Everyone in high school can remember what it felt like to be 13. Whether you were worried about a relationship, growing up or issues with friends and family, 13 was certainly a memorable age.

The students and faculty from Thunder Theatre Company (TTC) put on an amazing performance that brought everyone back to the age of 13. An original Jason Robert Brown musical, 13 is based on the book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn. The musical opened on Broadway on October 5, 2008 and is the only Broadway musical to have a cast of all teenagers. Here at Desert Vista, TTC brought the musical to the students.

Alex Silver, a freshman at DV, starred in the musical as Evan Goldman. In 13 Evan is a 12-year-old Jewish boy whose parents get divorced right before his Bar Mitzvah. He deals with issues from his parents, his friends, and himself. He and his mother move from Manhattan to Appleton, Indiana and his life changes. When Evan meets a friendly neighbor, Patrice (played by sophomore Rozie Rafacz), he begins to feel hopeful about his new life in Appleton.

However, Evan wants to be in with the cool crowd at his new school and he is forced to choose between having one real friend or a lot of fake friends. Evan meets Brett, the star quarterback (Jack Walton), Archie, the terminally ill outcast (Lucas Selby), Kendra, the beautiful cheerleader (Amanda Pearson), Lucy, Kendra’s jealous best friend (Sammy Maxwell), and many more.

Young love, awkward humor and drama are seen throughout the entire musical, making it unique and enjoyable. The cast from TTC put on an amazing performance, but the crew helped to bring the entire show together. With Danielle Hale working lights, Eliana Burns on costumes, Seth Caruso directing and everyone else helping out, the musical was a rousing success. Jennifer Miller, the theatre teacher and advisor, helped to put the show together as well.

13 was emotional, thought provoking, and ultimately hilarious, making it a truly amazing production that will be remembered in years to come.