Versions, Edits, and Rewrites
Development
Parade was originally conceived by librettist Alfred Uhry and director Hal Prince. Prince brought in young composer Jason Robert Brown, whom he had worked with prior, to write the music. Prince and Uhry compiled research, which they then passed on to Brown.
In the beginning stages of writing, Brown about the trial, and he also listened to Uhry talk extensively about growing up in the South. Uhry recalled about the process:
We talked for months, months, and I told him about the South and I told you about this and he just listened and he listened and he read things. There was a picture of Mary Phagan's grave, and I believe the words on there were something about the old hills of home, and I thought is this kid ever going to write anything? (laughter)
After months of discussion and research, Brown brought the show's opening number, "The Old Red Hills of Home," to Uhry and Prince. Writing had begun.
According to Brown, he and Uhry wrote the show largely in the sequence we see, but that Leo and Lucille's songs came last as they developed that dramatic arc. Part of Brown's process for writing lyrics involved taking monologues or dialogue Uhry wrote and using the emotional arc and/or information conveyed by the monologue to develop his songs.
Parade received its first reading at Plays & Players in Philadelphia in 1996. After another reading and a workshop, some tweaks to the structure, and a new song for Leo and Lucille, it was ready to premiere.
WATCH: Press reel for the original production of Parade
WATCH: Composer Jason Robert Brown discuss writing Parade and "The Old Red Hills of Home"
Three books Uhry and Brown used as sources are available in their entirety online. Click here to find these and other resources for learning more on the Frank trial and the writing of Parade
Broadway—1998
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Parade opened on Broadway on 17 December 1998 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, one of only two Broadway theatres featuring a thrust stage. The first act, according to Brown, remained largely intact from the original process, while the second act underwent more intensive rewriting and cutting over the course of the rehearsal process.
The original concept for Parade intended the show to be epic in scale, styled after opera. The show had a cast of 36 people and required a 20-piece orchestra. On stage, a giant oak tree dominated the set. To help guide the audience through the plot, Britt Craig acted as a Greek Chorus of sorts
Critical and audience reception was mixed. While the score and performances were well-received, the show was deemed overwhelming in scope, unrelentingly depressing, and alienating for viewers. It closed after 85 performances, followed by a North American tour.
Donmar Warehouse—2007
When Donmar Warehouse in London staged Parade almost a decade later, Brown and Uhry made significant cuts and changes to the play. To accommodate Donmar's small, intimate performance space, they scaled down the cast and orchestra to 15 plays and 9 musicians. With the exception of Leo and Lucille, all actors now play at least two parts.
Some characters, like Fiddlin' John, were cut from the show entirely, with Tom Watson joining the action earlier now. Britt Craig's presence in the play was reduced from three fairly large numbers to one, his Greek Chorus function stripped. Judge Roan's dramatic arc was changed as well; the more historically-accurate "Letter to the Governor" was cut and replaced with "The Glory," which better develops Hugh Dorsey.
Brown and Uhry also added a character, Minnie. Historically, the Franks' cook Minola testified against Frank, later claiming that her sentence was coerced. Dramatically, Minnie replaces Newt Lee on the witness stand and in the second act, bringing the drama of the trial into the Franks' home.
While some complaints about the play's emotional distance remained, Donmar Warehouse's production was more warmly received. In 2009, the production transferred to Los Angeles, starring Donmar's Lara Pulver as Lucille and Grey's Anatomy star T.R. Knight as Leo. Today, the Donmar script is the more widely used version.
WATCH: Press Reel for the 2009 Los Angeles production of Parade