Directing "13"

I was skeptical of a show written exclusively for middle school kids. The reviews from the Broadway production were mixed to negative, but when I heard the show's cast recording, I knew this was something Singing Onstage needed to do.
Last October, I received notification that it was available to license and we decided that 13 would be the show for middle school students for the spring of 2010. (Yet another Singing Onstage premiere production!)
We've been working on the show for 4 months with a group of 18 very talented and enthusiastic students, the vast majority of whom are actually 13 years old! My partner in crime is our amazing choreographer Jill A. Brighton, and it was Jill who worked with the cast for the majority of the first two months as I directed my thesis project to complete my MFA. There are seven choreographed numbers, and none are particularly easy, but all look terrific.
The score by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World) is excellent. There is a variety of pace and emotion and the music definitely rocks! More than that, the lyrics are smart and sophisticated and accurately capture what it's like to be 13. The songs are challenging and exciting to sing. The libretto by Dan Elish and Robert Horn is fast-paced and funny, if not exactly deep.
My job as director has been to keep the acting honest and real and keep the pace moving. Technically, young actors always need to be reminded to speak loudly and clearly and keep open to the audience. I've also tried to keep the staging simple but interesting, especially because we have virtually no sets, just chairs! We'll be using projections to establish the the settings.
I'm certain the audience, whether you are a student in middle school or can remember that time, will have a good time at this show!
13 will have one performance at The State Theatre, Sunday, May 23 at 7 pm. All tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the box office, 814-272-0606 or online at www.StateTickets.org.