Aaron Robuck brings Leo Frank to the stage
The production will showcase two Jewish actors in the lead roles, including Aaron Robuck – who will bring his experience of growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, to the role – and Montana Sharp as Lucille.
In 1913, Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jew living in Georgia, was put on trial for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan, a factory worker under his employ. Already guilty in the eyes of everyone around him, a sensationalist publisher and a janitor’s false testimony sealed Leo’s fate. His only defenders were a governor with a conscience and his Southern wife, Lucille, who found the strength and love to become his greatest champion.
In 1998, a musical premiered on Broadway about Leo’s life. Parade won two Tony Awards and six Drama Desk Awards for the initial run. It has since won several more for its 2023 revival starring Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond as Leo and Lucille.
This month, the incredible musical is coming to Melbourne with Soundworks Production’s newest production running at Chapel off Chapel from July 27 to August 6.
Based on the book by acclaimed playwright Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy), this musical presentation illustrates the true story of the trial of Leo Frank, which boldly tackles complex themes such as antisemitism and the concept of “the other”. With a rousing, colourful and haunting score by Jason Robert Brown (Songs For a New World, The Last Five Years, Bridges of Madison County), Parade is a moving examination of the darkest corners of America’s history and injustice.
The production will showcase two Jewish actors in the lead roles, including Aaron Robuck – who will bring his experience of growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, to the role – and Montana Sharp as Lucille.
After moving to Sydney and attending Masada College, Robuck studied a Bachelor of Music (Musical Theatre) at The Australian Institute of Music. Now, he’s making his way to Melbourne to star in the show.
“At first, being a Sydney-based actor, it didn’t seem possible for me to be considered. But I decided to put myself out there for this particular role. It seemed right. I had just finished working on a cabaret that I presented earlier this year that focused on my Jewish identity, and had also just workshopped a new Australian-Jewish musical. It seemed like it was bashert [meant to be],” Robuck told The AJN.
While the show is still in its rehearsal stages, Robuck has found that every company member’s individual perspective and ideas have been embraced in the creation of the show, fostering a sense of togetherness and diversity.
“We’re developing a section in the second act where we see Leo having a private moment in his jail cell, quietly singing to himself. My experience in liturgical singing has led the team to involve some interesting harmonic
interpretations of the score to incorporate that ‘Jewish sound’ into Leo’s performance. Very exciting stuff,” Robuck said.
As for the audience, Robuck hopes that the audience will walk away with an understanding of where every character is coming from, and how the complexity of these emotions bring about such tragedies.
“As a company, our director has encouraged us to ‘live in the grey’ – the characters are flawed, inspiring, patriotic, loving and frightening. The importance of emotional intelligence and awareness is something that, as a contemporary community, we can all be more aware of and use to mend the barriers between us.”
Daring, innovative and bold, Parade is filled with soaring music and a heart-wrenching story, offering a moral lesson about the dangers of prejudice and ignorance that should not be forgotten. Having just won Tony Awards for Best Musical Revival and Best Director at the 2023 Tonys, this is a production not to be missed.
To learn more and purchase tickets to Parade, visit chapeloffchapel.com.au/show/parade
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