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Large-scale theater spectacles on serious themes are rare on Broadway these days. The revival of Parade, a 1998 musical that deals with questions of American antisemitism that linger to this day, is an exception to the rule—and its 23-year-old star Micaela Diamond knows it.
"This musical is such an event," Diamond says over Zoom while clutching a mug. "There's something nostalgic about seeing a show with a huge cast and orchestra: going to an event and getting your ticket price's worth."
Many of the most successful Broadway productions of the last few years have marketed around celebrity leads (The Music Man), familiar subject matter (Moulin Rouge!) or catchy pop numbers (Six). Of course, the fact that Broadway darling Ben Platt stars as Leo Frank—a Brooklyn-raised Jewish man in 1913 Atlanta who was lynched for the murder of a 13-year-old factory worker—helps sell tickets. But Parade is not just a star vehicle: Its ambitious musical numbers, top-notch set design and powerful story remind us of productions of yore while insightfully exploring antisemitism across all eras and social systems.
So direct is the show's commentary on that subject that, when previews for the show began in February, masked protesters distributing antisemitic hate pamphlets stormed the area outside of the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
“The protests sort of lit a fire under all of us to tell this story with more resonance,” says Diamond, who also currently appears in Hulu's new musical series Up Here. “When you have neo-Nazis outside the theater, it clearly means you’re scaring them when telling this story. It wasn’t ideal, but it solidified the fact that the plot is relevant and I hope that the audience felt that, too.”
It would be hard not to feel it. Diamond, Platt and the rest of the cast are extraordinary actors and singers who guide viewers into a self-reflective mood that lingers long after the curtain falls.
"I hope that the audience is moved by the inquisitive and agnostic ways that Jewishness is portrayed within the concept of white supremacy and how we give due process in our country," says Diamond. "At the end of the day, though, I love not telling the audience what to feel. I think that, depending on the day you see the show, you are going to be more perceptive to a certain part of the story, whether it's how the news can blow something out of proportion or how white supremacy pits minorities against each other on purpose."
Diamond needs to unwind after every performance, with help from a sensitivity specialist who is on staff. But she also finds that going through the performance every night helps her relax. “Bows are a big part of the de-roling process,” she explains. “Theater is my first true love and that immediate validation is what I try to take with me while sharing the moment with the people in the audience.”
As for her own relationship with Judaism, Diamond says that playing Leo Frank's wife, Lucille, has allowed her to live in her own version of the religion more freely.
"Much of the story, especially for Lucille, is about the undeniability of her Jewishness," she says. "I try not disappoint myself by thinking that I'm not a 'better' Jew than I was when I was a kid. I keep embracing my Jewishness even more while I do the show. The more I am in the character's shoes, the more I want to celebrate and find joy within my Jewishness."
Parade is playing at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre through August 6, 2023. You can buy tickets here.