13 (musical)

Infobox Musical
name= 13


caption= 2008 Original Broadway Cast Recording
music=Jason Robert Brown
lyrics=Jason Robert Brown
book=Dan Elish
Robert Horn
basis=
productions= 2007 Los Angeles
2008 Goodspeed Musicals
2008 Broadway
awards=

"13" is a musical with lyrics and music by Jason Robert Brown and a book by Dan Elish, with Robert Horn newly joining as co-librettist. The story concerns the life of 13 year old Evan Goldman as he moves from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, and his dilemma when the move conflicts with his Bar Mitzvah. It premiered in 2007 in Los Angeles and transfered to Broadway on September 16, 2008.

Productions

The musical premiered on January 7, 2007 at The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, CA and ran through February 18, 2007. The production was directed by Todd Graff, with choreography by Michele Lynch, and the cast and band were all teenagers. [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/104686.html playbill article, January 7, 2007] ]

The show was presented at the Norma Terris Theater in Chester, Connecticut, by Goodspeed Musicals from May 9, 2008 through June 8, 2008, with direction by Jeremy Sams and choreography by Christopher Gattelli. [Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/117016.html "Teen Time! Cast Announced for Goodspeed Run of 13 Musical",] playbill.com, April 22, 2008, ] ] It opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 16, 2008 in previews, with an official opening on October 5, 2008. The cast for the Broadway production includes Graham Phillips as Evan, Aaron Simon Gross as Archie, Allie Trimm as Patrice, Delaney Moro as Kendra, Elizabeth Gillies as Lucy, Eric Nelsen as Brett, Eamon Foley as Richie, and Joey LaVarco as Simon. (All except Moro were in the Goodspeed production.) There is a teen band, as in prior productions. [Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121334.html "13, A New Musical Comes of Age on Broadway Sept. 16",] playbill.com, Sept. 16, 2008]

Plot summary

"This summary is for the version in Los Angeles."

After his parents' divorce, Evan Goldman must move to Appleton, Indiana from New York City. He is about to have his Bar Mitzvah in the basement of a church, presided over by a rabbi that he and his mom found online. He is appalled at the prospect of the guest list consisting only of his mom and her friend Pam. Evan thinks that if he can get all the cool kids at his new school, Dan Quayle Junior High, to come to his Bar Mitzvah party, he will make a lot of friends and become cool. Unfortunately this means excluding the only friend he has made, Patrice, an intellectual girl, because she is not cool and would ruin his chances of joining the cool crowd. The independent Patrice becomes angry and decides to not be Evan's friend anymore.

Evan then encounters a nerdy kid named Archie who is terminally ill with a degenerative muscular disease. Archie tells Evan that if he doesn't get him a date with the beautiful head cheerleader, Kendra, that he will show up at his Bar Mitzvah and ruin it. Evan reluctantly agrees. At lunch Brett, the popular football player, talks to Evan about making a plan to get him, his posse, Kendra, and Kendra's jealous friend Lucy, into a rated R horror movie entitled "The Blood Master". Evan then says that he can use guilt, "The Jews' greatest contribution to society," to get his mom to buy them the tickets. He then tells Archie that he will get him into the movie too and arrange for him to sit next to Kendra where he can talk to her. While Lucy and Kendra are getting ready, Lucy tells Kendra that if Kendra makes out with Brett, she will be a slut and a skank. Lucy is jealous of Kendra, and she wants to go out with Brett herself. Brett prepares to make out with Kendra by doing his "exercises".

At the movie, Archie sits next to Kendra but messes up his opportunity by choking up and answering "Hi Kendra!!!" to the question "Hi, what's your name?" Archie leaves the theater and informs the manager that there are underage people in movie, and everybody leaves feeling that everything is Evan's fault. The next day at the football game Brett is still mad and sad that he didn't get to kiss Kendra. This affects his playing, and he freezes twice during the game. After the second time, Kendra comes out and they make-up and finally kiss. After the game, Evan goes up to the bleachers to Archie and Patrice and helps Archie write a note to Kendra telling her how he feels. Meanwhile, Lucy is spreading a rumor that Evan and Kendra have been fooling around to make Brett upset and leave Kendra. Brett and Evan almost get in a fight, but Brett decides not to waste his energy on Evan and walks away with Lucy.

All of these adventures have helped Evan to realize that being cool is not the only value, and he apologizes to Patrice, setting the stage for his Bar Mitzvah and entry into adulthood. To his surprise, everyone shows up at Evan's Bar Mitzvah in a happier mood. They explain that they found Lucy's phone and all the phony text messages that she sent out to make it seem like Kendra was cheating on Brett with Evan. They all party, Simon gets a kiss from Kendra, and everybody is happy.

Songs

Original song list (Mark Taper Forum, LA)
*"Thirteen!" (Evan and Company)
*"All The Cool Kids" (Brett, Malcolm, Simon, Eddie and Company)
*"Get Me What I Need" (Archie and Kendra)
*"What It Means To Be A Friend" (Patrice)
*"Getting Ready" (Archie, Evan, Brett, Simon, Kendra, Lucy and Company)
*"The Blood Master" (Cassie, Molly, Charlotte, Simon, Richie, and Company)
*"Being a Geek" (Evan, Rabbi (Archie), and Boys)
*"Angry Boy" (Brett, Malcolm, Simon, Kendra, Lucy, and Company)
*"Tell Her" (Evan and Patrice)
*"It Can't Be True" (Lucy and Company)
*"Getting Over It" (Evan)
*"My Name is Archie" (Archie)
*"Brand New You" (Kendra, Patrice, and Company)

"The Show is performed in one Act"

New song list (Goodspeed);Act I
*"Thirteen!" (Evan and Company)
*"The Lamest Place In the World" (Patrice)
*"Becoming A Man" (Evan)
*"I've Got A Feeling" (Patrice, Brett and Company)
*"Get Me What I Need" (Archie & Company)
*"What It Means To Be A Friend" (Patrice)
*"All Hail The Brain"(Evan, Archie and Company)
*"Getting Ready" (Evan, Archie, Lucy, Kendra, Brett, Patrice and Company)
*"Any Minute" (Brett and Kendra)
*"Here I Come" (Evan and Company);Act II
*"Opportunity" (Lucy, Kendra, Brett and Company)
*"Anything You Want" (Brett, Lucy, Kendra and Company)
*"Bad Bad News" (Malcom, Eddie, Simon and Boys)
*"Tell Her" (Evan and Patrice)
*"Big Day" (Company)
*"Perfect Pieces" (Evan)
*"It Can't Be True" (Lucy and Company)
*"If That's What It Is" (Archie, Patrice and Evan)
*"A Little More Homework" (Evan and Company)

The finalized Broadway song list is different than the previous two.

References

External links

* [http://www.13themusical.com Official website]
*ibdb title|480453|13

* [http://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/productiondetail.aspx?id=498 Mark Taper Forum]
* [http://www.curtainup.com/13la.html "Curtain Up" review, includes song list]
* [http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/9819 Theatremania.com review, Jan. 10, 2007]
* [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932410.html?categoryid=33&cs=1 "Variety" review, Jan. 8, 2007]
* [http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/01/16/034144.php "Culture" review, January 16, 2007]
* [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/la/la233.html "Talkin' Broadway" review]