If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
Boston Conservatory at Berklee student Olivia Goosman said she is still pinching herself over being cast in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical “Parade,” coming to the Emerson Colonial Theatre March 11-23. The musical theater major, who is minoring in stage management, likened the story line of “Parade,” which premiered on Broadway in 1998, to a true crime podcast. “We show [the audience] the evidence and let them decide,” she explained. “Parade” is a dramatization of the 1913 trial of Leo Frank, a Jewish American man living in Georgia who was accused and convicted of murdering a 13-year-old girl. Goosman, 20, plays the role of the murdered teenager, Mary Phagan. “I’m on in the very beginning for a good little second, but then during the testimony, there are flashbacks as part of the trial,” she said. “I did a lot of research going in to make sure I was telling her story as correctly as possible and also as truthfully as possible.” Goosman said that “as sad a story as it is, with the way Leo Frank is mistreated, it is also a beautiful love story between Leo and his wife.” And though the events on which the musical is based took place more than a century ago, she said they are relevant in 2025 “because we are still in a world where there are prejudices against people … and given where we are politically right now, the show is hitting pretty close to home. It’s tough sometimes.” Goosman, the youngest of three children, said she is looking forward to showing off her adopted city to her “wonderful” castmates while in Boston — including dining in the North End and shopping on Newbury Street — and seeing friends and teachers from the Conservatory. We caught up with the Ann Arbor, Mich., native to talk about all things travel.
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That would be a tour of Asia. Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea seem like highlights, but my dream trip would be to see it all. I haven’t been to Asia, but I have heard nothing but good things. My brother just went backpacking all over Southeast Asia and he said it had the most gorgeous views he had ever seen, and, in general, the food is some of the best ever, so I know I’d love that.
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Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own?
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I prefer to do it myself. I feel like you save money that way, and also you can plan more to what you know you want to do and not get stuck into too many touristy things.
Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation?
I love the idea of an unplugged vacation, but I’ve never tried it. It seems a bit unrealistic nowadays, but when I am on vacation, since I am distracted, I naturally use my phone a lot less, which feels nice.
What has been your worst vacation experience?
I haven’t had any horrible vacation experiences that stand out. But a travel one I have is when I moved to Boston. In Boston, it is law that your lease begins on Sept. 1 and ends on Aug. 31. So, this means that for the entire student population, there are about 12 hours when everyone is homeless with all their belongings in a U-Haul. This also means that on those two days, all of the streets are filled with kids and their parents — who usually are not Boston natives — trying to drive around the city with couches hanging out of their trunks and dressers out the windows. Many people get stuck under bridges or get into accidents, and even more people get parking tickets. It is quite literally the most chaos I’ve ever seen.
What is your favorite childhood travel memory?
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My mom had to travel a lot for her job when I was a kid, so I got to go to a lot of very cool places at a very young age. She worked in Australia for a while and that was such a fun vacation. We went all over, but spent a lot of time in the Gold Coast area. I loved going to the Australia Zoo, I did a ropes and zip lining course over some of the animal enclosures, which was super fun.
Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all?
I think it depends on the vacation. I try to do a bit of all three everywhere I go. While on tour, it’s been really fun to explore the cities. I haven’t been to many of the cities we are going to and it has been very fun so far trying the best food spots, going to the museums, and just this week a group of us went to an NBA game in Cleveland.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation?
I am currently reading “The Edible Woman” by Margaret Atwood. I’m only on the third chapter, so I can’t tell you how great it is yet; but so far, it’s been entertaining. I also love reading plays. I have a few in my trunk packed for this trip and am excited to read those.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be?
The first person who came to mind was Kim Kardashian, mainly because she has a private plane and seems to travel in luxury. I’d love to know what that is like as the best seat I’ve ever had is Delta Comfort Plus.
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What is the best gift to give a traveler?
Just before the tour started my parents got me the Béis Weekend Travel Bag and it is awesome. It fits everything and more, and it’s a perfect carry-on that holds all you would need for a weekend trip, or, like me, you can use it for all the things that don’t quite fit into the suitcase. It also has a compartment where you can put all your shoes, which is super convenient for keeping things clean and organized. I also think every traveler needs a good jewelry case. It’s something you don’t always think about, but having a place for your jewelry so it doesn’t get tangled or lost is an absolute necessity.
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip?
Recently my go-to snack has been Chex Mix. And for something sweet, Sour Punch Bites. I also love to go to Dunkin’ and get the everything bagel minis.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation?
I can’t think of souvenirs that stand out at the moment, but I’m doing something cool for this tour: I got a new water bottle at the start of the process, and in every city, I’m adding a new sticker so by the end I’ll have a little piece of every city to look back on. It’s looking super cute with the few I have so far.
What is your favorite app/website for travel?
I don’t use too many apps when traveling, but I have been using Beli, which is an app to rate restaurants.
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What has travel taught you?
I don’t quite know how, but travel has taught me the art of sleeping anywhere at any time. On most flights, I will fall asleep before the plane takes off and wake up to the landing. It’s pretty awesome.
What is your best travel tip?
Go with the flow. Don’t stress yourself out too much — and enjoy the airport. Try not to get too caught up in sticking to a plan for the week and take it day by day to do whatever you’re in the mood for that day. If something really cool comes up, take that opportunity. You never know when you’ll be back in the same place.
Juliet Pennington can be reached at writeonjuliet@comcast.net.
Parade’s Olivia Goosman on Chex Mix, plane sleeping
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