Parcells Drama Students Stage Musical '13'

Last March, Parcells Middle School Drama students took a field trip with their teacher Sean Kifer to see the musical 13 at the 2011 Jr. Thespian Festival in Bexley, Ohio. The kids loved what they saw so much that they returned home eager to stage their own version.

Now audiences can see what got these middle-schoolers so psyched, as the drama club presents three shows of 13, Nov. 10-12.

Simply put, it's about a boy on the verge of turning 13, whose world is rocked when he finds out his family is moving from New York City to the Midwest. Once he's settled in he must learn his way around the new school, navigate the cliques, and try to make sure his Bar Mitzvah party won't suck. Along the way he learns what's important.

The show -- with music and lyrics are by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn -- is the labor of more than 75 students comprising cast, stagehands and crew, making it one of the largest shows in Parcells history.

See 13 at Parcells Middle School Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Tickets are $7 for adults, or $5 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased at the door 30 minutes prior to show time.