Cast of 13 THE MUSICAL movie adaptation announced

The cast of the 13 The Musical movie adaptation has been announced!

Auditions were conducted virtually during 2020, and the production is set to start filming in Canada in June.

The cast includes Eli Golden, Gabriella Uhl, JD McCrary, Frankie McNellis, Lindsey Blackwell, Jonathan Lengel, Ramon Reed, Nolen Dubuc, Luke Islam, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Kayleigh Cerezo, Wyatt Moss, Liam Wignall, and Khiyla Aynne.

13 follows a young Evan Goldman as he navigates moving towns, making friends, and dealing with his parents’ divorce – all while trying to prepare for his Bar Mitzvah. It is the only Broadway musical to have ever consisted of an entirely teenage cast and band, and ran for 105 performances. The original cast starred Graham Phillips in the title role, and was the Broadway debut for both Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gillies (who went on to star in Victorious together). The show’s music and lyrics are by Jason Robert Brown (The Last 5 Years, Parade) and book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn (Tootsie The Musical, Teen Beach Movie).

The film adaptation is being directed by Tamra Davis (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), and produced by Neil Meron (the film adaptations of Chicago and Hairspray).

13: The Musical joins Netflix’s growing slate of live action family films featuring kids and teens, which includes upcoming film Skater Girl from first time director Manjari Makijany and He’s All That starring Addison Rae and Tanner Buchanan directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls) . Recent releases include Finding ‘Ohana, directed by Jude Weng (Fresh Off the Boat) and starring Kea Peahu and Alex Aiono; Feel the Beat, directed by Elissa Down (The Honor List) and starring Sofia Carson; and 2019 comedy Tall Girl, directed by Nzingha Stewart (Little Fires Everywhere) and starring Ava Michelle.

Gabi Bergman

Gabi Bergman (she/her) is a Melbourne-based performer and educator, and the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of AussieTheatre.com. She holds a double degree in Theatre Studies and Film/Screen Studies, along with a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education). A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in the arts, Gabi brings her deep love of storytelling to the stage, the page, and the classroom. A lifelong lover of theatre, she spends more on tickets than she’d like to admit. Her most prized possession is her ever-growing collection of theatre programs.