13: THE SECOND TIME AROUND

13, THE MUSICAL: The Second Cast; A Second Look

An Addendum to Yesterday’s Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

By: Virginia Rep/Cadence Theatre Company

At: Theatre Gym, Virginia Repertory Center, 114 W. Broad St., RVA 23220

Performances: October 26 – November 17, 2019

Ticket Prices: Single tickets start at $42

Info: (804) 282-2620 or va-rep.org

Yesterday (October 25) I wrote about 13, The Musical after seeing the first cast. Today (October 26) I returned for the second opening night with a different cast – except for, I think, two actors.

The original view may be viewed at:

https://jdldancesrva.com/2019/10/26/13-what-could-possibly-go-wrong

When Cadence Theatre’s Artistic Director Anna Senechal Johnson announced that there would be two entire casts for 13, THE MUSICAL and that there would be two opening nights, I decided to attend both. The board with the actors’ headshots had to be changed, and there were two sets of programs printed. Preparation for this musical, more than 40 performers (actors and band members ranged in age from 12 to 17) required changing the headshot board and printing two sets of programs to accommodate the two casts – the Appleton and the Indiana (named for the town and state where our young leading man must move after his parents’ divorce). It must have felt like the theater company was preparing to give birth to twins.

For the first five minutes, I started to compare the performances of the two sets of  main characters, but about 10 minutes into the show I realized that the characters had taken over. While the chemistry was different, and different actors brought their own nuances, I can honestly say that the experiences were equivalent to seeing the same show twice with the same cast.

Physically, Brandon McKinney and Evan Dymon are quite different (in stature, facial structure, and more) but both portrayed lead character Evan with naivete, bravado, and compassion. Bridget Sindelar may have had a slight edge over Violet Craighead-Way as far as vocal range or power, but both made me root for Patrice and cheer her independence and self-identity.

The differences between Donathan Arnold and Cohen Steele are even more striking than the differences between McKinney and Dymon. Arnold is tall, slender, and black while Dymon looks farm-strong and he’s white.

I think Caroline Johnson portrayed a somewhat more prissy and less conceited Kendra than did Audrey Kate Taylor, while Jolie Smith and Anjali Sharma were equally strong as the mean girl. Both were able to maintain a sneer throughout a rigorous cheerleading routine, but Sharm’s tripping of best-friend-and-arch-enemy Kendra was perhaps a tiny bit more subtle than was Jodi Smith’s action for the same scene.

Ethan Dunne Stewart and Marcus Dowd, as Brett’s friends and hangers-on were a bit more outrageous, if possible, in their role as back up singers than were Owen Buckenmaier and Jake Barger, but both pairs of hangers-on were among my favorite characters.

Since much of the story line is sung, it is important that the lyrics can be clearly heard, and from my position (second row, right on Friday night and second row, front on Saturday) there where a few times that the vocals got lost for a moment or two and I never did understand the much repeated line of the finale.

My first impression remains the same: 13, THE MUSICAL: is a fun and energetic piece of theatre that is this wholly engrossing. Both casts of teens exude energy and professionalism; they make you care about what happens to Evan, Patrice, and Kendra (the bar mitzvah boy, his new friend, and the popular girl) and their friends. As if anticipating the audience reaction, the authors have the cast sing about their growth, their decisions, their triumphs and failures over the course of the school year

 

 

Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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Photo Credits: Jay Paul