13 The Musical at Bankstown

13 The Musical at Bankstown

Bankstown Theatre Company is staging the exuberant and joyous coming-of-age musical, 13 The Musical, at the Bryan Brown Theatre from October 16 – 20, 2019.

With music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer, Jason Robert Brown, and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn, 13 The Musical is the only Broadway musical ever with a cast entirely consisting of teenagers.

Directed by Hannah Barn (Reefer Madness, Bare, Safety Circus), 13 The Musical follows 12-year-old Evan Goldman, a geeky but lovable pre-teen New Yorker excitedly preparing for his Bar Mitzvah. When Evan’s parents unexpectedly divorce, he suddenly finds himself in sleepy small-town Appleton, Indiana, where he is forced to navigate the complicated social circles of a new school. If Evan can’t get the coolest kids to come to his Bar Mitzvah, how will he survive the school year?

With his life in disarray, Evan meets cool kids, nerds, jocks and cheerleaders, while encountering first kisses, heartbreak, gossip, and tough decisions. Along the way, Evan learns what it means to be a friend.

When asked which of the teen characters is her favourite, director Hannah Barn said, “I honestly love them all because they’re so individual, flawed and real and my cast brings such a beautiful truth to them all.”

Recent graduate of WAPPA, Tom Gustard is making his debut as a musical director. Tom’s WAPPA Credits include playing Mary Sunshine in Chicago, Kurt Kelly in Heathers, Oscar in 42nd St and Demetrius in a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“It’s my first time being on the creative team of a show and I feel incredibly honoured to be able to share what I’ve learned so far with this younger generation of performers”, Tom said.

The role of Evan is played by Jordan Koulos, a student at the McDonald College and part of the Musical Theatre stream. Courtney Emmas plays the sweet and popular “good girl” Kendra. Courtney is well known to Bankstown Theatre Company audiences, having played the titular role in their Annie and Liesl in The Sound of Music.

No stranger to the professional stage, Heath Jelovic plays the role of Archie. Heath has recently played Dick Thornhill in The Secret River with The Sydney Theatre Company and Lawrence Turner in School of Rock: The Musical for GWB entertainment.

“I've always loved comedic roles, and Archie is certainly one of them. I love characters with unique physical aspects to them, so the fact that Archie walks on crutches presents a good acting challenge,” says Heath. “I also think Archie is probably the character who is the most like me, which is a lot of fun!”

Ensemble member Clare Dilley said, “This show brilliantly portrays some of the difficulties teenagers face every day by following the characters as they try to navigate this new stage of life, something I can really relate to.”

Please note: this show is not suitable for children under 13

16 – 20 OCTOBER, 2019 
THE BRYAN BROWN THEATRE
Bookings: 0481 869 858 or www.bankstowntheatrecompany.com

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.