Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter

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Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry Have Unintentionally Become ... - Playbill

Leo Frank

Award-winning Broadway shows: Stories of painful Jewish history … – JNS.org

(June 16, 2023 / JNS)

Eight times a week, I watch a Jewish man get lynched on Broadway. Parade actress Micaela Diamond

Two antisemitism-themed Broadway plays, Parade and Leopoldstadt, both recently won several Tony Awards. They portray how deep-seated anti-Jewish hostility combined with disinformation led to tragic results. Heinous historic acts against Jews serve as powerful reminders of what happens when hatred against Jews is allowed to fester.

Parade portrays the true story of American Jew, Leo Frank, and the consequences of unchecked hatred and discrimination. He was a factory manager accused of murdering a 13-year-old Christian girl in Atlanta in 1913. The case received sensationalized national media attention. His trial was marred by a biased investigation, a prejudiced jury and a hostile public sentiment fueled by anti-Jewish propaganda. Despite inconsistencies in the evidence against him, Frank was convicted and sentenced to death.

After public outrage, his sentence was reduced to life in prison. Enraged residents believed that lynch law is a good sign because it shows that a sense of justice lives among the people. They formed a Vigilance Committee, culminating in the abduction and hanging of Frank in 1915. The ringleaders included a former Georgia governor and the mayor of Marietta. In 1986, he was pardoned after a witness came forward and testified to seeing the victims body being carried to the basement by an employee.

During the early 1900s, discrimination against American Jews was endemic across society, reflecting a broader climate of bigotry, racism and intolerance. Jews faced various forms of discrimination, including social exclusion, limited employment opportunities and harmful stereotypes.

While the overt antisemitism of 1913 has somewhat diminished, it is resurgent across America. It was on display in 2023 when a small group of neo-Nazis staged a rally outside the Broadway theater showing Parade, an ironic display of hate underscoring the importance of these portrayals. Ben Platt, the Jewish actor playing Leo Frank, described the scene as definitely very ugly and scary, but a wonderful reminder of why were telling this particular story, and how special and powerful art and particularly theater can be.

In a somber tribute, Parade cast members gather before almost every performance, stand in a circle and say the Mourners Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead. It is an expression of community as we tell this hard story, wrote Diamond, who plays Lucille Frank, the wife of Jewish lynching victim Leo Frank.

Leopoldstadt reveals the devastating consequences of anti-Jewish hatred against individuals and communities. The play by Tom Stoppard is based in part on the experience of his own family. It portrays the lives of a prosperous Jewish family in Vienna and spans the late 19th century to the aftermath of the Holocaust.

The extended family fled pogroms in Eastern Europe and largely assimilated into the local culture; two of them served in World War I against the Allies. None of this mattered when the Nazis took control of Austria to implement Hitlers Final Solution. Many Austrians enthusiastically supported Nazi Germany and cheered its annexation of Austria.

In the mid-1600s, Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann, the rabbi of Vienna, obtained the right for Jews to create a central Jewish community in a Vienna suburb. One hundred years later, the Jews living there were forced to live in a ghetto. Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, forcefully expelled the Jews and destroyed their community, much to the delight of the locals. The remaining residents thanked the emperor by renaming the area Leopoldstadt, Leopolds City. A century later, Jews returned to the area, beforeonce againthe Jewish community was destroyed.

Events in Jewish history parallel todays events. The Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh in October 2018 was the deadliest attack against Jews in American history. The shooter is a white supremacist who believes in deeply anti-Jewish myths and conspiracy theories. He regularly shared social-media posts from Jew-hating bigots and Holocaust deniers.

The trial for the Pittsburgh terrorist attack began on May 30. Rabbi Jeffrey Myers testified that a prayer book with a bullet hole in it is a powerful witness to the horror of the day. One day when Im not there, this book tells a story that needs to be told.

Points to consider:

Broadway plays that delve into Jewish history maintain their relevance today by capturing the timeless essence of Jewish experiences. Whether exploring themes of identity, assimilation or persecution, these plays offer profound insights into the historical struggles of Jews. Unfortunately, the narratives and characters they present serve as a mirror to Jewish lives today, as American Jews are the most targeted religious group. Virtually every day, there are reports about attacks against Jews, including Jewish students living in fear on campus because of their Zionist identity and Jews being assaulted on city streets in broad daylight. The more society changes, the more threats against Jews stay the same.

The Leo Frank story in Parade delivers a forceful reminder that spreading intentionally false messages about Jews continues to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and contribute to prejudice and discrimination. The tragic events surrounding Franks wrongful conviction and lynching in 1915 highlight the devastating consequences of baseless accusations and the dangerous impact of anti-Jewish propaganda. Disinformation is not new; it was prevalent for millennialet alone 100 years ago in Americaand had the same devastating consequences as today, as seen in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre. The destructive power of false narratives shows why it is essential to promote accurate information and encourage critical thinking to combat prejudice.

The multiple Tony Award wins show the power of storytelling and its connection with audiences. The producers, writers and actors deserve credit for tackling these tragic historical accounts to transport hundreds of thousands of viewersJews and non-Jewsback in time to better understand the persecution Jews faced. The plays prove that Jews should always be proud of their identity and heritage, and be proud to tell the stories of Jewish people; clearly, audiences are listening. Parade director Michael Arden described how Leo Franks life was cut short at the hands of the belief that one group of people is more or less valuable than another. Arden warned that it is imperative to learn the lessons of the show, or else we are doomed to repeat the horrors of our history.

Americans must learn about the dark chapters of history, promote tolerance and prevent the repetition of past atrocities. By shining a light on the horrors of the Holocaust and other instances of persecution, the narratives in the Leopoldstadt and Parade Broadway plays serve as powerful reminders of the consequences of hatred, bigotry and discrimination. Through education and understanding, we can challenge prejudice, foster empathy and inspire a commitment to safeguarding human rights. Sharing these stories not only honors the memory of those who suffered but also encourages us to stand up against injustice in all its forms and create a more compassionate and inclusive society.

Leo Frank

Don’t miss these 23 UNCSA alumni connections to 2023 Tony … – UNCSA

Named for actress, stage director and philanthropist Antoinette Perry (1888-1946), who founded the American Theatre Wing, The Tony Awards recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. Held at the United Palace Theater in New York City, the 2023 Tony Awards was unscripted due to the ongoing WGA writers' strike and a historic night with the first openly nonbinary actors to win.

With connections to "Leopoldstadt" and "Parade," which took home top prizes, musical thriller "Sweeney Todd," musical comedy "Some Like it Hot" and more, UNCSA made a strong appearance in the night's award-winning productions.

Here's a list of all the 2023 Tony Award-winning productions with UNCSA connections in alphabetical order.

"Leopoldstadt" won the Tony Award for best play, featured actor in a play, direction in a play and costume design in a play. Regarded by the Wall Street Journal as an "inexpressibly moving, majestic play," "Leopoldstadt" is a passionate drama of love and endurance that begins in the last days of 1899.

Several School of Design & Production alumni have connections to the production, including Brad Peterson(B.F.A. '09), who served as the video programmer, Henry Wilen (B.F.A. '18), who served as the moving light programmer for the play and Tracy Cowit (M.F.A. '16), who served as was the Assistant Sound Engineer on Leopoldstadt.

"Life of Pi" won the Tony Awards for sound design play, lighting design play and scenic design play. Based on Yann Martel's Bestselling Novel, "Life of Pi" is an epic tale of endurance and hope that follows a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi who survives a shipwreck on a lifeboat with the most unlikely of companions: a Royal Bengal tiger.

Several alumni have connections to the production, including School of Dance alumnusMatthew Murphy (H.S. '03) and Design & Production alumni Brad Peterson(B.F.A. '09). Additionally, School of Drama alumni Avery Glymph (B.F.A. '95) played the roles ofFather Martin and Admiral Jackson and Brian Thomas Abraham (B.F.A. '99) played Cook and the voice of Richard Parker in the production.

"New York, New York" won the Tony Awards for scenic design musical. Loosely based on the 1977 film of the same name, "New York, New York" is a glittering love letter to the most fantastic city in the world. The brand-new musical follows a group of New Yorkers who unite to chase their dreams of music, money and love.

Several School of Design & Production alumni have connections to the production, including Johnny Milani (B.F.A. '09) as the production stage manager; Romello Huins (B.F.A. '21) as the assistant scenic designer; JoAnn Battat (B.F.A. '21) as assistant hair supervisor and alumna Rose Rue (B.F.A. '22) as a hairstylist.

"Parade" won the Tony Awards for revival musical and lighting design musical. A musical with a book by Alfred Uhry and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, "Parade" is a dramatization of the 1913 trial and imprisonment, and 1915 lynching, of Jewish American Leo Frank in Georgia.

Several alumni have connections to the production. Design & Production alumni Bethany J. Itterly's (B.F.A. '11) company Bethany Joy Costumes created costume pieces for the play. Rebecca Eckes (B.F.A. '18, M.F.A. '21) is a draper for Bethany Joy Costumes and worked on the production with the company. Additional Design & Production alumni who worked on the production include M. Meriwether Goldstein (B.F.A. '10), who was the assistant costume designer on "Parade." Drama alumna Courtnee Carter (B.F.A. '16) played the role of Angela in "Parade."

"Prima Facie" won the Tony Award for the lead actress play. The solo drama follows the young, brilliant criminal defense barrister (or attorney), Tessa, whose view of the legal system and its murky moral loopholes abruptly shifts when she is sexually assaulted.

Design & Production alumnusBrad Peterson(B.F.A. '09) served as the associate video designer for the play.

"Shucked" cast member Alex Newell made history as the first out nonbinary person to win the Tony Awards for featured actor musical. The show follows the story of a brave small-town woman who leaves home searching for someone to figure out why all the corn in the county keeps dying.

Several alumni have connections to the production, including Dance alumnusMatthew Murphy (H.S. '03), who served as the production photographer, and Design & Production alumnus Kenneth Wills (B.F.A. '12), who served as the associate lighting designer for the production.

"Some Like It Hot" won the Tony Awards for orchestration, choreography, costume design musical and lead actor musical. Like fellow winner Alex Newell, "Some Like It Hot" star J. Harrison Ghee made history as the first nonbinary person to win the Tony Awards for lead actor musical. Set in Chicago, when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for excitement, the musical tells the story of two musicians forced to flee the city after witnessing a mob hit. It follows the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime that ensues.

Several alumni have connections to the production, including Dance alumnusMatthew Murphy (H.S. '03), who served as the production photographer and School of Music alumna Mary Mitchell Campbell (H.S. '92) served as the the music supervisor for the production. Design and Production alumni Caitlin Molloy, who served as the production'shair and makeup supervisor,Sarah Penland(M.F.A. '22), who served as the assistant production manager and Sean Beach (B.F.A. '09), who served as the lighting programmer.

"Sweeney Todd" won the Tony Awards for sound design in a musical and lighting design in a musical. The show follows the unsettling tale of a Victorian-era barber who returns home to London after fifteen years of exile to take revenge on the corrupt judge who ruined his life.

Several alumni have connections to the production, including Dance alumnusMatthew Murphy (H.S. '03), who served as the production photographer. Design & Production alumni Alex Fogel (B.F.A. '09) served as the lighting programmer, Jaechelle Johnson (B.F.A. '16) served as the assistant sound designer and Craig Stelzenmuller (B.F.A. '01) served as the associate lighting designer.

"The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" won the Tony Award for featured actress play. Set amidst a stormy political campaign in 1960s Greenwich Village, the play focuses on events after Sidney hangs a political sign urging the end of bossism in the window of his Greenwich Village apartment.

Several Design & Production alumni are attached to the production, including Sarah Penland(M.F.A. '22), who served as the assistant production manager for the production, and Jeremiah Lamm (B.F.A. '09), who owns Empire Technical Fabrications and built the scenery for the production.

During the 2023 Tony Awards, the company of "Camelot" performs "The Lusty Month of May" and "Camelot." The performance featured Drama alumnus Matias De La Flor (B.F.A. '22) in the ensemble.

"Camelot" follows King Arthur from a young, ambitious, idealistic King who dreams of creating a just society to the despairing king bearing witness to his dream's demise.

Did you catch a connection to a 2023 Tonys win that is not included on this list?Send us an emailand we will update the story.

by Natalie Shrader

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Leo Frank

Watching the Tonys, thinking about church Baptist News Global – Baptist News Global

The presenters sound like ministers winging the announcements.

I am watching The 76th Annual Tony Awards, celebrating the best of Broadway, and missing the writers.

The Writers Guild of America is on strike, so they came up with a curious compromise with the Tonys. They agreed to an unscripted broadcast. Presenters are not allowed to read off prompters, but they can use cue cards. The effect was amusing at first but then became depressing like an unfortunate solo on Youth Sunday. (Imagine the opposite of Lea Michelle singing Dont Rain on My Parade.)

Brett Younger

The shows nominated for Tony Awards can be depressing enough to make everyone want to go on strike. Broadway is all about heartache.

Leopoldstadt is a heart-wrenching play about a World War II-era Viennese Jewish family, many of whom die at the hands of the Nazis.

Prima Facie comes with a trigger warning. A criminal defense attorney must rethink her views after she is sexually assaulted.

Good Night, Oscar is the true story of Oscar Levants struggles with mental illness.

Life of Pi is about a boy who survives a shipwreck, but his family does not.

This years shows take tragedy seriously war, antisemitism, misogyny, mental illness, death.

The revivals are depressing, too.

Parade is a painful story of antisemitism. In Atlanta in 1915, Leo Frank is arrested, sentenced, and lynched for the rape and murder of a teenager. The play concludes he was the innocent victim of prejudice.

Sweeney Todd is murder and revenge.

Camelot is adultery and war.

The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window ends with a suicide.

Funny Girl ends with a seriously rained-out parade as Fanny and Nick go their separate ways.

A view of the audience during The 76th Annual Tony Awards at United Palace Theater on June 11, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions )

Three new shows Kimberly Akimbo, which won the most Tonys with five, Fat Ham, and New York, New York had 22 Tony nominations and seem to fit the pattern of despair.

Kimberly Akimbo has a disease that causes her to age four times faster. Her life expectancy was 16. She is aging fast and surrounded by adults who never grow up a hypochondriacal mother, an irresponsible father, and an aunt who has only terrible ideas.

Patrick Marber, winner of Best Direction Of A Play Award for Leopoldstadt, poses in the press room during The 76th Annual Tony Awards at Radio Hotel on June 11, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

Fat Ham is Shakespeares Hamlet set at a North Carolina barbecue, a backyard celebration of Juicys moms marriage to his uncle a week after the death of his father. The fathers ghost demands that Juicy, a queer, Black, Southern, college kid, avenge his murder. Juicy asks, What do you do when God dont want you and the devil wont have you? The play deals with homophobia and the inherited trauma of Black men going in and out of prison since the Civil War.

New York, New York is based on the movie of the same name set just after World War II. Robert DeNiro and Liza Minnelli are musicians with big dreams that are not coming true. They want music, money and love and do not get them.

These three shows reflect a culture that leans in the direction of despair disease, crime, murder, racism, homophobia, greed and shattered dreams. But then each show unexpectedly chooses not to give up and leaves room for hope.

The 1977 movie New York, New York ends with the star-crossed lovers breaking up. The new musical has a loud, happy ending. If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere, and they do.

Isnt changing the ending an interesting choice?

LaChanze, winner of the awards for Best Musical for Kimberly Akimbo and Best Revival of a Play for Topdog/Underdog, poses in the press room during The 76th Annual Tony Awards at Radio Hotel on June 11, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

In the original Hamlet, nine of the 11 characters die. Fat Ham is supposed to be the same tragedy, but Juicy does not want to go down the same road as his father. He longs for hope, love and joy. To be or not to be? he wants to be. In the retelling, there are two deaths, still too many, but less than nine. Why would the playwright make the most famous tragedy hopeful?

Kimberly Akimbo ends not with Kimberlys death, but with a love scene between a tuba-playing, high school ber-nerd and a 16-year-old girl who looks like his grandmother. She has figured out how to live each day to the fullest. She wants to have an adventure while she can. The sun shines through the clouds. Hope overcomes tragedy.

The 24-hour news cycle runs on misery about 23 of those hours.

Why would Broadway celebrate optimism in a world that reveres pessimism? Our culture encourages us to give up and give in. Our national ethos promotes anxiety and belittles hope. We treat despair, relativism and cynicism as signs of intelligence. The 24-hour news cycle runs on misery about 23 of those hours.

One of the purposes of art is to challenge the status quo. When the culture is obsessed with the clouds, the best artists aim for the sun. When the national ethos seems to prefer darkness, the church has an opportunity to focus on light. Deconstruction makes room for reconstruction. People need sincerity, idealism and truth. When our country embraces gloom, Christianity points to a brighter day.

We do not have to deny the problems to recognize the joy beyond despair.

The churchs message is that we should not give up, except to give up our worries to God. We should not give in, except to give in to the love that brings Gods intentions in the world, in spite of what gets the most attention. When things are falling apart, God comes in a new way of seeing things and a new sense of purpose.

When it feels like whoever is supposed to be writing our story is on strike, the church gets to say, Life can be a tragedy, but it is also a brand-new musical.

Brett Younger serves as senior minister at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Leo Frank

KP grad wins Tony Award for Broadway show – The Sun Chronicle

WRENTHAM A King Philip Regional High School graduate has won a Tony Award for a Broadway show he helped produced.

Evan McGill, 40, a former Wrentham resident who graduated from King Philip in 2002, was awarded a Tony as part of a producing team for Parade, which won in the Best Revival of a Musical category.

The 76th Tony Awards were held Sunday night at the United Palace in New York City.

This is the biggest award Ive ever won, McGill said. We had won a Drama Desk Award for Parade a few weeks ago for Outstanding Revival of a Musical, but the Tony Award is the most prestigious award in theater. Its not only exciting to win, but its also exciting to see this explosive revival of Parade getting national attention.

Parade, which opened on Broadway in March, tells the story of Leo Frank, a Jewish superintendent of a pencil factory in Georgia in 1913 who is wrongfully accused of committing a murder. It stars Ben Platt, who performed in the Dear Evan Hansen show, and Micaela Diamond, who was in The Cher Show musical.

Our whole team is sincerely thankful to the American Theatre Wing, the Broadway community and of course the cast and crew who perform this show on Broadway eight times a week, McGill said, adding the show is on Broadway through Aug. 6.

McGill had also been nominated for a Tony Award as a producer of The Sign In Sidney Brusteins Window, under the Best Revival of a Play category.

It opened on Broadway in April after a successful run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in March. It encompasses themes of race, suicide, and homosexuality, and also focuses on individual characters learning to cope with life. It stars Oscar Isaac (Star Wars sequels) and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.)

McGill performed in his first musical at age 6 and has been involved with theater at some level ever since. He acted locally with Mansfield-based Un-Common Theatre Company.

His company, Evan McGill Productions, has been involved in bringing various productions to Broadway including Mr. Saturday Night, which starred comedian Billy Crystal, as well as Kimberly Akimbo, which opened on Broadway in November and received eight Tony Award nominations this year, including Best Musical.

McGill has also produced various Broadway cast albums.

He was a producer of The Music Man: The 2022 Broadway Cast Recording featuring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, as well as executive producer of the Broadway cast recording for the revival of Funny Girl, currently playing on Broadway, featuring Glee star Lea Michele. Both albums reached No. 1 on the Billboard Cast Albums chart.

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KP grad wins Tony Award for Broadway show - The Sun Chronicle