Unlucky 13 – Another New Musical to Close
High School Musical Meets Broadway
Evan Goldman thinks he has it all. Then he hits puberty, and his existing life begins to crumble and fall away. Following his parents' divorce, his mother uproots them from New York to “the lamest place in the world” in Indiana. With everything changing, from his surrounding to his appearance, Evan becomes desperate to recreate some semblance of his former life before he turns 13! This is the premise of a recently-closed New York show: 13, a New Musical.
The Score
The energetic opening song “13” is endearing. It captures something of the feelings of adolescence through its lyrics, and it is also well choreographed. This entertaining number provides the show with a strong opening. Some of the other songs are not as effective or entertaining, but the final numbers, “If That’s What It Is” and “A Little More Homework” return to the well calculated equation of clever comedy added to heart-warming wisdom.
In general the music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown are good, although perhaps not entirely great, for conveying the mood and atmosphere of the confusing years of junior high. Yet, individual audience members may vary in their grading of Brown’s schoolroom score.
The Cast
The cast are generally strong, and Graham Phillips, who plays Evan Goldman at most performances, holds audience attention with his realistic and sympathetic portrayal of the topsy-turvy thoughts of a thirteen year old. It is also beneficial to the show that the majority of the cast looks the correct age for their characters. Even the band is populated by talented teens.
The mixture of character types is reminiscent of the sorts of characters one would meet in a classroom, and since this is a comedy which verges on spoof, some stereotypical extremes are justifiable.
The Story
13 tells the story of searching for a personal piece of the world once playing with toys and pretending to be a superhero has supposedly been outgrown. Many of the thoughts and concerns expressed are characteristic of actual teens, and the plot is more truthful to the feelings of young teens than most modern depictions of the same age range. There are some discrepancies between factual and fictional feeling, but overall the situations and sensibilities simulate something of actual youth.
There is a range of comedy to suit different tastes, and some insights are made into being a teenager. The story does not become melodramatic, and while at only 90 minutes, areas of the show may seem slightly drawn out, this too recreates the truth of being 13.
Closure of another New Musical
After barely a four-month run on Broadway, 13 is due to go the way of several other new musicals of the season, such as A Tale of Two Cities. Not only did 13 run the risk of seeming to be a younger version of High School Musical. It also had limited appeal because in the abstract it sounds suited to a predominantly adolescent audience and, practically, grown-ups may better appreciate some of the ironies exposed within the story.
Information
13, a New Musical began Broadway previews on September 16, 2008 and opened on October 5, 2008. It played its final Broadway performance at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater on January 4, 2009.
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