13

Jay Paul Photography

Cadence Theatre Company and Virginia Repertory Theatre present 13

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, Book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn
Running October 26th–November 17th at Virginia Rep’s Theatre Gym

Cadence Theatre Company and Virginia Repertory Theatre are pleased to announce their co-production of 13, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn. The show opens at Virginia Rep’s Theatre Gym on October 26th and runs through November 17th, with two alternating casts.

13 follows Evan Goldman as he is plucked from his fast-paced, preteen New York City life and plopped into a sleepy Indiana town following his parents’ divorce. Surrounded by an array of middle school cliques, he throws all his energy into making his upcoming Bar Mitzvah the best party the town has ever seen. But establishing his place in the popularity pecking order comes with its fair share of schemes, dilemmas, and grown-up questions about the type of person he wants to be. With an unforgettable rock score, 13 is a musical about trying to fit in, and choosing to stand out!

13 is notable for being the first (and, so far, only) full teenage cast to perform on Broadway. By producing this unique musical, Cadence and Virginia Rep hope to reaffirm their commitment to development and training for young actors all over Virginia. “I am thrilled beyond belief to have the opportunity to work with some of the city’s (and Commonwealth’s) most talented young actors on this project” says Anna Senechal Johnson, Artistic and Managing Director of Cadence and the director of 13. “It is a dream come true to have all of them under one roof. I can’t wait for audiences to receive this important and moving coming-of-age story.”

The cast of 13 is made up of young performers from many different backgrounds, some of whom have been seen on the Cadence stage before. “I am thrilled to return to Cadence for the third time!” says Brandon McKinney, who was last seen at Cadence as Christian Bechdel in Fun Home, “This time I will be revisiting the role of Evan Goldman, which I played earlier this year at Collegiate School. This show has a wonderful message, and I am thankful I get to share it with the audience!” For many of the cast members, this marks their first professional show. One such actor is Anjali Sharma, who will be making her professional debut as mean girl, Lucy. “Becoming a middle schooler again, and playing a character who is so different from who I am, is such a challenging and fun ‘Opportunity’!” says Sharma, with a nod to her character’s show-stopping anthem to scheming up the popularity ladder.

13 is directed by Artistic and Managing Director Anna Senechal Johnson (Gloria, Appropriate, Rabbit Hole), with musical direction by Anthony Smith (Fun Home) and choreography by Jasmine McKenzie (Cadence debut). The design team includes Emily Hake Massie (Scenic), Lara Koplin (Set Dressing), Sarah Grady (Costumes), Weston Corey (Lighting), and Elizabeth Wilder (Properties).

Returning to the Cadence stage in the Appleton Cast are Violet Craghead-Way (Fun Home), Caroline Johnson (Appropriate), Grace Connell (Appropriate), and Sophia Bunnell (Violet). Returning in the Indiana Cast are Brandon McKinney (Fun Home; Caroline, or Change), Donathan Arnold (Caroline, or Change), and Alex Csaky (Fun Home). Making their Cadence debuts in the Appleton Cast are Evan Dymon, Josh Chapman, Cohen Steele, Anjali Sharma, Ethan Dunne Stewart, Marcus Dowd, Emma McClain, Autumn Papczynski, Molly Nugent, Sam Hurst, Raif Winn, Brenna Duffy, Gracie Farrell, and Lauren Brabrand. Debuting in the Indiana Cast are Bridget Sindelar, Ethan Phelps, Audrey Kate Taylor, Jolie Smith, Owen Buckenmaier, Jake Barger, Molly Rose Meredith, Mia Meadows, Bekah Blackburn, Sawyer Williams, Jack Hensley, Mia Krivanec, Zoë Brown, Madelyn Diradour, and Sarah Kathryn Makl. Performing with both casts will be Hannah Riggs and Christopher Stone. Mason Timberline will be joining the cast as the pianist/Master Conductor, and Milo McAdams will be playing percussion.

This production of 13 is made possible through the generous support of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, The Virginia Commission for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Cultureworks Grant Program, and Salomon & Ludwin. Additional support comes from The Richmond Group USA, Joe & Sarah Hoyle, Joan Astrid Albrecht and Virginia Public Media. This production is also included in CultureWorks' artoberVA program, which is an annual celebration of arts and culture in Richmond and the Tri-Cities area.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.virginiarep.org or call the box office at 804-282-2620.