Critical Review at Hennepin Arts

Through the jokes and teases often aimed at people like myself who cherish musical theater, one question has always lingered in my heart: Can musical theater truly provide a meaningful dialogue on our current society? On January 21st, as I left the Orpheum Theatre after a life-changing performance of the national revival tour of Parade , I found my answer resounding all around me: “I didn’t know about that.” “I can’t believe it.” “But who did it?”. Yet what struck me most was the bitter taste of my own lack of surprise—a reflection of how desensitized I, like so many others, have become to stories of injustice and prejudice. And that discomfort is precisely the point, making Parade not just a performance to witness, but one to let sink in. Parade tells the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory superintendent in 1913 Georgia, falsely accused of murdering a young girl, Mary Phagan. The musical exposes systemic injustice and prejudice against the backdrop of a post-Civil War South...

Based on a true story, Parade captures the historical and emotional intensity of the Leo Frank Case. With music by James Robert Brown, the lyrics and orchestrations drive the storytelling in a way that intersects the historical and dramatic weight of the story. When Mary Phagen (Olivia Gooseman) is mysteriously killed, the town of Atlanta, Georgia is quick to accuse and convict Leo Frank (Max Chernin), a Brooklyn-raised Jewish man. While he is imprisoned, Lucille Frank (Talia Suskauer) continues to fight for the freedom of her husband. Through the hardships and challenges the Franks face, audiences are left wondering whether the truth can transcend the biases that have determined his fate. Max Chernin was a standout performer who brought a haunting intensity to the role of Leo Frank, carefully capturing the character’s vulnerability with extreme depth.  His performance delivered a chilling portrayal of a man wrongly accused by navigating both his crisis as well as the weight of s...

It’s rare for a musical to leave an audience in stunned, reverent silence as the curtain falls, but Parade accomplishes just that with breathtaking poignancy. Jason Robert Brown’s Tony Award-winning score and Alfred Uhry’s masterful book come together to tell a harrowing, deeply human story of justice, prejudice, and resilience. Based on the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish pencil factory manager falsely accused of murder in 1913 Georgia, Parade is both a searing indictment of systemic injustice and a profoundly moving testament to love and humanity in the face of hate. Right as the lights dimmed, the production pulled us into the uneasy heart of the post-Civil War South, a society grappling with its fractured identity. The opening number, “The Old Red Hills of Home,” swelled with haunting nostalgia, its harmonies foreshadowing what was to come. The lush orchestrations and the ensemble’s stirring delivery painted a vivid image of a region clinging to its past, setting the stage for ...

Breathtaking, heartbreaking, and beautiful; three words that encapsulate this production thoroughly, yet don’t even scratch the surface of this masterpiece. Parade , which originally debuted in 1998, is a show that displays the hidden normalcy of blatant discrimination amongst innocent people, for something as simple as their religion. The plot follows the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man living in the South, as he gets accused and convicted of a serious crime. Unfortunately, even though this show is set in 1913, the antisemitic discriminatory themes are eerily familiar to present experiences, even now over a century later. With a story such as the one told by Parade , the actors chosen to play each of the characters need to be carefully selected in order to pay proper homage to the story and its meaning. This can be a tricky task with any show, but the casting agency for this particular production, The Telsey Office, ended up being right on the money with the wonderful artists t...

  What a show. The Book of Mormon is a riot on absolutely every level, leading to equal amounts of laughter and shock. The plot follows two Mormon missionaries on a quest to baptize the citizens of a small Ugandan village. As this show was written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, one can expect crude, R-rated humor, and the show lived up to every such expectation. The actors embraced the outrageousness of the plot wholeheartedly, leading to flamboyant dance numbers that put my jaw on the floor. One of this show’s greatest strengths was the dedication of the actors, a show this off-color could easily rely on the simple shock value of the content to carry the performance, but each actor was motivated and made sure the entire plot came across, not just the jokes. This full-out commitment was especially prevalent in the dance numbers, which were just big enough to be spectacular without being over the top or ridiculous.  The best example of this would ...

Amidst today’s rampant socio-political controversies, The Book of Mormon is perhaps the most strangely relevant tale of them all. This bold and satirical musical, from the creators of South Park and Avenue Q (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone), arrived at the Orpheum Theatre in Minnesota on December 10, 2024. It follows two Mormon missionaries—“Elder Price” (Sam McLellan) and his goofy “sidekick” “Elder Cunningham” (Diego Enrico, blending the styles of Jack Black and Josh Gad) on their journey to a small Ugandan village. Whatever vision you’re picturing, grab it, crumple it up, and toss it out the window, I can assure you that you’re thoroughly mistaken. Instead of whimsical comedy focused solely on the Mormon pair’s antics, audiences get far more than they likely bargained for, finding the plot surrounded by biblical style vignettes of Mormon mythology and the classic vulgarity and flamboyantly unadultered songs and language. The show is raw, unfiltered, and bold, yet it’s ...

What do you get when you mix Broadway, religion, and irreverence? The Book of Mormon . Created by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez, the musical blends fearless humor with heartfelt moments for an unforgettable experience. From the first notes of "Hello!", the audience was hooked, following Elder Price and Elder Cunningham on their mission to Uganda. The story mixes fish-out-of-water comedy with surprising emotional depth, but its reliance on shock value and stereotypes sometimes undercuts its themes of faith and personal growth. While the irreverence often pushes boundaries, the 2020 revision added updates to address cultural sensitivities, offering a more thoughtful approach without losing the show’s signature humor. With the revisions, the show remains a must-see, with much to love despite a few missteps. Sam McLellan’s Elder Price brought charm and charisma to the stage. His performance of “I Believe” had the crowd laughing and cheering, but also cringing during t...