The Burnt Part Boys

What a thrill to see a new show that really blows you away.  This is a joint production between Playwrights Horizons and The Vineyard Theatre.  It's been in development for about a year on various stages and this stop on 42nd Street is a true winner.

Pete (Al Calderone) runs away with his best buddy Dusty (Noah Galvin) to try and preserve the memory of his father who was killed in a mine explosion (hence the title, the Burnt Part... of the mine).  Chet his older brother (Andrew Durand) and his best buddy Jake (Charlie Brady) chase after them.  The story is a powerful ode to family and memory, growing up, chasing a dream, and a fight to "get out" vs the need to "stay".   The power behind this show is the music - one strong ballad after another and a cast that can fill the theatre from the front row to the very last.  Kudos to the entire creative team - Mariana Elder (book), Chris Miller (music), and Nathan Tysen (lyrics)  The creative direction (Joe Calarco) and use of the stage, ramps, and aisles during the performance drew you in even closer to the story.

Run, Don't Walk.  This one has Broadway transfer potential.

13

The new musical on the block, 13, made it's debut this past week.  As you might guess, it's a musical about being 13 years old - and there are 13 kids on stage to share the musical tale.   In this day and age where High School Musical XIV (is that what we're up to?) dominates the kid-scape - this musical just doesn't make the cut.   I'm left wondering why Disney has not brought it's international sensation to Broadway yet (who thinks Shrek the Musical will make it anyway?).

Let's get a few things straight.  This is not really a Broadway show.  It's just entertainment.  It's the clever, relevant, and thoroughly modern story of Evan, a, you guessed it, 13 year old who's from the Upper West Side. His parents are getting a divorce (surprise!) just before his Bar-Mitzvah (he's Jewish) and his mom uproots him and takes him to Appleton, Indiana (they don't have Jews there) to live.   You can just begin to imagine the trials and tribulations that follow.

What you have to juxtapose here is what i can only imagine to be most exciting times in the lives of these actual actor kids (trust me, i am SO jealous of them) against the fact you're paying $100 for a ticket to see... well... kids.  (Did i mention that they were all absolutely adorable and talented?) Why are we willing to pay this much to see kids sing slightly off key sometimes, miss a few dance steps here and there, not exactly command the stage, and put on what amounts to a really REALLY good High School Musical?  It's like the best of the best - but when the best are kids - it's not exactly Broadway quality.  Endearing and entertaining - but not Broadway.  (I have to say I also wonder if anyone else thought they were watching Cory Feldman and Haley Joel Osment on stage in disguise!)

I think the producers are going to lose their shirt on this one.  A run off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane or New World Stages seems more appropriate.   I hope I'm wrong for the kid's sake.  I hope I'm right for Broadway's sake.   You decide.