13

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

Book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn

Broadway:

Opened October 5, 2008

Closed January 4, 2009 (105 performances)

Original Broadway Cast: Graham Phillips (Evan), Corey Snide (Evan alternate), Eric Nelsen (Brett), Allie Trimm (Patrice), Delaney Moro (Kendra), Aaron Simon Gross (Archie), Malik Hammond (Malcolm), Al Calderon (Eddie), and Elizabeth Gillies (Lucy) Directed by Jeremy Sams; Choreographed by Christopher Gattelli; Musical Direction by Tom Kitt; Scenic Design and Costume Design by David Farley; Lighting Design by Brian MacDevitt; Played at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

Songs include: "13/ Becoming a Man," "The Lamest Place in the World," "Hey Kendra," "Get Me What I Need," "What It Means to Be a Friend," "All Hail the Brain/ Terminal Illness," "Getting Ready," "Any Minute," "Here I Come," "Opportunity," "Bad Bad News," "Tell Her," "It Can't Be True," "If That's What It Is," "A Little More Homework," and "Brand New You."

13 is a musical about young teenagers, featuring actors who are young teenagers, and even musicians that are young teenagers. Most shows featuring children also feature seasoned adult actors to take some of the pressure off the youngsters. This show is the exception. These kids need to carry the whole show. The plot is rather immaterial, dealing with a kid preparing for his bar mitzvah as he moves from New York City to Indiana, and the various romantic entanglements adolescents get into.

13 was a nice surprise. In a world where High School Musical is so popular, I wasn't sure what to expect from a show featuring an entire cast from the Miley Cyrus generation. However, I've been a big fan of Jason Robert Brown since I listened to The Last Five Years when I was starting college in 2004, so I was hopeful that the score might be a success. It was. The songs are surprisingly sophisticated without losing their believablity. The problem with the show, and the probable reason for it's relatively brief run, is that Broadway audiences are not going to flock to see a show that essentially has a plot reminiscent of your basic Nickelodeon sitcom, even with a good score being sung by a talented cast. It's something that's hard to take seriously, even without considering the quality of the piece. That being said, it's an interesting idea. The show manages to depict young people without over-intellectualizing them, but also showing that they are real people with problems that are just as important as adults' problems are to them. I really like most of the songs a lot, as Brown continutes his interesting work. I think that if 13 is remembered, it will probably be looked at as a noble experiment that ultimately failed. It's definitely worth a listen if you can get your hands on a copy of the score. Thanks for checking this out. Next up is 1776.