13: A Sore Thumb Review

How fitting that this blog is about a self-proclaimed "sore thumb", and I get to write a review for a Broadway Musical about a "sore thumb". Ok, it's about a 13 year old "sore thumb", but an outsider nonetheless.

I need to start by saying I loathe Musicals. I really do. I don't get them. I don't want to get them. I think they are annoying and cheesy. There is something about a cast breaking into song about every single moment of their life that really gets under my skin. I like my reality to be suspended when I'm being entertained, and I can't seem to let myself become immersed in the plot because as soon as someone starts singing, I'm instantly reminded that I'm watching a show.

However, last night I was pleasantly surprised.

I arrived at the Theatre, and almost instantly felt uncomfortable. I'd never seen so many kids standing underneath a Broadway Matinee before. I felt old and just a tad creepy.

Thanks to MD, I had prime seats for the show: 4th row, center, to be exact, and as I sat down in my seat and examined the empty stage, I started to feel a sense of enjoyment. I had a feeling that this show was going to be special.

And it was.

From the opening number, the kids had my attention. I think what's so fascinating about the show is that the cast are all, in most cases, actually 13. Add in the fact that the band on stage are also made up of teens, and you start to have a sense of appreciation for the talent this group has.

I enjoyed every aspect of this show, from the cast, to the set, the story and yes, even the music.

There was something about tweens singing these songs, and being in these situations that made the show seem less contrived than I would usually expect.

There was a sweetness and an innocence that the cast brought to every line they delivered that seemed to come just from being in the same moment as their characters, rather than having extensive acting training.

There were screams of appreciation and glee from the audience (made up of tweens and their parents..and me) that would make the typical Broadway crowd roll their eyes in disapprovement, but here it was accepted and encouraged.

One of the things this musical managed to do was take me back to my childhood. It helped me remember the times when I thought going through puberty, or not having friends to hang out with at a school dance were THE biggest problems ever. Everything was so innocent back then. And we take it for granted now.

Now we're paying bills and car payments and working 10 hours a day. We're trying to support ourselves, living on our own, in a time of severe economic crisis...and we WISH that attending a school dance was the biggest issue we faced.

"13" brings you back to those times...and for that alone, it's well worth the cost of admission.

A lyric that really resonated with me, sung by our narrator and reluctant "hero" Evan at the opening of the show was "One day I’ll stop talking in the friggin future tense"

Remember as kids ALL we did was speak about what we were going to do when we were 16, or thinking about how life would be at 21, or wondering how we would look at 25? Well, it's here. And now that we're 25(or older) we no longer talk about the future. We don't want to know anymore. The excitement is gone. We're adults. We know how it turns out.

So, here's a chance to go back in time. It's a musical that really makes you feel like you're still young and have the rest of your life left. To me, that's better than a catchy song, or a great vocal performance at the Theatre. A piece of art that makes you feel is what Entertainment is about. That's exactly what this show does.

And, not to mention, it's a really, REALLY fun time!

13: The Musical

http://www.13themusical.com/

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
242 West 45th Street
New York, NY 10039