“Parade” the Tony Award winning Broadway musical, opens June 17, 2025 at the Ahmanson Theatre and runs through July 12th. “Parade” is based on the events of the infamous trail and ultimate lynching of the wrongfully accused Leo Frank, the Jewish manager of a Southern pencil factory. This miscarriage of justice is unfortunately timely as we face a similarly polarized society in our own time. Though not your usual subject matter for a musical, “Parade” led by a stellar creative team has received “overwhelming critical acclaim.”
I was able to interview Caroline Fairweather, the Dance Captain, ensemble member and understudy about the upcoming run at the Ahmanson. The show is transferring from its current stage in San Francisco to the Ahmanson on the 15th of June. Caroline explained this tour has brought her to the West Coast for the first time and she is really looking forward to what Los Angeles has to offer.
The National Touring Company of PARADE – Photo by Joan Marcus.
I asked her how she came to be associated with the show. “I first started working with the show when it was at New York City Center in 2022 and that came to me because I am not primarily a dancer, I am an actor/singer and I do physical and devised theater. I belong to a collective called “The Forest of Arden” led by Michael Arden, the director of “Parade.” We created site specific immersive theater work that premiered outside when nobody else was able to do theater due to the pandemic.”
And this led to working on “Parade?”
“Yes, when it came time to mount this production at City Center, Michael (Arden) and choreographers, Lauren and Christopher Grant, needed actors to help workshop the choreography with a cast that might be used in the show. We did this and then I was eventually asked to be an all-stage understudy and swing for the City Center production and I’ve been with the show ever since.”
The movement/choreography within the show seems organic to the text as opposed to being a “dance number.” Would this be the right interpretation?
“Yes, that’s exactly the kind of vibe the choreographers were going for when they created the movement. I think the choreographers and Michael (Director) are really good at getting out of the shows way and letting the show be what it is. The only things they are adding are things that serve the story that is already speeding along like a moving train. So, all the choreography is really story based. I like to call it “staging geography,” it is people moving from place to place and sometimes moving props along the way. It’s carefully crafted but not necessarily a kick line.”
The National Touring Company of PARADE – Max Chemin (center) and company – Photo by Joan Marcus.
After load in, how much rehearsal do you have in the new space?
“We do an orientation after a soundcheck and a safety check and just make sure the dimensions of the proscenium don’t interfere with anything, like the big flags etc. The whole thing takes about a half an hour. We also carry some of the band members with us and then we pick up a string quartet and bass player in every town and they have a rehearsal as well.”
Wow, so at this point you’re like a well-oiled machine.
“Yeah, totally.”
The premise of this show, though based in real events from the past, is still sadly applicable to today. How have the audiences reacted to the politics of the show?
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. It is a kind of self-selecting crowd due to the subject matter but we have felt very safe and protected. In the company we talk about the idea of white supremacy being everybody’s enemy. This is a Jewish American story that also focuses on the black community in Georgia where the show is set. We did the show in Atlanta which was really special and the people there were overwhelmingly welcoming to us and excited for us to tell the story. It is still close to the hearts of many people who live there. Unfortunately, white supremacy is still something that we’re dealing with. I hope that folks who see the show will be able to see themselves in the heroes of the show, the people who do the right thing and the people who are fighting for their rights and freedom. I think that the gift we’ve been given by political activists and folks from every walk of life in the 2020’s is that we are understanding how systematic discrimination hurts everyone.”
Caroline Fairweather – Photo courtesy of the artist.
Which, I believe, is what makes this show so pertinent today.
“Agreed.”
Looking toward the future have you thought about where all this experience might lead you?
“Oh, I love this question.” Already its led me towards the creative side of staging musicals. I think with the experience of being dance captain I’ve been able to train my critical eye. On Broadway my responsibilities were to maintain the show and rehearse understudies. On the road, I am the one overseeing everything.
Would directing be something you’re leaning towards?
“It is and after “Parade” on Broadway I was the assistant director to Michael Arden for the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical called “Queen of Versailles,” which is also choreographed by Lauren and Christopher Grant. That was in Boston in 2024 and now it’s coming to Broadway in the fall. I’m very excited. I also am the assistant director on the Broadway production of “Maybe Happy Ending.” (This past Sunday, “Maybe Happy Ending” won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Actor.)
The National Touring Company of PARADE – photo by Joan Marcus.
How exciting. I will definitely be looking forward to what new projects you and the creative team are bringing to the stage. And thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with me and LA Dance Chronicle. I am looking forward to seeing “Parade” while it’s here at the Ahmanson.
There is no doubt that Caroline Fairweather is a talent to keep your eye on as her career is just taking off!
For more information about Caroline Fairweather go to; https://www.carolinefairweather.com/
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Ahmanson Theatre website.
Written by Tam Warner for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: L–R Emily Rose DeMartino, Bailee Endebrock, Sophia Manicone and the National Tour company of PARADE – Photo by Joan Marcus.
