13: double americanos and triple threats
So let's say -- hypothetically -- that you're a loyal Fringe reviewer, and so dedicated are you to bringing your insight on the Fringe phenomenon to the masses that you stay late at the Fringe bar on Saturday night -- for the purposes of research, of course. And let's say you roll out of bed on Sunday just in time for a coffee before your next show. In your fuzzy, sleep-deprived state, what's the one theatrical experience you would yearn for beyond any other? Why only a rock musical on the growing pains associated with turning thirteen! What could give more cause for anticipation than the thought of watching a bunch of peppy tweens wave their jazz hands and warble off-key lyrics at top volume to songs like “Becoming a Man”; “Being a Geek”; and “A Little More Homework”? Not to mention rubbing elbows with the overzealous parental units in the choked damp lobby of the Firehall. Honestly, a strong double Americano is probably all that prevented a thrown down between me and someone's pushy grandma....
Alright, so a musical about the social hierarchy of Junior High is not top of my list of must-see weekend entertainment. Watching 13 on a rainy Sunday afternoon in a sold-out house full of family members was more than a little surreal. That said, I came away entertained in spite of myself, not to mention impressed by the performing chops on the aspiring young stars. 13 is the story of Evan Goldman, the child of divorced parents who, on the eve of his bar mitzvah is transplanted from NYC to the Midwestern town of Appleton, Indiana. Desperate to be popular at his new school, this clever, floppy-haired, angst-ridden youth plots to win the admiration of his peers, by playing matchmaker between the school's star athlete Brett and his cheerleader crush. Needless to say, shennanigans ensue -- cheerleader Kendra also has a secret admirer in Archie, the school's awkwardly charming, smart-as-a-whip "cripple" whose crutches make him socially invisible. Archie manipulates Evan into setting him up with Kendra too, and before long the whole school is tagging along on a disasterous movie date that ends with Archie and Brett accidentally kissing each other instead of Kendra.
Added to the mix are Kendra's conniving "best friend" Lucy, who will do anything to get Brett for herself, and Patrice, the girl-next-door who is crushing on Evan. Patrice is sweet, sincere and too strong an individual for the Junior High set. Her un-cool status means that Evan has to choose between her and his fickle friends. So much pressure -- and all the guy really wants is to host the best bar mitzvah of all time.
The show's tone is light and ironic -- doltish jocks and vapid cheerleaders deliver snappy one-liners with tongue-in-cheek sincerity -- think of television's Glee with a dash of Simpsons-esque dark humour. The cast are well-trained triple threats and they leap across the stage with confidence. The singing was occasionally uneven but well-delivered, and the leads were strong, with Jonathan Hers and Alyssa Baker quietly stealing the show as Archie and Patrice respectively.
13 is predictable but fun. There are only a few elements that stood out as less than polished: the American origins of the play seem a bit jarring, coming from a Vancouver-based company, and made the show seem as much an awkward cultural transplant as its lead character. Also odd is a number called “Bad Bad News” in which Brett's buddies slander Lucy after she pulls a Yoko Ono by stealing Brett: in their eagerness to be rid of her influence they call her a slut and sing about throwing her under a bus, torturing her mother and chopping up her dog...it's meant to be black humour but it feels in bad taste.
Mis-steps of the script aside, the junior cast of 13 pull off the impressive feat of keeping their energy up for over an hour and a half, and the results are good fun.
13 is playing right now as part of the Vancouver Fringe. For more information go here.