After a string of successful stage-to-screen adaptations such as Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and tick, tick… BOOM!, Netflix is shining a light on broadway once again with 13: The Musical. The life of 12-year-old Evan Goldman is turned upside down after his parents’ divorce. Forced to relocate from New York to Indiana, Evan sets his sights on his upcoming 13th birthday and Bar Mitzvah to turn his luck around and throw the party of the year.
Eli Golden stars as Evan Goldman, the preteen boy who is devastated to learn that his father will stay behind in New York while he moves with his mother to the small town of Walkerton, Indiana. Peter Herman and Debra Messing star as Evan’s father and mother, respectively. To make matters worse, Evan must leave behind his rabbi, played by Josh Peck, as he prepares for his Bar Mitzvah, or as he describes it, “the Jewish Super Bowl.”
Upon arrival in Indiana, Evan slowly learns that living in New York City and residing in Indiana are two completely different lifestyles. As a way to make friends, Evan makes it his mission to host the best Bar Mitzvah ever. However, Evan grapples with the anxieties of middle school life including the pressure to fit in with the popular kids even if they don’t like his new friend Patrice, played by Gabriella Uhl. Jonathan Lengel, Frankie McNellis, JD McCrary, Lindsey Blackwell, and four-time Emmy winner Rhea Perlman round out the cast.
Based on the musical of the same name by Jason Robert Brown, 13: The Musical will feature many songs from the show such as Opportunity, A Little More Homework, 13, and Brand New You. The Netflix adaptation will also include three new original songs: I’ve Been Waiting, The Bloodmaster, and It Would Be Funny. It’s worth noting the 2008 Broadway production marked the professional debut of Ariana Grande.
Tamara directed 13: The Musical based on a script from Robert Horn, who also wrote the book for the stage adaptation. 13: The Musical will arrive on Netflix on August 12.
