Ben Platt speaks against antisemitic protesters at the first preview performance of the Broadway revival of “Parade,” a musical about the true story of the false conviction and lynching of a Jewish man in 1915.
gather outside the Jacobs Theater
“For those who don’t know, there were some neo-nazi protesters from a really disgusting group outside the theater, harassing some of our patrons on their way in and saying anti-social things about Leo Frank, who was at the show is about, and only spreading anti-Semitic rhetoric, which has led to this whole story,” Platt said on Instagram. In a video circulating on Twitter, people gathered outside the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater on Broadway and called Frank a “Jewish pedophile”. A man, reportedly a member of the neo-Nazi group The National Socialist Movement, is seen asking patrons, “You want the truth about what you’re doing tonight?” Who are you going to see? You’re paying $300 to worship a pedophile you might as well know what you’re talking about.
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Platt the audience and the show
Platt thanked theater staff for keeping the audience and show members “extremely safe and secure”. He added that the “wretchedness on display” underscores the importance of the revival. “Parade” dramatizes the life and death of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory owner who falsely convicted of raping and murdering his 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan. He was sentenced to life imprisonment before being abducted and beaten to death by an angry mob.The national attention to the case and trial increased antisemitism, which inspired the birth of the Anti-Defamation League, while also activating a revival of the defunct KKK.
Platt continued
It was definitely very unsettling and scary but it’s a wonderful reminder of why we’re telling this particular story and how special and powerful art, and theater in particular, can be. It made me feel extra, extra grateful to be able to tell this special story and carry on this legacy of Leo.
