13 – NoHo Arts District

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Panic Productions!, Born to Perform Studio and BarCinBoo Productions are teaming up to bring a new teen summer musical experience to the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center! 

13 is a hilarious, coming-of-age musical about discovering that “cool” is sometimes where we least expect it. 

With an unforgettable rock score from Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn, 13 is a musical about fitting in – and standing out! Directed by Barry Pearl (his third time directing 13 on the West Coast), with music director, Lloyd Cooper and choreographer, Michelle Elkin – three giants in the theatre industry.  The talented young cast is also truly remarkable. 

Show Synopsis

Twelve-year-old New Yorker Evan Goldman is soon to have his Bar Mitzvah. He wants his party to be amazing, but that might not happen because his parents are splitting up as his father starts to fall in love with a stewardess, causing his mother to file a divorce. Just as Evan thinks that maybe things will be fine, his mother calls to tell him they are moving to Appleton, Indiana. Once there, Evan finds a friend in his neighbor, Patrice, who develops a crush on Evan while telling him about Appleton, Indiana.  As his 13th birthday nears, he must master the complex social circles of his new school and win friends by turning his Bar Mitzvah into the coolest party ever.  Geek. Poser. Jock. Beauty Queen. Wannabe. These are the labels that can last a lifetime. 

Cast

Alexa Margolis as Ryder, Anna Cardino as Charlotte, Calista Loter as Lucy/Cindy, Callula Sawyer as Kristina/Dance Captain, Cecilia Diamond as Rosie, Emerson Julian as Kendra/Sarah, Ethan Daugherty as Evan, Harrington Gwin as Ben, Jake McDermotte as Malcolm, Kirsten Adler as Molly, Lucas Panczel as Brett, Lucy Bollier as Cassie, Maddie Ragsdale as Lucy/Cindy, Marissa Margolis as Patrice/Gracie, Mia Akima Brown as Patrice/Gracie, Peter Umipig as Archie, Oliver Stellan as Eddie, Olivia Zenetzis as Kendra/Sarah, Sophie Grey as Rosie and Westin Walker Pardee as Richie.  

Production Team

Directed by Barry Pearl
Musical Direction by Lloyd Cooper
Choreographed by. Michelle Elkin
Set Design by Rei Yamamototar
Lighting Design by Ian Kelley
Stage Managed by Megan Brister
Musicians Include:  Steve Clift (Bass), Jeff Gibson (2nd Keyboard), Satoshi Kirisawa (Percussion), and Ryan Detlefsen (Guitar)
Graphic Design by Paige Loter (also Scenic Design Assistant)
Publicity by Sandra Kuker PR
Produced by Panic! Productions, Born To Perform Studio and BarCinBoo Productions 

Barry Pearl (Director / Co-Producer)

Barry wears several hats: actor, director, producer and teacher. Barry has directed over 40 short films for Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Film Company. His other directing assignments include the St. Louis MUNY’s production of OLIVER! starring the late Sid Caesar and Karen Morrow; creating and directing three of L.A.’s very successful Improvisation / Sketch Comedy Troupes: MILKNOSE FOR THE PROSECUTION, SHORTRIBS and critically acclaimed, THE ALLEY OOPS, for Actor’s Alley Rep. In the mid 90s he directed two cable TV shows entitled IN THE BIZ and ASK MR. TRAFFIC. Barry also opened his own acting school in 1979, The Acting Lab, where he taught The Spolin Theatre Games technique. Through the years he’s given master classes in this process all over the US.  This will be a first-time collaboration for Boo Boo Productions (founded by Barry and Cindy Pearl). 

A long-time veteran of stage, screen and TV, Barry is best known for his portrayal of Doody in Paramount’s iconic hit film, Grease and with kids as Prof. Tinkerputt in Bedtime With Barney: Imagination Island and Barney’s Big Surprise. Broadway’s: Oliver!,  A Teaspoon Every Four Hours, Lenny’s Back, The Producers, Baby It’s You!  Regional/Tours: Ragtime, Grease, Cheers Live On Stage, Twelve Angry Men, Hairspray, Forum, Fiddler, The Odd Couple (National Tour, 1988), Happy Days: A New Musical.  TV: Grease: Live, House, Criminal Minds, CPO Sharkey (first season series regular as Mignone), Days Of Our Lives, ER, Baywatch, Baywatch Hawaii.  Film: The Walls Are Watching (recently released on Lifetime), My Favorite Martian, Avenging Angel, The Newest Pledge, The Silent Natural.  Barry also produces, directs and teaches film arts to the special needs community throughout the country with Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Film Company. Pearl is a graduate with a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, Barry’s work on this production is dedicated to all the brave men, women and children of war-torn Ukraine. Facebook / Instagram: @barry_pearl_la. 

MICHELLE ELKIN – CHOREOGRAPHER

Michelle Elkin’s Select Choreographic credits include: “Sutton Foster Live” with Jonathon Groff (PBS), Young Sheldon with Jason Alexander (CBS), Younger with Sutton Foster, Miriam Shor and  Martha Plimpton (TV LAND), The Wonderful Mrs. Maisel (AMAZON), Me And My Grandma with Rhea Perlman, Baby Daddy (ABC FAMILY), TNT pilot Dawn directed by Sam Raimi, Lifetime’s reality show Your Mama Don’t Dance, Kristin starring Kristin Chenoweth, and tap sequences in ABC Family’s Bunheads. Theater: Something Rotten (Regional), musical numbers featuring Tony Award winner Sutton Foster with special guest Joshua Henry for the NSO at Kennedy Center, New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and the Houston Symphony, Sister Act The Musical (Broadway World Nominee), Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Broadway World Nominee) Children Of Eden (Broadway World Nominee), Little Shop Of Horrors (Straz Center), The Goodbye Girl (MTG). Feature films Wild Hogs, What Just Happened. Associate Choreographer credits include; Dancing With The Stars, Sister Act at Pasadena Playhouse, Emmy Awards with Jane Lynch, Academy Awards with Hugh Jackman and the Broadway show, Wonderland (Marquis Theater). www.michelleelkin.com

LLOYD COOPER – Musical Director

Lloyd Cooper has won multiple awards for best musical direction, including Plan-B Entertainment’s production of Beauty and the Beast. He is proud to have worked as musical director for Theater League, San Bernardino CLO, San Diego CLO, Theatre Under The Stars (Houston), The Lyric Theatre (Oklahoma City), Cabrillo Music Theatre (Thousand Oaks) and many others. He was nominated for an Ovation Award as musical director for Cabrillo’s production of The Andrews Brothers. Lloyd was the musical director for Happy Days – A New Musical written by Garry Marshall and Paul Williams, both for the original production at the Falcon Theatre and for Cabrillo. He also musical directed the world premiere of Hello! My Baby at the Rubicon Theatre. Lloyd has worked as composer, arranger, and/or conductor in such television shows as Father Dowling, Matlock and Perry Mason and the films The Prince of Tides, Godzilla and The Holiday. He worked with Barbra Streisand and Stephen Sondheim in rehearsing and choosing music for her Back To Broadway album. He served as orchestrator and musical director (music by Stephen Schwartz) for the premiere of My Antonia at the Rubicon Theatre. Lloyd and his wife Barbara are proud that a musical they created called The Diary was produced at the Scherr Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks, California. 

About PANIC! PRODUCTIONS

Panic! Productions is a nonprofit community theatre troupe committed to presenting professional-level productions of musicals and plays for the enrichment of its participants and the community.

“We strive to present theatre that challenges expectations, offering actors and other theatre artists, both amateur and professional, the opportunity to take part in shows beyond the limits often found in a community theatre setting.” Presenting less-often produced works as well as new interpretations of familiar works, Panic! hopes to enhance the theatre-going experience while educating and, most of all, entertaining its audiences.

Founded in 2011 by Paul Panico and Robert Weibezahl, with a critically acclaimed production of Working: The Musical, Next To Normal, The Fantastics, Inspecting Carol, Little Shop Of Horrors, Camp Rock The Musical. Panic! will now present the musical 13.  This will be the second time to bring the popular teen musical to the stage under the capable direction of Barry Pearl.  www.panicproductions.org