This is the setup for Jason Robert Brown’s latest Broadway musical, 13, with book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn and a cast made up of a bunch of highly talented teen actors mostly making their Broadway debuts, but with promises of more to come. They are led by Graham Phillips as Evan “The Brain” who has a likeable personality and infectious charisma even when his single-minded determination to be popular has him doing things we don’t like to people who like him. Thirteen-year-old San Diegan Allie Trimm is the lovable Patrice who is firmly entrenched in the non-popular, clique-less group in school. Her inherent niceness gets a real test with her on-again-off-again new friend Evan, shining brightly in her What It Means to be a Friend and Good Enough numbers.

The most original character goes to Aaron Simon Gross as wheelchair-bound Archie, Patrice’s only friend (when she’s off-again with Evan). He plays his role as a cleverly pragmatic, darkly humorous Tiny Tim whose dying Make-A-Wish/blackmail is to have “The Brain” get him some tongue from popular cheerleader Kendra.

And therein lies a tie-in to the most popular kids in the lamest place in the world. Kendra is the pretty cheerleader played with ditzy but sincere charm by Delaney Moro (the original Jane in Broadway’s Mary Poppins). She’s also the primary subject of the amusing Hey Kendra serenade, led by popular (3,600 MySpace friends kind of popular) school quarterback Brett played by Eric M. Nelson as very cool, not very bright, but very funny (or, by Dan Quayle standards, he might be valedictorian). Poor Brett is plagued by the same inner voice that haunts most boys going through puberty (not to mention the rest of their lives), a voice helplessly whispering, “Oh, she’ll destroy you. But she’s hot!” His friends include two humorous and dynamic buddies Malcolm (Malik Hammond) and Eddie (Al Calderon). And he’s got another possible “friend.” For just as there’s competition for Kendra’s affection, there’s also competition for Brett. Notably, Kendra’s best friend, the worldly Lucy, with extremely gifted Elizabeth Egan Gillies conniving her way into the quarterback’s arms using fantastic vocals and all the current tools of the trade (deceptively placed text messages).

Rob Hopper
Executive Director
National Youth Theatre

Malcolm: