13: The Musical
The Pozez Jewish Community Center Community Theatre
Photo credits: @thejccct on Instagram
As That Teen on the Scene, it’s about time to address the main demographic…
Teens.
Or in this case, thir-teens!
“13: The Musical,” the inaugural production of The Pozez Jewish Community Center Community Theatre, illustrated both the messy and heartwarming parts of becoming a teenager: finding your true friends while dealing with all the nonsensical characters along the way. The JCCCT’s cast of teens truly embraced the joy of this production, and it was clear that their friendship with one another was strong--both on and off the stage.
After all, what’s more important to teens than the inseparable bonds they come to foster with one another? It’s almost impossible to traverse the most vulnerable years of your life without a few shoulders to lean on.
We’ve discussed the “teens”-- now let’s hop into the “scene!”
13: The Musical
Now, going into this show, I did not know a lot about “13: The Musical.” Yes, I knew it was Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gillies’s big Broadway break, and I knew it was adapted into a less-than-favorably-rated Netflix movie, but that was pretty much it.
Did I know the score was composed by Jason Robert Brown? No, no I did not. Who would have guessed that the Tony-award winning composer of “Parade,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” and “The Last Five Years” also penned the score for “13: The Musical?”
Man, after the whole Flaherty and Ahrens debacle over Anastasia, I feel like I could be playing genre-departure bingo as I research the composers for these reviews. Someone put me in for jeopardy, I’m ready.
“13: The Musical” follows Evan Goldman in the time leading up to his Bar Mitzvah: a Jewish ceremony that celebrates a boy’s transition into adulthood. Having just moved to small-town Indiana, Evan’s determined to make friends as fast as possible. His ultimate goal is to pack his Bar Mitzvah with tons of people, and make it the coolest event ever… but in true teen fashion, he destroys a few relationships and drives his true friends away in the process. Luckily, teenagers are basically pros at learning from their mistakes (because we’re constantly making them), and with some help from his true friends, Evan realizes he still has “a little more homework” to do.
This Production
Miles Cameron opened the show as the aforementioned Evan, and brought the audience along for the twists and turns of his character’s impulsive (and often irrational) decisions. Cameron delivered rapid-fire dialogue with his castmates and treated the slower moments of the show with just as much intention; particularly as he reconciled with Adrianna Castillo’s kind-hearted Patrice. Acting as the archetype of “best friend who’s forgotten halfway through the musical because she’s pushed aside for the ‘popular’ characters,” Castillo stepped into the role of Patrice. Except, Patrice doesn’t let herself get forgotten quite as easily in “13,” and Castillo made sure she didn’t go down without a fight. Alongside Penelope Mollen’s snarky Archie, the two were able to show Cameron the error of his ways.
“13: The Musical” didn’t shy away from painting teenagers as larger-than-life caricatures. Griffin Wagner, for one, enthusiastically leaned into the stereotype of quarterback Brett. Wagner’s Brett was a textbook jock: the perfect epitome of no thoughts, head empty. On the other hand, Ella Way played the calculated Lucy with a sly gaze and sassy flick of her hair. She faced off against Amelie Turcotte’s Kendra, her best friend (and momentary enemy), in a battle of cartwheels, back handsprings, and impressive tumbles during the cheerleading number “Opportunity.” Shout out to choreographer Sydney Grossbard for utilizing these talented dancers during the numbers!
Speaking of numbers, “13: The Musical” has quite a lot of them, and was almost entirely sung-through--a tall order for both the ensemble, and the production’s hard-working pit. Luckily for us, everyone was up to the task. Never once did the enthusiastic ensemble lose their energy during the whirlwind course of the show, and the pit didn’t miss a beat.
The set was kept simple, allowing the audience to fill in the blanks. Colorful PVC pipes were connected into playground-esque structures, turning the stage of the Jewish Community Center into a playground for the cast of students. Between scenes, the cast rearranged these structures to signify different locations, and with the help of vibrant lighting design, emphasized emotionally-heightened moments.
Final Thoughts
For a show called “13: The Musical,” I figured the target audience would be kids, but it turns out the musical’s content is far from an episode of Bluey. Granted, I’m sure it’s nothing a kid these days hasn’t heard, but be forewarned: a shocking amount of the plot centers around Brett’s plan to use “the tongue” on his date to the movies with Kendra… and that’s just scratching the surface. (Nothing against “the tongue,” it made me giggle, but it was certainly something I didn’t expect from such a Disney Channel-esque show).
Tongue aside, the messages at the heart of the show are certainly worth exploring. Every teenager has experienced the rocky road to adulthood, and the struggles in finding yourself amid a group of peers who are just as confused.
All throughout, it was clear that the cast was tight-knit and had a blast performing the show each night. Congratulations to the JCCCT on their first-ever production! It had a beautiful performance space (with some of the comfiest auditorium chairs I’ve ever sat in), and a dedicated team working behind it. I’m excited to see what the stage holds next!
Learn more about the JCCCT at https://thej.org/family-youth/chai-5-after-school-program/community-theatre/