PARADE in Los Angeles

Hey Gang --

A somewhat shameless plug because I'm involved with the production, but casting is underway for the Jason Robert Brown/Alfred Uhry musical PARADE at the Neighborhood Playhouse in Palos Verdes, CA.

Amazingly, even though PARADE has been seen in school settings and in a one night concert version at the Musical Theatre Guild many years ago, this marks the first fully staged, professional production of the show in Los Angeles.

This should be an exciting production and since I know the musical has a devout following on this board, I hope you'll follow its progress! More details at www.neighborhoodplayhouse.net

Please keep us posted re casting...

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Two question:


Are you guys doing the new licensed version?

and

Which orchestrations are you using?

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Seriously, keep us up to date on this production. When does it run?

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I wanna reorchestrate it

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Is the band live or taped?

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Well, I'm suppose to be in LA that week! Great timing! If I can get to the location I'll see it. I have a late flight back up the coast. I've wanted to see this show all year. Good luck with the production and thank you for plugging it here for us.

Is it going to be like RENT Remixed? That would certainly be a new take on PARADE.

The orchestra is live - right now its set to be about 12 pieces which is a lot for a tiny theatre space

Here's a first look at the publicity pics - always fun to see the characters starting to come to life.

A Martini Shaker! I love it. Some of the audience may need a martini at Intermission. We'll doctor that poster for the bar.

Oooh sweet! Wish I could see this one. I REALLY want to design this show some day...and I may get to sooner than I expected, depending on how things play out this year.

Keep us updated. I can't wait to see pictures of the set.

Akiva

Its interesting because we were initially hoping to do the revised version of the script which I love.

Now that I'm working on the project, in some ways I do think Donmar revision does compromise on some of the musical aspects of the original. I think some of the choral orchestrations in London were either cut or modified because there simply weren't enough voices to go around with a cast of only 15 people doubling parts.


We're doing the show in a tiny space (similar to the size of the Donmar) but with the original script and a cast of 30 and 12 musicians, which retains a somewhat chamber concept but with a company just big enough to carry the show as originally written.

There are a few script quibbles that I think were fixed for London, and I do wish we were able to use the Minnie McKnight testimony, which adds a lot to the story, I think (and a unique female perspective). But the show as originally written still works quite well.

Updated On: 6/6/08 at 02:42 PM