Interview with Jason Robert Brown on Re-Release of "13" Album
Jason Robert Brown’s youth musical “13,” which I personally loved and championed as much as I could, lasted only a few months on Broadway last season. But rather like “Seussical,” it is expected to soon become one of the nation's most frequently produced musicals. What middle school or Jewish summer camp wouldn't want to do this catchy, family-friendly show about contemporary 12 year olds going on 13? To coincide with Music Theater International releasing the amateur licensing rights to the musical, the “13” cast album will be re-released as a double album on November 24, 2009 with new revisions to the score and karaoke tracks based on the music of the cast album itself. (The songs are even offered in a variety of keys.) I spoke with Jason Robert Brown and asked whether this will lead thousands of 12 year olds to sing along to the accompaniment tracks on YouTube.
Q: What inspired you and your co-creators to take another look at "13" following its Broadway run?
A: There were a number of reasons we went back to the show, but the most important one, honestly, was that we made so many changes to the show during previews on Broadway and we just weren't sure we had finished our work. Some of the changes we had made didn't feel entirely right, some just felt unfinished, and there were still some yet to be made. So we decided that, before the show went out into the world to be licensed through MTI, we would take one more crack at it and basically finish what we had started. Luckily, the folks at French Woods agreed to let us use their campers as guinea pigs, and we were able to put the new songs and scenes on them first and see how they played. We were thoroughly delighted with the work that got done at French Woods, and so we approved that new script for licensing.
Q: What kinds of changes have been made to the score and dialogue? Is it still essentially the same show? Have any particular elements changed?
A: It's very much the same show it was. If anything, it's just a little more streamlined, and some of the characters are stronger and clearer than they were before. The most identifiable change is that we restored two songs to the show: "Being A Geek" had been in the show in Los Angeles and always felt to me like the very heart of the score – I was devastated when we decided to cut it for Broadway, and I'm so happy that it's back in the show now; and "Opportunity" got cut in previews on Broadway, and it was a song we all loved and also an important moment for the character who sings it, so we figured out a way to put it back in, but in a different spot in the show. We wanted to put those two songs back into the show, but we didn't want to make the show any longer, so we then had to dig into the scenes and make sure that anything that wasn't completely vital to the piece came out.
Q: What’s the deal with the karaoke tracks?
A: From the minute the show started previews on Broadway, I was getting requests on my website for karaoke versions of the songs. And after the show closed, the requests actually intensified. At a certain point, it just seemed inevitable that someone would put out a karaoke version of the score, and I wanted it to be done right, so I called Kurt Deutsch and we came up with a great plan to record the tracks with live musicians, and re-release the original cast album with those karaoke tracks and recordings of the new songs. I was so thrilled that Kurt wanted to do it, because so often when I have ideas like that, they get lost in corporate bureaucracy, but here it is, all shiny and new!
Q: How does it feel looking back on the Broadway run of "13"? Do you think it deserved a longer run? Is there anything you would have done differently?
A: I don't know that it's fair to anyone who worked on the show on Broadway for me to sit and publicly air my Monday morning quarterbacking. Suffice to say that I loved the show on Broadway, I loved that cast so much it hurts my heart just thinking about them, my band was fantastic, and the audiences were clearly responding very strongly. It meant so much to me to see families coming to see the show and singing along and laughing their heads off. Sure, I wish it had run longer, but it's going to have a beautiful life of its own now, and it will be a part of so many kids' lives. I certainly have no regrets about that.
Q: Many of the "13" cast members are already moving on to new projects, like Graham Phillips and Allie Trimm. What's it like for you to see that happen for them so quickly?
A: I'm ridiculously, insanely proud. It's not just the Broadway kids, there were also kids who did the show in LA who are doing amazing things in the business – we've got alumni on television, on Broadway, on the pop charts – and we've got plenty of kids who are starting college or just getting ready for that application process, and I really do believe that being part of "13" will have helped groom them for a successful life, in whatever field. We expected incredible things from them, and they all delivered. Ugh, I'm kvelling.
Q: Which projects and shows are you currently working on?
A: "Honeymoon In Vegas" continues apace; we're doing a reading of that soon with a new director, and I'm just having the time of my life working on it. And then there are a couple of other projects that I'm just beginning. But with "Parade" here at the Taper and my new daughter (born three weeks ago!), I haven't had a whole lot of time to devote to my writing lately.
Q: Will you be doing any concert performances at Birdland this season or elsewhere in NYC?
A: You know, I'm not really planning to be in New York much until March (when I'll be doing my yearly concerts at Birdland), but I'm weighing right now whether I can pull off doing something in December. It's hard, there are so many things going on in NYC during the Christmas season, it's tough to find a venue, and you can't be sure that your audience will be able to find you! I'm thinking about it. We'll see.
Q: You recently put your demos from the "Betty Boop" musical online. Might you put more work online as it is in development?
A: I try to keep fun things popping up on my website. I wish I updated the blog more often (I manage to get to it every five weeks or so), but there are plenty of songs in the archives for folks to explore until I get more time to post.
Q: What inspired you and your co-creators to take another look at "13" following its Broadway run?
A: There were a number of reasons we went back to the show, but the most important one, honestly, was that we made so many changes to the show during previews on Broadway and we just weren't sure we had finished our work. Some of the changes we had made didn't feel entirely right, some just felt unfinished, and there were still some yet to be made. So we decided that, before the show went out into the world to be licensed through MTI, we would take one more crack at it and basically finish what we had started. Luckily, the folks at French Woods agreed to let us use their campers as guinea pigs, and we were able to put the new songs and scenes on them first and see how they played. We were thoroughly delighted with the work that got done at French Woods, and so we approved that new script for licensing.
Q: What kinds of changes have been made to the score and dialogue? Is it still essentially the same show? Have any particular elements changed?
A: It's very much the same show it was. If anything, it's just a little more streamlined, and some of the characters are stronger and clearer than they were before. The most identifiable change is that we restored two songs to the show: "Being A Geek" had been in the show in Los Angeles and always felt to me like the very heart of the score – I was devastated when we decided to cut it for Broadway, and I'm so happy that it's back in the show now; and "Opportunity" got cut in previews on Broadway, and it was a song we all loved and also an important moment for the character who sings it, so we figured out a way to put it back in, but in a different spot in the show. We wanted to put those two songs back into the show, but we didn't want to make the show any longer, so we then had to dig into the scenes and make sure that anything that wasn't completely vital to the piece came out.
Q: What’s the deal with the karaoke tracks?
A: From the minute the show started previews on Broadway, I was getting requests on my website for karaoke versions of the songs. And after the show closed, the requests actually intensified. At a certain point, it just seemed inevitable that someone would put out a karaoke version of the score, and I wanted it to be done right, so I called Kurt Deutsch and we came up with a great plan to record the tracks with live musicians, and re-release the original cast album with those karaoke tracks and recordings of the new songs. I was so thrilled that Kurt wanted to do it, because so often when I have ideas like that, they get lost in corporate bureaucracy, but here it is, all shiny and new!
Q: How does it feel looking back on the Broadway run of "13"? Do you think it deserved a longer run? Is there anything you would have done differently?
A: I don't know that it's fair to anyone who worked on the show on Broadway for me to sit and publicly air my Monday morning quarterbacking. Suffice to say that I loved the show on Broadway, I loved that cast so much it hurts my heart just thinking about them, my band was fantastic, and the audiences were clearly responding very strongly. It meant so much to me to see families coming to see the show and singing along and laughing their heads off. Sure, I wish it had run longer, but it's going to have a beautiful life of its own now, and it will be a part of so many kids' lives. I certainly have no regrets about that.
Q: Many of the "13" cast members are already moving on to new projects, like Graham Phillips and Allie Trimm. What's it like for you to see that happen for them so quickly?
A: I'm ridiculously, insanely proud. It's not just the Broadway kids, there were also kids who did the show in LA who are doing amazing things in the business – we've got alumni on television, on Broadway, on the pop charts – and we've got plenty of kids who are starting college or just getting ready for that application process, and I really do believe that being part of "13" will have helped groom them for a successful life, in whatever field. We expected incredible things from them, and they all delivered. Ugh, I'm kvelling.
Q: Which projects and shows are you currently working on?
A: "Honeymoon In Vegas" continues apace; we're doing a reading of that soon with a new director, and I'm just having the time of my life working on it. And then there are a couple of other projects that I'm just beginning. But with "Parade" here at the Taper and my new daughter (born three weeks ago!), I haven't had a whole lot of time to devote to my writing lately.
Q: Will you be doing any concert performances at Birdland this season or elsewhere in NYC?
A: You know, I'm not really planning to be in New York much until March (when I'll be doing my yearly concerts at Birdland), but I'm weighing right now whether I can pull off doing something in December. It's hard, there are so many things going on in NYC during the Christmas season, it's tough to find a venue, and you can't be sure that your audience will be able to find you! I'm thinking about it. We'll see.
Q: You recently put your demos from the "Betty Boop" musical online. Might you put more work online as it is in development?
A: I try to keep fun things popping up on my website. I wish I updated the blog more often (I manage to get to it every five weeks or so), but there are plenty of songs in the archives for folks to explore until I get more time to post.
posted by Matt Windman @ 5:02 PM
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