| 13 | |
|---|---|
2008 Original Broadway Cast Recording |
|
| Music | Jason Robert Brown |
| Lyrics | Jason Robert Brown |
| Book | Dan Elish Robert Horn |
| Productions | 2007 Los Angeles 2008 Goodspeed Musicals 2008 Broadway |
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 the celebration of his Bar Mitzvah. It premièred in 2007 in Los Angeles and transferred to Broadway on September 16, 2008.
Contents |
The musical premiered on January 7, 2007 at The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, California 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 original cast included Tinashe Kachingwe who would later rise to prominence as a pop star in 2010.[1][2] This production received a nomination for the 2007 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, World Premiere Musical.[3]
The musical was next 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.[4]
The musical opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 16, 2008 in previews, with an official opening on October 5, 2008 and closed on January 4, 2009 after 105 performances and 22 previews.[5] The director and choreographer were as at Goodspeed, and most of the Broadway cast was also in the Goodspeed production (except Moro, Hammond and Williams). There is a teen band, as in prior productions.[6] This production received one Drama Desk Award nomination, for Outstanding Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown.
The musical opened Off-Broadway at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre on April 23, 2011, in a production by the Children's Acting Company. This is a six performance engagement featuring revisions made by Brown, Dan Elish and Robert Horn which were performed at French Woods Performing Arts Camp in summer 2009 and Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, in the fall 2009 as well as Indian Head camp in summer of 2010.[7]
In July 2009, the first amateur production of 13 premiered at French Woods Festival, New York. In the last week of production, composer and former French Woods alumnus, Jason Robert Brown worked on the orchestrations and monitored the production. The song "Being a Geek" (and all remaining subplots with the rabbis) from the Los Angeles run was reinserted into the production. This new version was also produced at the Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, Texas, in September 2009, by the Apprentice Conservatory Training at Theatre Under The Stars. In March 2010, it was performed by Moonlight Productions in Georgetown, MA. In Summer 2010, 13 was performed by Stages, a children's theatre company, in East Hampton New York and was repeated in December at the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, NY. And in Summer 2011, it was performed at the Wildfish Theatre in Houston, TX[8], as well as at the Community Theatre of Howell in Howell, MI. [9] In April 2011 the Rival Youth Theatre Performed the Regional London Premiere of 13 at the Walton Playhouse. It was co-produced by The Rival Theatre Company and Directed by Frazer Brown.
In 2009-2010, the first production of 13 in Israel occurred in Jerusalem, and surprisingly became an Israeli phenomenon overnight, with three re-mounts in larger venues in Jerusalem as well as national newspaper and television coverage. The production was enhanced by incorporating direction by a teenager and extensive dramaturgy.[10][11]
In the summer of 2010, 13 had it's legitimate World Spanish Premiere in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. It should be noted that it was directed, translated, and performed entirely by teenagers, with all revenue donated to the Mexican Red Cross. Directed and translated by Héctor Flores Komatsu, and choreographed by Pepe Esparza & Brenda D'Granda. Subsequent productions across Mexico and Latin America have also used this production's translation.[12]
The first UK performance of "13" was performed by Riverside Theatre Company, a youth theatre company from St Neots, performed at Comberton Village College on the 17th July 2010.[13] Directed by Richard Mann, choreographed by Sara Johnson, and Ian Tipping and Jo Ryan were the musical directors.
12-year old New Yorker Evan Goldman is surrounded by rabbis. After chanting to him, one of them explains that when a boy has his Bar Mitzvah, he becomes an adult. As the rabbis reveal that they're actually other New York kids, Evan tells the audience about how stressful turning 13 is - especially since his parents are getting divorced and he's under pressure to have the best Bar Mitzvah imaginable ("13 / Becoming A Man"). Just as Evan thinks maybe things will be fine, his mother calls to tell him they're moving to Indiana. Once there, however, Evan finds a friend in his neighbor, Patrice. Evan is disappointed that there aren't any cool places to have his Bar Mitzvah. Patrice agrees that their town is lame, but things have gotten better since Evan moved there ("The Lamest Place in the World").
When school starts, Brett, the most popular kid in school, summons up the courage to ask Kendra, the prettiest girl in school, to a scary movie Friday night so he can kiss her with tongue. Despite her best friend Lucy's attempts to dissuade her, Kendra consents. Inviting Kendra to a scary movie was Evan's idea, so Brett decides that Evan is cool and refers to him as "Brain." Evan is thrilled. This means Brett will come to his Bar Mitzvah, and if Brett comes, everyone else will come. Patrice, however, is not pleased. If she goes to the Bar Mitzvah, nobody else will go because they hate her. Evan doesn't think it'll be that bad, but when he hands out invitations, he sees Patrice is right, so he rips up her invitation ("Hey Kendra / Invitations"). As the other kids express their excitement over Evan's party, Archie enters and introduces himself. He's upset at Evan for humiliating Patrice—who's his best and only friend—but promises to help make it up to her if Evan gets him a date with Kendra. When using his degenerative illness to guilt Evan into getting him the date doesn't work, Archie tries to convince him that he can't turn to anyone else ("Get Me What I Need / Kendra Dream"). Evan finally relents. Later, at cheerleader practice, Kendra teaches a new cheer while Lucy resolves to make Brett her boyfriend ("Opportunity"). Archie tries to talk Patrice into giving Evan a second chance, especially since she has a crush on him, but she's lost faith in him ("What It Means To Be A Friend").
In class, Brett tells Evan to get his mom to buy them all tickets to "The Bloodmaster." Evan protests that his mother won't buy them tickets to an R-rated movie, but Brett points out that if he doesn't, nobody will go to his Bar Mitzvah. Evan cycles through possible plans, eventually settling on having Archie use his illness to guilt his mother ("All Hail the Brain / Terminal Illness"). To make things better with Patrice, Evan asks her to go to the movie with him, as a date. He then realizes that he set up Archie's date with Kendra when everyone is seeing "The Bloodmaster", which is Kendra's date with Brett. Evan makes Archie promise to do nothing more than sit next to Kendra to not screw up Brett's date. Archie agrees, and everyone prepares for Friday night ("Getting Ready").
At the movie, Patrice is upset that Evan isn't even sitting next to her. Brett and Kendra overthink their impeding kiss, and just as they're about to actually do so, Archie ruins it ("Any Minute"). Brett swears revenge on Evan and Archie, and Lucy, seeing her chance, kisses Brett. Patrice tells off Evan when she sees all he cares about is Brett being angry at him ("Good Enough"). Even Archie is upset with Evan, who then realizes he's in danger of being a lonely geek ("Being A Geek").
As Lucy and Brett begin dating, she forces him to spend more and more time with her. Brett's friends recognize that Lucy isn't good for Brett or for them at all ("Bad Bad News"). Evan promises to help get Brett and Kendra back together so he can get back on everyone's good side. Archie, fearing that this is a suicide mission, begs Patrice to help Evan. She shows up just in time to tell Brett to talk to Kendra, and she and Evan suggest things to say - while resolving their own issues ("Tell Her"). Brett takes their advice, and he and Kendra are a couple again. Lucy, however, won't stand for this. She spreads a rumor that Kendra is cheating on Brett with Evan, and then gets Evan and Kendra in the same place so Brett can catch them ("It Can't Be True"). Her plan works. As Kendra runs after Brett, Evan realizes that he didn't really want to be friends with Brett, anyway, and that Archie and Patrice are his real friends. He wants to call off the Bar Mitzvah because it'd only be the three of them, but Archie and Patrice point out it won't be that bad. Evan has his Bar Mitzvah after all ("It that's What It Is / Evan's Haftorah"). He's starting to understand what growing up means ("A Little More Homework"). The show ends with the cast singing "Brand New You".
Two songs, "Introduction" (Company) and "I Know You Want Me" (Lucy, Archie & Company), were written and recorded, but were cut before any actual performances.
|
|
During previews the show ran for two hours and an intermission. “Here I Come” closed Act I and “Opportunity” picked up Act II. The show was later revised into one continuous act. The Original Broadway Cast Album was recorded during previews. The album does not include the song “Good Enough”, but it does include the following cut songs:
|
|
The world premiere of 13's Cantonese version takes place at Jockey Club Auditorium, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 7 October 2011.
|
|
|||||