If you’re a theatre fan like me, you are likely familiar with the musical “Parade,” scored gorgeously by the famed Jewish composer Jason Robert Brown. The play is based on the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man wrongfully accused of a crime and subsequently lynched in Atlanta by an antisemitic mob in 1915. It is a sadly well-known trope of deeply-rooted antisemitism told through haunting songs and a most skillful book and lyrics. After a lauded run at New York City Center this winter, the musical is now enjoying a revival on Broadway starring beloved Jewish Los Angeles native Ben Platt of “Dear Evan Hansen” fame and newcomer Michaela Diamond, a superbly talented young Jewish actress and singer.
Last week, while “Parade” was enjoying its first Broadway previews, a group of neo-Nazis protested outside the Jacobs Theatre, attempting to terrify the cast, crew, and audience. I was devastated to hear that not only was the preview of one of my favorite shows being so cruelly bombarded, but that the antisemitic values held by Leo Frank’s own tormentors were haunting his memory. And yet, I found great inspiration from a video Ben Platt himself posted on social media after the performance. He shared that, despite the protestors’ best efforts to ruin the evening, the production had enjoyed a spectacular first show, and the cast and crew felt incredibly supported by a deeply moved audience in sharing Frank’s tragic—but not in vain—story and Brown’s intensely beautiful score. Platt’s message to fans and followers was a necessary reminder that light, music, and meaningful gathering can always beat hate, and thousands of others continued to share posts in support of the production in posts, accompanied by the hashtag #FightingHateForGood.
We may never live in a world where we don’t feel an urgency to retell Leo Frank’s story or the millions of others like it. We may never live in a world where we won’t need to support one another after horrific mobs gather or hate crimes occur. But we can find solidarity in community, and draw inspiration from seeing the next generation of young Jewish performers like Platt embracing their Jewishness and using their platform to inspire great hope.
This weekend, we mark Shabbat Zachor, our Shabbat of Memory, when we are encouraged to briefly remember and then forever forget those who wished us harm. May the names of those who hate us be blotted out throughout history, and may we continue to elevate our expectations for how we should treat others every single day.
—Cantor Emma Lutz
Listen to “You Don’t Know This Man” from the original Broadway cast recording of Jason Robert Brown’s “Parade” HERE.