...and then there's Jason.

 Parade,

with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown,

and a book by Alfred Ulrhy,

opened on Broadway in 1998.

Despite good reviews, the public had other ideas...

only 39 performances.

Based on the murder trial of Leo Frank,

a Jewish factory manager of Atlanta, Georgia,

it won Tonys for book and score,

and several Drama Desk awards.

 Brent Carver as Leo 

and Carolee Carmello as his wife, Lucille. 

 Above a Princeton University production...

and below composer/lyricist Jason Robert Brown.

The "legend" goes that the story of Leo Frank's

trial and lynching

was introduced to Stephen Sondheim thru director Hal Prince,

but Stephen took a pass (Jason didn't!).

Post-Parade, Jason would go on to write

The Last Five Years and 13. 

Prior-Parade, Songs For A New World (an off-Broadway revue)

was the first New York production of his songs.

Jason has said that Sondheim's scores for Sweeney Todd

and Sunday In The Park With George 

were huge influences in his life,

and without them "I would have joined a rock band and tried to be

Billy Joel".