2007 Pre-Broadway
The musical premiered on January 7, 2007 at The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, California and ran through February 18, 2007. The production was directed by Todd Graff, with choreography by Michele Lynch, and the cast and band were all teenagers.

The show was presented at the Norma Terris Theater in Chester, Connecticut, by Goodspeed Musicals from May 9, 2008 through June 8, 2008, with direction by Jeremy Sams and choreography by Christopher Gattelli.

2008 Broadway
It opened on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 16, 2008 in previews, with an official opening on October 5, 2008 and closed on January 4, 2009. A touring production was being considered, but it would not start until late 2009, which has yet to begin. The tour would include America, France and the United Kingdom.
Most of the Broadway cast was in the Goodspeed production (except Moro, Hammond and Williams). There is a teen band, as in prior productions.

Licensing

Music Theatre International started giving licensing rights to community/professional theaters and middle/high schools as of September 11, 2009.

Amateur productions:

In July 2009, 13 premiered its first amateur production at French Woods Festival, New York. In the last week of production, composer and former French Woods alumnus, Jason Robert Brown worked on the orchestrations and monitored the production. The song "Being a Geek" (as well with all remaining subplots with the rabbis) from the Los Angeles run was inserted back to the production.
This new version premiered at the Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, Texas, in September 2009, put on by the Apprentice Conservatory Training at Theatre Under The Stars. This was the Southwest Regional premiere of 13.
Children's Musical Theater, San Jose, California, one of the most recognized children's theater organizations in the nation, was among the first to receive this show before it was released to the general public. The production ran November 18–22, 2009 and was directed and choreographed by Kevin Hauge.
The musical had it's area preimere in Rockville,Maryland on Friday June 26 2010 featuring performers from the childrens theatre orginization Musical Theatre Center (MTC)

Plot synopsis:

Two things are torturing twelve-year-old Evan Goldman: his parents’ upcoming divorce, and his looming, all-important Bar Mitzvah. (“13/Becoming a Man”) His mother then informs him he will be moving with her from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, a flat, brown, Midwestern town. Evan will have to have his Bar Mitzvah and celebration there, away from all his friends and family.

Evan soon befriends his new neighbor, Patrice, a quirky girl who seems to be as much of an outcast as he is in Appleton ("The Lamest Place in the World"). Evan determines that in order to survive in the town, he must get the town's coolest kids to come to his Bar Mitzvah, especially Brett Sampson, the junior high's football hero. On the first day of school, Evan manages to earn Brett's respect after suggesting that a scary movie would provide Brett with the perfect opportunity to do "the Tongue" with head cheerleader Kendra ("Hey Kendra"), and his popularity begins to rise. However, jealous of Kendra's date with Brett, Kendra's best friend Lucy informs Kendra that Brett only asked her out to do "the Tongue". Lucy wants Brett for herself. However, Brett and the cool kids inform Evan that they will not come to his party if unpopular Patrice will be there. Under pressure, Evan rips apart Patrice's invite, devastating Patrice. Observing this is manipulative Archie, Patrice's friend who suffers from a disease making him have to use crutches. Archie tells Evan that he will smooth things over with Patrice if Evan gets him a date with Kendra. If Evan does not, Archie says he will show up at Evan's party and ruin the whole thing ("Get Me What I Need"). Archie tries to convince Patrice to forgive Evan, but Patrice refuses ("What It Means to Be a Friend").
Brett and his friends, Malcolm and Eddie, then tell Evan that if he wants them to attend his party, he must get them tickets to an R-rated horror movie: The Blood Master. Evan discovers that no one will refuse "a boy with a terminal illness" and manages to use Archie to get the tickets ("All Hail the Brain/Terminal Illness"). Evan believes the movie plan is perfect: Brett gets his date, Evan gets the credit, and Archie gets to sit next to Kendra at the movie, thereby fulfilling Evan’s part of the bargain with Archie. In addition, Patrice agrees to come to the movie when Evan asks her out ("Getting Ready"). However, just as Brett and Kendra prepare to kiss, Archie shows up for his "date" with Kendra. In the ensuing pandemonium, Evan ignores Patrice while trying to control Archie and in one terrifying moment, Brett kisses Archie ("Any Minute"). Kendra runs out on Brett, to Lucy’s delight. When Archie explains that Evan set up this “date” with Kendra for him, Brett tells Evan that he and anyone who attends his party are dead. Lucy, sensing an opportunity, grabs Brett and kisses him, entrancing him. Patrice calls Evan out for being cruel and insensitive ("Good Enough").

Though distressed, Evan vows to Archie that he will take control of his life and fix the mess he created. He overhears Brett's friends, Malcolm and Eddie, lamenting that Lucy has whipped Brett ("Bad Bad News"). Evan states that he has a plan to help Brett be rid of Lucy and get Kendra back. However, when Evan rushes to talk to Brett, he freezes, realizing he does not know what to say. Patrice, having been begged by Archie to help Evan, shows up just in time. She tells Brett just talk to her, honestly and from your heart, and apologize ("Tell Her"). Brett rushes to break up a fight between Kendra and Lucy. Brett breaks up with Lucy and, using the words he heard Patrice and Evan say, apologizes to Kendra.

Jealous and angry, Lucy spreads a false rumor about Kendra and Evan dating. She then arranges for Kendra to meet with Evan to thank him for reuniting Brett and herself ("It Can’t Be True"). Just as Kendra is giving Evan an innocent ‘thank you hug’, Brett and the other kids arrive, and Brett lashes out at Kendra. Evan stands up to Brett and publicly calls him out as a bully and a jerk, just in time for Archie and Patrice to see him in his glory. All does not end well however, Brett leaves with his new girlfriend, Lucy.

Exhausted and disillusioned, Evan decides to call off his Bar Mitzvah celebration. However, Archie and Patrice will not give up on him ("If That’s What It Is"). Evan’s Bar Mitzvah service is not a disaster after all: his new best friends come, as does his father, who proudly sits with his mother. Evan realizes that his life is just beginning, and that many more mistakes and choices will be made, but you can only look forward, and no matter what you do, you cannot go back ("A Little More Homework"). Then, everyone celebrates ("Brand New You").
[edit]Characters and Broadway cast

The characters are thirteen 13-year olds.
Evan – Graham Phillips (Corey John Snide at weekend 2pm performances)
Archie – Aaron Simon Gross
Brett – Eric M. Nelsen
Cassie – Brynn Williams
Charlotte – Ariana Grande (u/s Patrice)
Eddie – Al Calderon
Kendra – Delaney Moro
Lucy – Elizabeth Gillies
Malcolm – Malik Hammond (Later replaced by Max Schneider)
Molly – Caitlin Gann (u/s Kendra)
Patrice – Allie Trimm
Richie – Eamon Foley (u/s Malcolm)
Simon – Joey LaVarco (u/s Brett and Eddie)

Musical numbers

MTI Version
“13”/“Becoming a Man” – Evan and Company
“The Lamest Place in the World” – Patrice (with Evan on stage)
“Hey Kendra” – Brett, Malcolm, Eddie, Lucy and Kendra
“Get Me What I Need” – Archie and Company
“Opportunity” – Lucy and Company
“What It Means to Be a Friend” – Patrice (with Archie on stage)
“All Hail the Brain”/“Terminal Illness” – Evan, Archie and Company
“Getting Ready” – Company
“Any Minute” – Brett, Kendra, Patrice and Archie
“Good Enough” – Patrice
“Being a Geek” – Evan, Rabbis and Boys
“Bad Bad News” – Eddie, Malcolm, Simon and Richie
“Tell Her” – Evan and Patrice
“It Can’t Be True” – Lucy, Molly and Company
“If That’s What It Is” – Archie, Patrice and Evan
“A Little More Homework” – Evan and Company
“Brand New You” – Cassie, Charlotte, Molly and Company

Broadway

See main article on the soundtrack: 13 (soundtrack)
“13”/“Becoming a Man” – Evan and Company
“The Lamest Place in the World” – Patrice
“Hey Kendra” – Brett, Malcolm, Eddie, Lucy and Kendra
“Get Me What I Need” – Archie and Company
“What It Means to Be a Friend” – Patrice
“All Hail the Brain”/“Terminal Illness” – Evan, Archie and Company
“Getting Ready” – Company
“Any Minute” – Brett, Kendra, Patrice and Archie
“Good Enough” – Patrice
“Bad Bad News” – Eddie, Malcolm, Simon and Richie
“Tell Her” – Evan and Patrice
“It Can’t Be True” – Lucy, Molly and Company
“If That’s What It Is” – Archie, Patrice and Evan
“A Little More Homework” – Evan and Company
“Brand New You” – Cassie, Charlotte, Molly and Company
The Original Broadway Cast Album was recorded during previews. The album does not include the song “Good Enough”, but it does include the following songs that were cut:
“Here I Come” (Evan and Company)
“Opportunity” (Lucy and Company)
When the show was in previews at the start of the Broadway run, there was an intermission and the show ran a full two hours. “Here I Come” was the Act I finale, and “Opportunity” picked up Act II. The show was later revised into one continuous act.

Goodspeed

Act I
“13”/“Becoming a Man” – Evan and Company
“I’ve Got a Feeling” – Patrice, Brett and Company
“Get Me What I Need” – Archie and Company
“What It Means to Be a Friend” – Patrice
“All Hail the Brain”/“Terminal Illness” – Evan, Archie and Company
“Getting Ready” – Company
“Any Minute” – Brett and Kendra
“Good Enough” – Patrice
“Here I Come” – Evan and Company
Act II
“Anything You Want” – Brett, Lucy, Kendra and Company
“Bad Bad News” – Malcolm, Eddie, Simon and Richie
“Tell Her” – Evan and Patrice
“Big Day” – Company
“Perfect Pieces” – Evan
“It Can’t Be True” – Lucy and Company
“If That’s What It Is” – Archie, Patrice and Evan
“A Little More Homework” – Evan and Company
Los Angeles
“13”/“Becoming a Man” – Evan and Company
“All the Cool Kids” – Brett, Malcolm, Eddie and Company
“Get Me What I Need” – Archie and Kendra
“What It Means to Be a Friend” – Patrice
“Getting Ready” – Archie, Evan, Brett, Kendra, Lucy and Company
“The Bloodmaster” – Cassie, Molly, Charlotte, Simon, Richie and Company
“Being a Geek” – Evan, Rabbis and Boys
“Angry Boy” – Brett, Malcolm, Kendra, Lucy and Company
“Tell Her” – Evan and Patrice
“It Can’t Be True” – Lucy and Company
“Getting Over It” – Evan
“My Name is Archie” – Archie
“Brand New You” – Kendra, Patrice and Company
Two songs, "Introduction" (Company) and "I Know You Want Me" (Lucy, Archie & Company), were written and recorded, but were cut from the actual performances.