ABOUT THE MUSICAL
"13" is an original musical with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn.
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SYNOPSIS:
Following a move from New York City to small-town Indiana, young Evan Goldman grapples with his parents' divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah, and navigates the complicated social circles of a new school. 13 is the only Broadway musical ever with a cast and band entirely made of teenagers. It originally began previews on September 16, 2008 and officially opened on October 5, 2008 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
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The Broadway production closed on January 4, 2009 after a total of 105 performances. The show was directed by Jeremy Samsand starred Graham Phillips as Evan Goldman and Allie Trimm as Patrice. It also starred Corey Snide as Evan on the matinee performances, Aaron Simon Gross as Archie Walker, Eric Nelsen as Brett Samson, and Delaney Moro as Kendra. The Broadway production is notable for being the professional debuts of Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gillies who would later go on to star together in the television series Victorious.
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CASTING:
Character Breakdown
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Evan
A twelve-and-a-half-year-old Jewish city boy from New York City. Just having moved to Indiana, he is trying to find a place to fit in. This bright, goodhearted guy is about to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah and needs to find people to invite. He eventually becomes close with Patrice and Archie. Our story's protagonist. Requires on-stage kiss.
Gender: Male
Tenor
Vocal range top: Bb4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
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Archie
Unique, positive and intuitive. A good-humored, intelligent, but unpopular kid, whose energy and looks are unlike anything else in Appleton. Patrice's best friend. Manipulative, funny, fast, with a flair for the dramatic. He walks on crutches as the result of muscular dystrophy - his disease gives him a perspective on life that is in many ways beyond his years. Madly in love with Kendra.
Actor must be comfortable using crutches and have excellent physicality and comic timing.
Gender: Male
Tenor
Vocal range top: Bb4
Vocal range bottom: Ab2
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Brett
The prototypical vain junior high school football star. Cool, handsome, and about as smart as a postage stamp. All the girls on the cheerleading team are head over heels to date him. He is willing to succeed at the expense of others. Leads a pack of popular boys and can be a bully. Rude to anyone who isn’t in his clique, Brett is only concerned about being cool and making out. Requires on-stage kiss.
Gender: Male
Tenor + Falsetto
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
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Patrice
A shy, intelligent, bookworm and a grounded, kind girl. She is the first person which Evan meets and they soon become friends. She has a little crush on him. She is Archie's best friend. Requires on-stage kiss.
Gender: Female
mezzo Belter
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Eb3
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Lucy
A smart, manipulative cheerleader who secretly desires to have her "friend" Kendra's boyfriend Brett. Lucy has a great deal of control over Kendra. She tries to get Brett to break up with Kendra so she can start dating him. Sneaky and feisty and shallow. Requires on-stage kiss.
Gender: Female
Mezzo
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: F#3
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Kendra
The prettiest and most popular girl in school. She has a major crush on Brett and they are an on-and-off couple.
The bubbly, popular, head cheerleader. Lucy's best friend and unknowing rival. Kendra is good at heart, but she is naive and very impressionable. Kendra struggles with the pressures of popularity.
Gender: Female
Mezzo
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
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Malcolm
A wannabe popular kid and one of Brett's sidekicks. Brett’s lackey and also a member of the football team. Malcolm lives to serve Brett – if Brett’s happy, Malcolm’s happy.
Gender: Male
Baritenor + Falsetto
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: F#3
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Eddie
A wannabe popular kid and one of Brett's sidekicks. Brett’s lackey and also a member of the football team. Eddie lives to serve Brett – if Brett’s happy, Eddies’ happy.
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
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Cassie
A cheerleader and friends with Lucy and Kendra. Cassie is all about being the best she can be, loving her friends, and keeping up on trends. Cassie is a very fashion forward girl, a diva, and loves to gossip.
Gender: Female
F#3- F5 Soprano Belter
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Charlotte
A cheerleader and friends with Lucy and Kendra. She likes to text and hang out with friends. She is very gullible.
Gender: Female
A#3-F5 Mezzo Belter
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Molly
A cheerleader and friends with Lucy and Kendra. Molly is cool, hip, and confident, She's the girl that loves gossip, loves to start a rumor, gets into everyone’s business, then steps back to watch as all hell breaks loose.
F#3-C#5 Mezzo Belter
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Richie
Friends with Brett, Malcolm and Eddie. Richie is explosive, the class clown, the goofball. He is very likable and is a big social kind of guy.
Gender: Male
A2-C5 (E5) High Tenor + Falsetto
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Simon
Friends with Brett, Malcolm and Eddie. Simon is the quiet, unassuming kid that just wants to get by, yet finds himself in the middle of everything. He's in Brett's shadow on the team, but always there as back-up.
Gender: Male
C2-C5 Tenor
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Ensemble
Rabbis; Kids
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MUSICAL NUMBERS:
EVAN
"13/Becoming a Man"
"All Hail the Brain"
"Terminal Illness"
"Being a Geek"
​"Tell Her"
"If That's What It Is"
"A Little More Homework"
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PATRICE
​"The Lamest Place in the World"
"What It Means to Be a Friend"
"Any Minute"
​"Good Enough"
​"Tell Her"
"If That's What It Is"
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ARCHIE
​"Get Me What I Need"
"Terminal Illness"
"Any Minute"
"If That's What It Is"
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LUCY
"Hey Kendra"
"Opportunity"
"It Can't Be True"
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KENDRA
"Hey Kendra"
"Any Minute"
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BRETT
"Hey Kendra"
"Any Minute"
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MALCOLM, EDDIE
"Hey Kendra"
"Bad Bad News"
MOLLY, CASSIE, CHARLOTTE
"It Can't Be True"
"Brand New You"
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COMPANY
"13/Becoming a Man"
​"Get Me What I Need"
"Opportunity"
"Terminal Illness"
"Getting Ready"
"Being a Geek"
"It Can't Be True"
"A Little More Homework"
"Brand New You"
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ADDITIONAL FACTS
SHOW HISTORY
Productions
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Pre-Broadway
Los Angeles
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.
Goodspeed
The musical was next presented at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut, by Goodspeed Musicals from May 9, 2008 through June 8, 2008.
Broadway
The musical opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 16, 2008. The production received one Drama Desk Award nomination, for Outstanding Lyrics by Brown. 13 is the first and only all Teenager Cast and Band to ever hit Broadway.
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Proposed film adaptation
In 2014, CBS Films announced that they intend to produce a film adaption of the musical. The screenplay is set to be written by Bert V. Royal, with producers Laurence Mark, Bob Boyett and executive producer, David Blackman. Jason Robert Brown is expected to oversee the adaptation's music and lyrics.
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TRIVIA
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Ariana revealed in an interview with Seventeen that her shoe came off during one of the shows and landed in the front row. However, she just kept dancing and singing.
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13 is the first musical to have a cast full of kids playing all the roles.
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Other Resources
We highly recommend that you watch an entire stage production as well as familiarize yourself with the soundtrack to the show.
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