Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...BoHo's new, non-Equity production, directed by Linda Fortunato with musical direction by Matt Deitchman, is very well sung. If you're an inveterate fan of this material (and you know who you are), that might be enough to offer a fulfilling evening. Lorenzo Rush, Jr., the young actor played Newt Lee, sounds spectacular. Jim DeSelm, in the lead role, has a fine instrument. And Sarah Bockel's version of "You Don't Know This Man" is very robust indeed. There is much young talent in the ensemble and in the smaller roles."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...“Parade,” skillfully directed by Linda Fortunato, with expert music direction by Matt Deitchman, captures the complex world of Atlanta in the early 20th century, with its potent residue of post-Civil War resentment and Southern pride, its powerful, ever-entangled elite of politicians, lawyers and judges, its enduring racial and social divides, and its suspicion of all “Yankees.” And Brown’s rich and varied score is notably savvy in the way it evokes the sounds and rhythms of each contingent, with everything from Dixie anthems and the blues to vocalized trial scenes."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...By turns stirring and strident, heart-wrenching and heavy-handed, the show outlines the political pressure and cultural and religious prejudices behind this injustice (which helped inspire the founding of the Anti-Defamation League). But it's at its best when it focuses on Leo and his wife, who found a new emotional intimacy through their ordeal. Linda Fortunato's staging for BoHo Theatre benefits hugely from Jim Deselm and Sarah Bockel's intense performances as the Franks, as well as the powerful ensemble vocals under Matt Deitchman's musical direction."
Theatre By Numbers - Highly Recommended
"...I mentioned before that this production was done on a much smaller stage that I’d seen before, and it was able to be done so effectively because of the set that Patrick Ham put together. The sliding platforms and walls that redefined each space were both clear and surprising. And huge kudos go to whomever designed the lynching effect. I don’t know if that was accomplished by the scenic designer, or the props person, or someone else. What I do know is that when I know a hanging is coming up in a play I always look to see how it will be managed both safely and believably. BoHo nailed it. Nice job."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...First performed in Chicago by Bailiwick Repertory, now dutifully revived by BoHo Theatre, the potentially pile-driving Parade by bookwriter Alfred Uhry and composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown reprises an ugly and evergreen tragedy. Their driven musical chronicles the reflexive racism that, a century ago, doomed a suspect stranger. Here the bigotry is anti-Semitism, a xenophobia that ironically unites blacks and whites in a feeding frenzy. The witch hunt ends with the lynching of Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-born Jew in 1914 Atlanta. The title sardonically refers to the Memorial Day Parade that was backdrop to a civic disgrace fueled by fear, ignorance and scapegoating."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Linda Fortunato’s direction makes the most of her space, transforming a story about a city into the journey of a couple. Her fifteen member cast, small for this show, required her to retool the emphasis in crowd songs, and she managed it well. Patrick Ham’s cobblestone set design is flexible enough to represent everything from the street, to a ballroom, to a prison. Another interesting doubling choice is that the space representing the Franks’ house is also Leo’s jail cell."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...The entire talented cast does justice to Brown’s score. Nathan Carroll sets the mood at the top of the show as the young soldier when his voice soars through The Old Red Hills of Home. Cole Doman, full of boyish charm and charisma as Frankie Epps, sings with heart and a full voice. Christa Buck’s rendition of My Child Will Forgive Me is filled with just the right amount of hate and anguish and Eric A. Lewis, as Jim Conley, practically takes the roof off the place during his second act Feel the Rain Fall."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...A musical that doesn’t offer audience a happy ending or provide a fulfilling resolution to the story’s conflict is a difficult pill to swallow and a hard show to sell. Strong performances, stirring music and a conviction to objectively portray this dark chapter in American history makes BoHo’s 10th season finale an impressive entry to the Autumn theatre season. Some audiences will welcome a chance to embrace this cult favorite; others will question its validity as a musical. But one thing is certain: BoHo Theatre has proven that, once again, this is a storefront company that has the chops to tell a story that moves, inspires and entertains."