Peach Buzz: 'Parade's' Redd gets big story
                  Richard L. Eldredge - Staff
              Monday, June 19, 2000

                  Randy Redd (right) isn't an Atlanta Constitution
                  newshound, but he plays one onstage. Redd
                  portrays Britt Craig, the real-life reporter who broke
                  the Mary Phagan murder story for the Constitution,
                  in the touring production of "Parade," which ended
                  its weeklong run Sunday night at the Fox Theatre.

                  Redd says it was a smidge surreal debuting his
                  city-scathing solo number, "Big News," in front of
                  an Atlanta audience. "It's a tricky song to do here,"
                  Redd told us, laughing. "The song is essentially
                  trashing the town, and I tried to find a way to do it
                  so I didn't (tick) everyone off in the audience.
                  Nobody's thrown anything so far, so I guess I'm
                  doing OK."

                  During their stay, Redd says, he and other "Parade"
                  cast members have ventured to Cobb County to
                  visited Phagan's grave and see the plaque that
                  marks where her employer, Leo Frank, was
                  lynched. "Someone had placed an opening-night
                  ticket on her tombstone," Redd says. "That was
                  pretty wild. Also, doing scenes about Atlanta and
                  Peachtree Street while performing in a theater in
                  Atlanta on Peachtree Street has been amazing."

                  Being a scribbler ourselves, Buzz felt compelled to
                  quiz Redd on why he opts not to take a single note
                  during Frank's emotional murder trial testimony at the
                  end of Act 1. "It's completely intentional," he says of
                  the move. "It's a turning point for the Craig character.
                  He begins to see which direction this thing is headed.
                  But I do actually take notes during the rest of the show.
                  That notebook is full of testimony every night!"

                  The "Parade" cast heads to Memphis today.
 
 

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