4/4/2025
Broadway Las Vegas
Three Great Reasons to Catch the Best Revival Tony® Winner at The Smith Center
Talia Suskauer and Max Chernin in Parade (Photo by Joan Marcus)
When The Smith Center put together its 2024-2025 Toyota Broadway Las Vegas® Series, President and CEO Myron Martin felt strongly that one show, in particular, needed to be booked: Parade.
“It is rare to experience a production so powerful and emotional,” Martin says. “Based on a true story, Parade is a musical that deals with serious topics. At times I found it heart-wrenching. It is powerful, it is deeply moving and it is glorious.”
The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1998 and won two Tony Awards that season, returned to the stage in 2023 and took home two additional Tonys, most notably Best Revival of a Musical.
Parade dramatizes the true story of the 1913 trial and wrongful conviction of Jewish-American Leo Frank in the state of Georgia. Along with its important storyline, the show has been hailed for “recalling an era of big casts, big stories and big talent” (The New York Times) and for being “the most gorgeous production on Broadway” (Entertainment Weekly).
Here are three reasons you should come see it during its run at The Smith Center from June 10-15.
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The renowned Jason Robert Brown created the songs.
One of the most acclaimed figures in American theater, Brown has contributed music and lyrics to such notable Broadway productions as The Last Five Years, Urban Cowboy, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon in Vegas and Mr. Saturday Night. His work on Parade was recognized with the Tony for Best Original Score, along with the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music.
Brown’s lyrics on songs like “All the Wasted Time,” “Do It Alone” and “This Is Not Over Yet” evoke strong feelings as they delve the complex emotions of Leo and his wife Lucille, helping ensure Parade is a highly memorable experience for audiences.
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It's stars shine brightly.
Lead actor Max Chernin has been drawing rave reviews as Leo Frank. “Chernin’s Leo is a heartbreaking, tightly coiled ball of anxiety, one that softens with the desperation of his final courtroom plea, ‘It’s Hard to Speak My Heart,’ the Times Union in Upstate New York wrote of his performance.
And of Talia Suskauer – who plays Lucille Frank after previously touring as Elphaba in Wicked from September 2019 through March 2022, including a stop at The Smith Center – the Times Union wrote, “Lucille glows with fiery determination for justice and fierce love, thanks to Suskauer’s expertly calibrated performance.”
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It’s a powerful and moving work of art, leaving a lasting impact with its profound themes.
While it’s not a lighthearted musical, Parade is far from downer. At its core, it’s a story of resilience – one that shows how strength and courage emerge in the face of adversity. Through moments of struggle, it highlights the enduring power of hope, justice and the human spirit.
See it with your family and friends, then reflect on its message together. If you’re anything like The Smith Center’s leadership team, you’ll walk away inspired and grateful for the experience.