At the first preview for the Broadway revival of Parade February 21, members of a far-right, Neo-Nazi movement protested outside of the Jacobs Theatre. The individuals carried signs with hateful rhetoric, shouting at theatregoers while attempting to hand out antisemitic flyers to those in line to see the show.
Following the incident, Parade producers and cast members, including Ben Platt and Douglas Lyons, took to social media and released statements as Twitter flooded with videos and comments about what was happening.
Actors' Equity Association, the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, also released a statement about the incident: “Parade tells an important story of what happens when antisemitism and other kinds of hatred are allowed to grow unchecked. We are proud of our members and their colleagues who are bringing this tragedy to life on stage, and the presence of antisemitic protestors at their place of work only underlines how important that work is. There is no place for hate in our streets or our workplaces, and we condemn the demonstration in the strongest possible terms.”
WATCH Cast of Parade Take 1st Bows on Broadway
The musical, written by Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry, tells the true story of the false conviction and murder of a Jewish man named Leo Frank in 1915. The protest was an ironic display of antisemitism given Parade's indictment of hatred.
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