Thirteen is that uneasy, angst-filled and shaky time of life when one tries hardest to fit in while one’s body is filling out. As one 13-year-old recently posted as her status, “So far, being 13 is like one long extended pimple.” For most Jewish kids, approaching or turning 13 also means becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
Then there’s Evan Goldman, the central character in Spinning Tree Theatre’s upcoming professional premiere of the energetic musical, “13.” He faces a particularly challenging time of disorientation and discovery. Evan is a kid who has it all. He’s smart, popular, cool, loves his family, the Yankees and living in fast-paced New York City. His Bar Mitzvah is approaching, and he imagines a perfect celebration taking place in October, when he turns 13. But Evan’s world is suddenly turned upside down when he is ripped from the life he knows and transplanted to the small town of Appleton, Indiana, following his parents’ divorce. Evan must not only cope with life-changing events, but now he must also navigate his way through the labeling maze of his new middle school’s emblematic and defining cliques — the jocks, nerds, geeks, cheerleader wannabees, stoners and cool kids — as he tries to find his place, seeking popularity at all costs. The proverbial plot is thickened by the all-too-typical cruel, middle school behaviors that involve scheming, lying, bullying, betrayal, coercion and malicious gossip.
Michael Grayman and Andrew Parkhurst are the co-directors of “13” as well as the co-founders of this equity theater, now in its fifth season. The two have established a reputation for bringing remarkable productions to Kansas City and for creating theatrical and artistic experiences that not only spotlight diversity but provide audiences with inspiring entertainment.
“You hear many voices when you go to the theater, but you rarely hear the voices of teenagers. ‘13’ was appealing to us because it is the only musical in the history of Broadway that features an all-teenage cast, and with Kansas City having such a disproportionately high number of talented youth, this musical in particular provided the opportunity to focus on nineteen of the brightest stars to be,” Grayman said.
Andrew Parkhurst stated that “13” offers an audience the opportunity to see incredibly talented kids from across the greater Kansas City metropolitan area before “having to fly to New York, Los Angeles or Chicago to see them.” The 19 young professionals who appear in “13,” are all between the ages of 12 and 16.
According to Grayman, “13” went through its own period of transition. After running on Broadway for 105 performances, Tony-award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown (“Parade,” “Bridges of Madison County”), along with singer and award-winning author Dan Elish (“Confessions of an 8th Grade Basket Case”) and another veteran TV and film writer Robert Horn (“Designing Women”), reworked the coming-of-age musical. The renewed version was then staged at the French Woods Performing Arts Camp in upstate New York. Brown was quoted by Playbill.com as saying that he and his collaborators “loved the show we put on Broadway, but felt that ‘13’s’ future life would be well-served by taking one more shot at certain sections … particularly those sections that might not make as much sense to an audience outside of New York City.”
How does the play about a Jewish youth on the verge of becoming a Bar Mitzvah translate to Kansas City performers who may not be familiar with the tradition? Grayman spent time during rehearsals explaining in detail the meaning of this Jewish rite of passage for the benefit of cast members not already familiar with it.
“Most of the cast,” he said, “have attended at least one Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony.”
Grayman then added, “I remember when I became a Bar Mitzvah when I was 13, back in Cincinnati where I grew up. I can recall feeling some of the same emotions that Evan experiences. I especially remember people saying to me, ‘Today you are a man’ and really wondering exactly what that meant.”
For young Evan Goldman, as he becomes a Bar Mitzvah, he, too, reflects on what it means to become a man. As he stands on the threshold of young adulthood, he realizes what kind of man he wants to become.
The musical will run Feb. 11 through Feb. 28 at Just off Broadway Theater, located at 3051 Penn Valley Drive, Kansas City, MO. Ticket prices range from $20 to $45. Seating is limited. Tickets may be purchased by calling Spinning Tree Theatre at 816-569-5277 or by visiting the website at www.spinningtreetheatre.com. This production is considered age-appropriate for those who are 13 and those who have been 13.