A new Broadway revival is still in previews, and it already has lots of drama — though that drama unfortunately is regarding what's happening outside the theater, rather than what's onstage.
Producers and the star of "Parade" are condemning antisemitism after a group of neo-Nazi protesters harassed theatergoers as they were lined up ahead of the show Tuesday. Someone who tried to video the protesters reportedly had their phone yanked away and thrown on to the street.
A member of the audience posted a video the hate-filled demonstration outside the Bernard Jacobs Theater on West 45th Street and described the moments of fear.
"I know they have the right to protest but I can still be bothered by it," said Elena Kaplan.
Those who demonstrated yelled, carried banners and handed out fliers that claim the show glorifies pedophilia.
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The protesters were targeting "Parade," a musical about the true story of Leo Frank -- a Jewish man lynched in 1915 after he was wrongfully convicted for the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl. Later legal review confirmed that Frank had been wrongfully charged.
"The irony should not be lost on anyone that these antisemitic extremists decided to protest a play that details the true story of the lynching of an innocent Jewish man by an antisemitic mob and used it as an opportunity to spread conspiracy theories and hate," the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement.
For one woman, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, the protesters gave her even more reason to support the production.
"I was going to get them anyway but it's also my form of protest to say you don't get to push me out of my own country," said Nina Mogilnik. "It's a hard thing to digest."
Tony Award winner Ben Platt stars in the production and said in a video shared on Instagram "it was definitely very ugly and scary but a wonderful reminder of why we are telling this story and how powerful art and theater can be."
Producers of the show went on to say that "if there is any remaining doubt out there about the urgency of telling this story in this moment in history, the vileness on display (Tuesday night) should put it to rest."
NYPD officers were on the scene Tuesday night, but it was not clear if they would have special patrols again on Wednesday.
