A SOLID 10 FOR 13
San Diego Musical Theatre’s Pre-Professional production of 13: The Musical, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Last Five Years), left me positively giddy last Sunday, the opening weekend for this bright, splashy, inspiring, funny musical. I didn’t attend to review, and frankly it isn’t necessary. While I want to offer a huge thanks to cast and crew, I am telling you DO. NOT. MISS. IT. It closes next weekend, and tickets are scarce, so move it.
With a huge 22-member age-appropriate cast (most are around 13), the staging and choreography are perfect for SDMT’s intimate house. The teens bounce off the floor with acrobatics and energy that only real thirteen year olds can capture, filling the room with vitality and charisma as they knock every single rock song outta the park. The company is made up of incredibly distinctive kids who act like pros already, never displaying any nerves as they pack the stage with unbounded enthusiasm, a testament to the fine direction, and to the pure raw talent and joy of these young actors.
The story is about Evan, a transplant to Indiana from New York City when his parents divorce. With his Bar Mitzvah just around the corner, Evan realizes that he’s at a fork in the road. If he can get the “cool kids” to attend his party, his status will be cemented for the rest of the year. Of course, this means excluding his best friend and fellow nerd Patrice, who has been there for him through thick and thin. Eventually, Evan must grapple with becoming a man, while simultaneously deciding how to balance his need to “fit in” while staying true to himself.
The bottom line is that this is a bright, bold, brash delight, performed by memorable actors who really make the show’s content shine.
13
San Diego Musical Theatre
4650 Mercury Street in San Diego
Fri & Sat at 7; Sat & Sun at 2
ends on July 28, 2024
for tickets ($35), call 858.560.5740 or visit SDMT
