Scott D. Pafumi, Theatre Arts Director at Herndon Middle School with Bryan Case, a music teacher at Herndon Middle. Photo by Ryan Dunn.
“The show is a lot of fun, it pokes fun at how difficult it is to go through middle school,” said Bryan Case. Case is a music teacher at Herndon Middle, and is music director for the upcoming spring musical “13!” which will be preformed at the school’s auditorium on Locust Street.
Written by Jason Robert Brown, the musical premiered in 2007. The story follows young Evan Goldman as he grapples with his parents' divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah, and navigates the social circles of a new school. “The show was cast in January and they have been rehearsing tirelessly since then,” said Carin Procopio, president of the Herndon Middle School Theatre Boosters group.
Helping with the music are several Herndon High students, including freshman Joey Rudek, Trevor Baranowski, and Evelyn Showalter. “It is going to be awesome, I really like this music,” said Rudek. “Lots of things are represented at extremes.” Herndon high students Elsa Nylund and Brooke Widmer, members of the Herndon High dance team are assisting with the choreography.
Chris Overton, vice president of the Herndon Theatre Boosters helped prepare theatre backdrops with other volunteers. “The set is fairly simple to accommodate the cast,” said Overton. “We emphasized the Herndon Middle School colors of red and black.” The musical has a cast of 40. The role of Evan Goldman is to be preformed by Ryan Muha. “He’s always had an interest in drama,” said Ryan’s mother, Emily Muha. Cast in the role of Archie Walker is Kishan Rao. “I kind of grew to like this character more as I saw the comedy in the script,” said Rao.
Directing the show is Scott D. Pafumi, theatre arts director at Herndon Middle School. In the program notes, Pafumi mentions the story for the musical “13!” is about being in middle school, fitting in and finding a place in the social strata of life. “I believe in giving young people a place to feel comfortable to grow in,” stated Pafumi. “Teaching theatre has allowed me to create that environment and continue my life’s work.”
Performances are scheduled April 4 at 7 p.m. and April 5 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $8 (cash or check to HMS Theatre). Tickets are available for sale at the door one hour before performances. To learn more about Herndon Middle School drama, visit www.hmsdrama.org.