Hillsborough Residents Star In American Theater Group's 'Parade'

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Two Hillsborough residents are among the actors to star in the American Theater Group (ATG) upcoming production of Parade.

Doug McLaughlin of Hillsborough (cover) and Samantha Soybel of Hillsborough (Mary Phagan) will be performing.

Broadway’s Megan McGinnis of West Orange (Les Miserables) and David R. Gordon of Fort Lee (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Broadway National Tour) will lead the cast of Parade, to be performed at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge from March 2 to 5 and the Maurice Levin Theater at JCCMetroWest in West Orange from March 9 to 11.

McGinnis will portray Lucille Frank. Her other Broadway credits include Side Show, Little Women, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Beauty and the Beast. She also appeared in the original Broadway production of Parade.

Gordon has been cast as Leo Frank, and his Broadway National Tour credits also include Flashdance. Fort Lee resident Joseph Dellger will portray Gov. Slaton and Judge Roan. His Broadway credits include Scandalous, Lestat and Ragtime.

The following cast members are also NJ residents: Jack Dossett of South Orange (Frankie/Young Soldier), Kaleb Jenkins of North Bergen (Craig), Amaya White of Old Bridge (Minnie/Angela).

Non-NJ residents are: Kirsten Bleu Kaiser (Factory Girl), Liam Boone Searcy (Watson), RJ Cristian (Jim Conley), Peter Green (Dorsey), Abby Middleton (Mrs. Phagan/Sally Slaton), C. Mingo Long (Newt), James Schultz (Ivey/Rosser/Peavy), Reilly Wilmit (Factory Girl) and covers Alex Carr and Rachel Sabo-Hedges. Casting by Michael Cassara, CSA.

The musical by acclaimed playwright Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) and score by Jason Robert Brown (Bridges of Madison County), received the 1999 Tony Awards for “Best Score” and “Best Book of a Musical,” and tells the heart-wrenching, true story of Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jewish man living in Atlanta who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of a 13-year-old employee. Amid religious intolerance, political injustice and racial tension, the stirring musical explores the endurance of love and hope against all odds.

Broadway veteran Hunter Foster will direct the production, with musical direction by Keith Levenson. Foster, an actor, writer and director, has directed Off-Broadway and at regional theaters across the US. His Broadway acting credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Tony Nomination), Urinetown, The Producers, The Bridges of Madison County, Hands on a Hardbody, Million Dollar Quartet, Footloose and Les Miserables. Levenson has conducted and created arrangements for major rock groups and Broadway musicals and conducted ATG’s enormously successful 2019 production of The Bridges of Madison County.

“We are fortunate to have assembled a Broadway caliber cast to bring this important, timely story to life,” noted ATG Producing Artistic Director James Vagias. “Under Hunter Foster’s skillful direction and Keith Levenson’s expert musical supervision, this cast will ensure that the power of the exquisite book and captivating score are fully realized. It will be an incredibly moving theatrical experience.”

The Sieminski Theater is located at 8000 Fellowship Road in Basking Ridge, and the Maurice Levin Theater at JCC MetroWest is located at 760 Northfield Ave in West Orange. Tickets are available at www.americantheatergroup.org.

Parade is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All
authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.

American Theater Group (ATG), founded in 2012, produces new and classic works primarily by American playwrights with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. It also provides quality arts-in-education initiatives, including its annual DramaFest for students and its PlayLab program for BIPOC and queer playwrights. ATG programming is made possible in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Made possible by the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. More information can be found at www.americantheatergroup.org.