"We're Getting Ready" for 13 the musical, and MUCH MORE!

Singing Onstage has an amazing spring and summer slate of shows! Two premieres: 13 and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. From Beginning Broadway to The Aristocats to a fully staged production of OLIVER! at The State Theatre, we're extremely proud of the shows we produce and very happy to bring them to the audiences of Centre County!
     This blog post is all about the brand new musical 13. All eighteen middle school students starring in this production, Jill A. Brighton our amazing choreographer, and yours truly are thrilled to be bringing this brand-new show to State College. Although 13 had a short 3-month run on Broadway, it is having an amazing after-life with school and community groups across the nation. Singing Onstage is very excited to be one of the first to license the show!
     Written by respected composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown, with a very funny and insightful libretto by Dan Elish and Robert Horn (based on Elish's book with the same title), 13 tells the story of Evan Goldman, just about to turn 13 and preparing for his bar mitzvah, who must move from his great life in New York City to a VERY small town in Indiana. He has one mission: get all the cool kids in school to come to his Bar Mitzvah, or else spend the rest of his academic career banished to the land of the Geeks. 13 is a show about finding out who you are, finding out what you need, and finding out what's really important.
     Because the show hits home with the students, the acting in the show comes pretty naturally. However, the music is not easy, nor is the involved and wonderfully intricate choreography. But, oh!, how these kids can sing! One of the most exciting moments in our 7-year history of Singing Onstage was the day we rehearsed the group song "A Brand New You"! There are some great choral moments, as well as wonderful solos for both the women and the men. Highlights include "Lamest Place in the World," "All Hail the Brain," "What It Means to Be a Friend," and of course the title song "13".
     And while the show emphasizes the comedy of young teens trying to be "in" and get dates, there is a deeply poignant finale when the main character, Evan, sings to those at his bar mitzvah that even though kids make a lot of mistakes, they are doing the best they can. He asks the adults in his life to have a little more patience in the moving song "A Little More Homework."
     We know both parents and students will have a great time at 13. Please join us on Sunday, May 23 at 7 pm at The State Theatre. Click here for tickets!