President Joe Biden will host the stars of the Broadway revival of Parade at the White House on Tuesday (May 16) at an event that will mark Jewish American Heritage Month. According to the Associate Press, the gathering will also highlight the Biden administration’s efforts to combat the rising tide of antisemitism across the nation.
In addition to the performance from the Parade actors, the gathering will feature Biden celebrating the contributions of Jewish Americans and a reflection on how his decision to run for the White House in 2020 was partially inspired by the 2017 neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, Va. that resulted in the killing of an anti-racist demonstrator at a supremacist rally that former Pres. Donald Trump blamed on “both sides.”
The White House event will feature performances from Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond, both 2023 Tony nominees for their performances in Parade; the musical tells the story of the early 20th century trial, imprisonment and lynching of Jewish American factory manager Leo Frank. The musical’s composer, Jason Robert Brown, will also attend.
During his 2020 run, Biden — who announced his intention to run for re-election two weeks ago — frequently made mention of the “Unite the Right” rally where clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, who was killed when a white nationalist ran her over her while plowing his car into the anti-racist protesters.
The AP said Biden was also expected to spotlight his appointment of America’s first-ever ambassador-level special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, as well as increased federal funding to help secure synagogues, Jewish community centers and Jewish day school and convening a White House summit on combating hate-fueled violence.
