Mostly they blend together and fade from the mind quickly. Strong choreography by Adam Santelli helps a few songs, like the opening number “13” and the ensemble showcase “Bad Bad News,” gain a bit of life. Everyone is talented, but no child performer stands out except for Golden. There is some tension around holding onto his nerdier friends while still staying in with the “cool kids.” But all of the kids, cool or not, kind of blend together. Jason Robert Brown is a three-time Tony Award winning composer, lyricist, and orchestrator who has created one magical musical theatre hit after another. Stuck in a new school in the middle of nowhere, Evan must make new friends quickly, lest his bar mitzvah end up the lamest party in town.īut then Evan makes friends pretty easily. As the story begins, his mother Jessica ( Debra Messing) is moving Evan from New York City back into her mother’s home on Wyoming, after Evan’s father cheated and their marriage collapsed. Technically, Evan does hit some speed bumps. Trying to build an engaging story around such an un-hassled group of characters proves a central flaw this film cannot overcome. It’s much the same story with the other kids Evan meets along the way - they all seem like a really nice, pleasant bunch. But the oddest thing about this protagonist, Evan Goldman, is the 13 year old’s near-total absence of flaws or inner conflict. He has to seem likable and just generally pretty chill, which he does. Golden must sing and dance impeccably, which he does.
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