13 (musical)

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13
Music Jason Robert Brown
Lyrics Jason Robert Brown
Book Dan Elish
Robert Horn
Productions 2007 Los Angeles
2008 Goodspeed Musicals
2008 Broadway planned

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.

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.[1]

The show is scheduled to be presented at the Norma Terris Theater in Chester, Connecticut, by Goodspeed Musicals May 9, 2008-June 8, 2008, with direction by Jeremy Sams and choreography by Christopher Gattelli.[2] According to producer Bob Boyett, the musical is expected to open on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre the first week of September 2008. Boyett said that he expects "basically" the Goodspeed cast to repeat their roles.[3]

Contents

[edit] 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, Archie gets a kiss from Kendra, and everybody is happy.

[edit] Songs

  • "Thirteen!" (Evan and Company)
  • "All The Cool Kids" (Brett, Malcolm, Eddie and Company)
  • "Get Me What I Need" (Archie and Kendra)
  • "What It Means To Be A Friend" (Patrice)
  • "Getting Ready" (Archie, Evan, Brett, 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, 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)

[edit] References

  1. ^ playbill article, January 7, 2007
  2. ^ playbill article, April 22, 2008, "Teen Time! Cast Announced for Goodspeed Run of 13 Musical"
  3. ^ playbill article, Jones, Kenneth, April 29, 2008, "Teen Spirit: New Musical 13 Aims for Broadway's Jacobs in September", Retrieved 4-28-2008

[edit] External links


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Jason Robert Brown musicals