Lara Pulver Conquers LA in Donmar Parade???

Congratulations and good luck to Lara Pulver. The British actress has been invited across the pond to reprise her role as Lucille Frank, the dedicated wife of convicted murderer Leo Frank, in the Los Angeles production of Jason Robert Brown’s musical Parade. Robert Brown’s Tony Award-winning 1998 musical received its UK premiere two years ago at the Donmar Warehouse, with American choreographer Rob Ashford making his directorial debut, helming a cast led by Pulver and Bertie Carvel as Leo Frank.

Ashford is now reviving the Donmar production with Pulver leading a new American cast, including TR Knight (from TV’s Grey’s Anatomy) as Leo in a limited season at the Mark Taper Forum in downtown LA from 21 September to 15 November 2009. Pulver was Olivier and Whatsonstage.com Award nominated for her performance as Lucille. Speaking to us about the new US engagement, she said: “I am so pleased this production has a life, after such an amazing experience at the Donmar, and it’s a huge compliment that they’ve invited me to come over to re-create the role.”

Based on a true story, Parade is set in 1913 Atlanta, where a Jewish man from Brooklyn stands accused of the murder of a young factory worker. It has a book by Alfredy Urhy, music and lyrics by Brown and was co-conceived by Harold Prince, who directed its premiere at New York’s Lincoln Center in 1998.

Ashford is back at the Donmar this month, about to make his play directing debut with a revival of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Rachel Weisz, Elliot Cowan and Ruth Wilson. And Pulver has just been seen in the recession plays Everything Must Go!, which finished at Soho Theatre this past weekend.