NFCT to raise curtain on teen-focused show ’13 the Musical’

Friendships, crushes and the chaos of middle school will take center stage at the North Fork Community Theatre in Mattituck this weekend in the first-ever production of “13 the Musical.”

The show, debuting Thursday, follows Evan Goldman, a 12-year-old from New York, as drama unfolds while he’s planning the perfect bar mitzvah. The coming-of-age story features 20 tweens and teens from across the North Fork.

“It’s such a fun show. I love the fact that all the kids are playing kids,” director Nancy Magel said. “They’re actually playing their own age, and it’s really fun to see kids be kids on stage.”

Ms. Magel, of Mattituck, has directed numerous shows around the North Fork, but the performance is being produced by first-time producer James Stevens, of Riverhead. Mr. Stevens has been involved in productions at the theater since he was 17 in the early 1990s.

Jessica Raven is the choreographer.

The performance is part of the theater’s Youth on Stage program, which has been putting on musicals every summer since 1971. The program is open to young actors, singers and dancers ages 14 to 22.

“I would love to continue this program because I really truly believe it’s important to have a tuition-free program for kids to explore theater, especially on the North Fork,” said Ms. Magel.

Last year’s performance was ‘School of Rock.”

Mr. Stevens said last year’s show was the first to allow some kids younger than 14 to take part. The auditions brought in many kids around ages 9 and 10. The “13 the Musical” performance is a pilot for just younger performers.

“With the outpouring of kids that came to audition, the theater recognized that there was a huge number of kids in this age group that really didn’t have a specific spot,” Mr. Stevens said. “So we approached the theater to see if they would let us do a short production run of something just for this age group.”

Community members can come out and see the musical during its run from Thursday, Aug. 13, through Sunday, Aug. 16.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $25 to $30 and can be purchased online or at the door.