Theatrical bright side to Atlanta's dark story
'Parade' enjoys a fine run at Fox
Dan Hulbert - Staff
Tuesday, June 20, 2000
"Parade" sold 16,000 seats and grossed $437,000
for its weeklong run at the Fox Theatre, a "success
in every way," says Christopher Manos, producer of
Theater of the Stars.
A success, that is, for a musical drama based on
the Leo Frank case, which paints a pretty dark
picture of Atlanta at the turn of the century. As
expected, the ticket sales represented only half the
seats that were put up for sale in the Fox --- one of
the largest legitimate theaters in the nation. The
same 16,000 tickets would have sold out the Vivian
Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center, where
"Parade" premiered and struggled for two months in
1998-99.
"We didn't choose 'Parade' to make money," Manos
said. "But we wanted to generate excitement, and
from the feedback I'd say we did that. (Director) Hal
Prince was ecstatic and feeling very upbeat about
the coming tour."
The show travels to Memphis; Dallas; St. Paul, Minn.; Pittsburgh; Green
Bay, Wis.; Denver; Seattle; and Cleveland. As original producer of the
tour,
Manos will receive a fee from those theaters and a percentage of box
office, which he expects will cover the musical's pre-production cost of
$1
million.
Prince, one of Broadway's most distinguished directors, has said that he
would like to use the tour to demonstrate the show's viability to financial
supporters for a possible second New York run.
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