He hits the right notes in 'Parade'
When Edward Barker belts out "Blues: Feel the Rain Fall" on a chain gang in SpeakEasy Stage Company's "Parade," he delivers the number with so much soul, you might be tempted to join the gang and start pounding rocks just to hear more.
"I hope that's a good thing," Barker says with a laugh one afternoon before a performance. "My character, Jim Conley, isn't a complicated guy, but it's fun to be able to give him some nuance."
Barker's Conley is one of the more mysterious characters in "Parade," a musical retelling of the real-life story of Leo Frank, an innocent man convicted in 1913 of the brutal murder of a young girl working in the factory he managed in Atlanta. The Tony Award-winning musical, which plays at the Roberts Studio in the Boston Center for the Arts through June 16, captures the mob mentality, wounded Southern pride, fear of outsiders, and lust for vengeance fueling the witch hunt that led to Frank's conviction.
Conley, a janitor in the factory, may know more than he's telling when he helps the prosecution by testifying in court against Frank in the rousing number "That's What He Said." But by the time he's questioned again by the governor while on the chain gang, Barker says, he's through cooperating with authorities. "Jim plays dumb, but he's really smart," Barker says. "He knows he has nothing to lose, but the governor has everything to lose. It's great to be able to play him with a combination of a carefree attitude and a sense of danger lurking behind."
Barker's ability to find the balance between these two emotions comes, he says, from having performed the role before.
"I played Jim Conley at the Weathervane Repertory Theatre in Whitefield, N.H., a few summers ago," says Barker, who's in his 40s. "But we do seven shows in repertory there, so it comes fast and furious. I was fortunate enough to do a production of 'Of Mice and Men' at the Barnstormers Theatre in Tamworth, N.H., just before coming here, and the artistic director was the assistant director on the Broadway production of 'Parade,' so I had the advantage of all of his insight."
With his experience in New Hampshire and with seven shows under his belt at North Shore Music Theatre, the New York-based actor seems to be circling Boston. "This is the first opportunity I've had to work in the city," says the Iowa native. "I'd love to do more."
Although his powerful baritone makes him a go-to guy for musicals, Barker says he likes to mix it up with straight plays, too. "It's always about storytelling," he says, "whether you're singing or speaking, but I got my start singing with bands in nightclubs so I never get too far away from music."
Even after an emotionally draining performance of "Parade," Barker isn't ready to stop. "After a show, I head out to sing at karaoke bars," he says. "Various places do it on different nights, and I've found some great singers in this town, but" -- he adds with a smile -- "I do prefer it when people stay away from show tunes."
"Parade" is at the Roberts Studio Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, through June 16. Tickets: $44, $48. 617-933-8600, bostontheatrescene.com. 