13 Going On 30 The Musical workshops announced ahead of West End run!
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| By
Sian McBride
Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, co-writers of the hit 2004 film, will be hosting a two-week 13 Going On 30 The Musical workshop at the Battersea Arts Centre next month! The workshop, consisting of four script-in-hand public performances, will ultimately cumulate in a West End run from Summer 2025. If only we had access to Jenna’s wishing dust, we’d be at the opening night in a jiffy! Thankfully, we have plenty of time to rewatch the film and practice walking in heels in the year-and-a-half wait.
What is 13 Going On 30 The Musical about?
Unlike the pre-teens who saw 13 Going On 30 at the cinema 19 years ago, Jenna can’t wait to turn 30! Desperate to escape her lame birthday party, Jenna has just one wish when she blows out the candles on her cake, to become thirty, flirty, and thriving. After a dodgy shelving unit knocks some wishing dust on the teenager, she magically wakes up seventeen years later. When Jenna looks into the mirror, she no longer sees the awkward kid she once was, but a thirty-year-old fashion magazine editor with a seemingly perfect life. She has a cool apartment, a hot boyfriend, and a closet filled with high heels, designer dresses, and gorgeous handbags. However, as Jenna unravels the mystery of the person she has grown up to be, she must work out what, and who, really matters.
About the film
The 2004 fantasy rom-com earned Jennifer Gardner an MTV Movie Award nomination and Teen Choice Award nomination for her heartwarming portrayal of the 30-year-old Jenna, with Mark Gruffalo starring alongside her as geeky best friend Matty. The film was praised for its self-empowering message and quotable dialogue and earned rave reviews from critics.
The film was hugely popular grossing $22 million in its opening week, and became one of that year's biggest-selling DVD rental titles. The movie soundtrack, featuring Alex’s famous strip tease song Ice Ice Baby song, charted inside the top 50 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Cast and creatives of 13 Going On 30 The Musical
The reimagining of the 2004 cult film will have music and lyrics by Michael Weiner and Alan Zachary (First Date, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) and direction by Andy Fickman (Heathers, She’s The Man). Casting for the adult company is by Will Burton for Grindrod & Burton Casting and casting for the children is by Keston and Keston.
Casting will be announced shortly.
Tickets for 13 Going On 30 The Musical will be available shortly!
Following the two-week workshop at Battersea Arts Centre next month, a full-scale production will be strutting into the West End in Summer 2025.