From Wednesday to Saturday, SUSU’s Showstoppers shall be performing the musical Parade. I got a chance to see one of the dress rehearsals as a preview to their first show in the Nuffield on Wednesday.
The Nuffield show is the centrepiece of Showstoppers’ calendar, but talking to Peter Ward, one of SUSU Performing Art’s most experienced cast members (who this year also featured in Showstoppers’ Rent) he feels it’ll match the occasion.
“it’s a show you have to take seriously, its got a lot of emotional depth”. – Peter Ward
Parade is a story about a man ‘Leo Franks’ accused of killing a young girl working in his factory in post US Civil War Georgia. His case becomes a battle between corruption and political intrigue. From what I saw, the cast have grasped the concepts in the piece and ran with them – to good effect. Freddie Bowen, who plays the Leo, said he’s interested to see how the audience react to the story.
Stephanie Amies, Musical Director, said it was exciting to see everything finally coming together. The musical pieces sounded incredible and they were done with only a piano for this rehearsal so one would expect with a full band the music should be impressive.
With months of rehearsal, detailed planning and the expectation associated with a Nuffield show, Parade has a lot to deliver, but the signs are hopeful and the cast seem ready for Wednesday night.
Make sure to get tickets here! Parade runs from Wednesday 13th March until Saturday 16th. Look out for a review of the play in the coming days.
