"13" Revisions: From First Preview To Press Preview

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:15pm

I attended the first preview of "13" a few weeks ago, and then attended a press preview tonight. Ben Brantley was in the house.

As many of you know, the show has gone from two acts to one. Below are scans of the first preview list of cast and musical numbers, and those from the Playbill at the press preview tonight.

First Preview: September 16, 2008



Press Preview: October 2, 2008



Some notable differences I saw tonight from the first preview were that a lot of the offensive jokes have been cut from the show.

At the first preview, the boys were calling each other "fagmo!" several times throughout the show. At tonight's performance, all the "fagmo" lines were gone, and only one gay joke remained.

Other changes were, at the first preview, when Archie (the handicapped kid) was envisioning his date at the movies with Kendra, he said something like, "I'll rub my leg up against hers, and hope that I feel it." That line is cut.

Another offensive line that Archie had at the first preview was, when he entered the movie theatre, he said to Kendra, "Sorry I'm late. I was in the bathroom having a seizure." That line is now cut.

The show went from 2 hours 20 minutes with a 15 minute intermission to a tight 90 minutes tonight.

[TheOldQueenie]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:16pm

So you're saying it still sucks a lot?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:19pm

Is this the first time a show has ever started previews as a two act musical and opened as a one act? It seems like such a quick abandon of concept and faith in the material.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:19pm

The show was less painful tonight, primarily because it was shorter.

But yes, the show remains dreadfully excruciating.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:21pm

CATSNYrevival, IN MY LIFE -- a few years ago -- began as a two act musical, but upon realizing the amount of the audience that fled at intermission, it became a one act, 2 hour and 5 minute nightmare, with no escape.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:28pm

I was at the first preview of IN MY LIFE and it was a one act show then...many left in the middle of the show though...it was that bad.
Updated On: 10/2/08 at 11:28 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:28pm

Oops. My bad.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:31pm

i can't wait to read the 13 reviews on sunday night!

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:50pm

The alternate's schedule changed. Weird.

[jake6970]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:51pm

Do you know to what performances?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:51pm

I think that's just for this week, since they open on Sunday.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:52pm

You can read it above.... He went from performing the two matinees, to only Saturday night.

ETA: This was a response to Jake. Updated On: 10/2/08 at 11:52 PM

[jake6970]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 11:52pm

Oooh right, thanks.

[commasplice]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 12:02am

"Is this the first time a show has ever started previews as a two act musical and opened as a one act? It seems like such a quick abandon of concept and faith in the material."

I don't think that's necessarily true -- the run time has been fluctuating since just about the beginning. The LA run in 2006 was originally a one-act and became two acts for Goodspeed (for which they rewrote a large amount of the score); after that, they started whittling it down again (according to the song list on Wikipedia); I guess they figured out that in the end, it did work better as a one-act.

[bschneid76]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 9:14am

I am still in shock after hearing the song "Terminal Illness". Has to be one of the worst songs I've heard in a Broadway show!

[brandonm2]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 9:23am

does anyone know how Corey J. Snide is in the role?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 11:27am

I LOVED every second of "13".

Lighten up, people, and have a good time!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 11:32am

I rather go have a good time seeing CHICAGO, WICKED, AVENUE Q, or even LEGALLY BLONDE. All of them musical comedies without excruciating, embarrassing scores. The whole "it's just supposed to be fun" argument doesn't hold up when there are other shows running that are a lot of fun and still deliver.
WannaBe, I can't believe you put yourself through the 13 experience for a second time, you're a brave man.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 11:48am

I would much rather see 13 again than Legally Blonde and Chicago (I like Chicago just not this production). But I think 13 is much better than Legally Blonde.

[TheatreNerd23]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 1:02pm

mmm I wonder how it's evolved.
I saw it in LA...when it was here haha.
I don't think it was all THAT bad.
However I still stand by the fact that 13 year olds can't carry a show by themselves.
I mean even SA has the kids play off of the 2 adult characters.
Uhm wow cutting that much of it out? yikes.
I wonder how successful the free shows for teens went, and what their reaction was?

Posted: 10/3/08 at 5:20pm

Thanks so much for the pics of the program. I saw it last Sunday and posted and at that point I couldn't verify the changes. Again, I weigh in on the pro side... I liked it a lot!

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 5:38pm

"I wonder how successful the free shows for teens went, and what their reaction was?"

I was there, I loved it! Most of the people there, minus a few loved it. Lots of cheering, applause, laughter, and standing ovations.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 5:39pm

does anyone know how Corey J. Snide is in the role?

He was awful. His voice was cracking all over the place and his acting was amateurish. His dancing was his strong suit.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/3/08 at 11:28pm

I'd be interested to check out Snide in the role, if I could bear to sit through this show once more.

[TheatreNerd23]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 5:48pm

Cool I'm glad! I mean my friends and I didn't hate it out here. But most of our parents thought it was terrible.
I'm glad for JRB's sake=]