Theatre

Bring Parade to Life!

• Inspirational
• Relevant
• Courageous

Hello there!

Thanks for visiting my Rockethub page. It means a lot that you've taken an interest in my project. And what is that project? Well, I'm glad you asked.

My name is Taryn Turney and I'm mounting the first revival of Jason Robert Brown’s musical Parade in the NYC area since it was seen on Broadway. The story of Parade dramatizes the 1913 trial of Brooklyn-born Jewish factory manager Leo Frank, who was wrongly accused and convicted of murdering a thirteen-year-old employee, Mary Phagan. The trial, sensationalized by the media, aroused anti-Semitic tensions in Atlanta and the state of Georgia. When his death sentence was commuted to life in prison, Frank was kidnapped by a lynching party and hanged from an oak tree. A premier Jewish Civil Rights organization, The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), was formed in response to the anti-Semitism surrounding Leo Frank's trial and lynching.

So let me tell you why I've just told you all this.

I have been a fan of this show ever since the original CD was released. It had always been on my 'to-do' list, but because it is generally a huge, ornate production, it didn't seem to be in my near future. But then I saw Scottsboro Boys on Broadway. It is a show with very similar theme lines and a basic set so that what we focus on is the people, the real people. I knew that now is the time to produce the musical version of Leo Frank's tragic story.

At the Secret Theatre, we have compiled an incredible team of musicians and crew, and have had a thousand submissions from actors all around country who are passionate about bringing this piece back to the public in New York.  Though it was 98 years ago, Leo Frank's story is still so relevant to today's times, and it still strikes a chord with both the Jewish and non-Jewish community. These are real people that lost their lives unjustly (and much before their time)-- and we have the opportunity to take their stories to our community through this incredible piece of theatre.

This is where you come in. RocketHub has provided the perfect platform for a project that so largely incorporates the community. It allows you to help fuel our project, to get us going, and to enable us to put on the best production possible. In turn, it allows us to give back to you with the unique rewards that we are offering in return for contributions. We are calling on you to help us bring this story back to life, in the most honest and truthful way possible. That means authentic costumes and scenery, and musicians and actors that are the best in the business.

The way RocketHub works is that there are different levels of sponsorship, and at each level you get rewards in return. Many of these rewards involve opportunities to be able to come see our production, but if you are not from the area and would still like to contribute, please send me an email and I’m sure we can work out some other great incentives! However, if I don’t raise my goal of $2,000 in the next 45 days, you get your money back- all of it. If I exceed my goal, the extra funds will go toward our next musical production at The Secret Theatre.

Now is the time for us to hear this gorgeous musical again and for people to experience this very true story. In doing so we hope that the injustices done to Leo Frank will help us think about the way we treat and judge the people around us today, and every day.

Thank you so much for your consideration and support in making this happen.

-Taryn

Parade
April 7th-10th & 13th-16th @ 8:00
The Secret Theatre
4402 23rd Street
NY 11101-5000
(718) 392-0722