13 The Musical Thirteen…ready or not here it comes! But you might not be ready… So read the following letter before buying your tickets! 13 is a musical written and designed for a pre-teen audience . The musical opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 16, 2008 in previews, with an official opening on October 5, 2008 and closed on January 4, 2009 after 105 performances and 22 previews.[7] The director and choreographer were the same as at Goodspeed, and most of the Broadway cast was also in the Goodspeed production (except Moro, Hammond and Williams). There was a teen band, as in prior productions.[8] The production received one Drama Desk Award nomination, for Outstanding Lyrics by Brown. 13 was the first and only all Teenager cast and band in the history of Broadway. This outstanding, edgy musical treats thirteen year olds like thirteen year olds; it speaks to their frustration with the changes they are undergoing; a central theme is that no one tells them what they need to know in order to understand the world. In that everyone treats them like children, this musical refuses to do so. This musical about being thirteen, it’s about being bullied, it’s about the cost of popularity, and it’s about acceptance and forgiveness. Think ROMEO AND JULIET—in this story Romeo is Jewish, and Juliet is Catholic. Romeo is popular, but Juliet is considered an outsider. Replace Benvolio with Archie, who is suffering from muscular dystrophy, and is having his own issues with puberty and unacceptance. Now don’t worry, the lovers don’t run away to elope against their parent’s wishes—they do sneak into a horror movie called “THE BLOODMASTER” and there is a song in this musical about FRENCH KISSING called “Here Comes the Tongue”. Although there are a few edgy numbers, most of the numbers are heart-felt ballads about friendship, warnings about the double-edge sword of gossip, and songs becoming a better person. All of the songs in this musical can be easily found on the internet as this is a renown Broadway musical. Here are just a few of the songs from the musical that focus on the central themes: What it means to be a Friend Tell Her If That’s What it Is It Can’t Be True A Little More Homework A Brand New You Here are the titles of the songs that you could find, out of context, too mature for your son or daughter (the school edition is slightly altered to address frequent concerns):