Jason Robert Brown
13 / Becoming a Man
[EVAN, spoken]
I'm Evan Goldman. I live at 224 West 92nd Street, in the heart of Manhattan! And my life just went to hell

(sung)
Picture me:
Just another cool kid in NYC
Near the park and the Met
Life is sweet:
Yankees in the Bronx, pretzels on the street –
Just how good can it get?

Who’d have guessed
Dad would meet a stewardess?
Mom’s depressed
And her lawyers are mean
Now I’m stressed –
Life is a disaster
And I’m cracking from the strain
Going totally insane
And I’m just about to turn
Just about to turn
Just about to turn 
[EVAN]
Everything switches

Everything turns around

End up in stitches

Find a way underground

Can I get through it?

Life has changed overnight

How do I do it?

Nothing is going right[EVAN & KIDS]
Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen![ALL]
The best and the worst
And the most and the least
And the crazy and the scary
And I’m standing on the edge!
[EVAN]
Twelve years old –
Everything that used to be good as gold
Starts to crumble and crack

[EVAN, SIMON, RICHIE]
Pressure mounts:
Once it was a joke, now it really counts
And there’s no turning back

[EVAN, SIMON, RICHIE, CASSIE, CHARLOTTE]
Life goes wrong

[RICHIE]
Suddenly they’re yelling 'cause your hair’s too long

[CASSIE]
Or your room isn’t clean

[ALL FIVE]
Roll along:

[EVAN]
Every conversation is another lost cause
Or a list of my flaws
And I’m just about to turn
[EVAN & KIDS]
Just about to turn
God, I’m gonna to turn
Thirteen![RICHIE]
I want a dirt bike!

[LUCY]
I want to kill my ma

[EDDIE]
I want a mustache!

[CASSIE]
I want a WonderBra!

[SIMON, EDDIE, LUCY
CASSIE, PATRICE, MOLLY]
When do I get it?

All of the grown-up stuff?

How will I make it?

When am I old enough? 
[KIDS]
Thirteen!


Thirteen!


Thirteen!


Thirteen!



Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen![ALL]
Why is the world feeling suddenly stranger?
Why are my friends acting totally weird?
Why do I feel like my life is in danger?
Why do I feel like my brain disappeared?

[MOLLY]
How will I get through a year of Spanish?

[SIMON]
How can I not look dumb in Track?

[BRETT]
How can I gain twenty pounds by Friday?

[MALCOLM]
How can I make my voice not crack?

[ALL]
I wanna fly, wanna run, wanna drive[KENDRA, SIMON, RICHIE, CHARLOTTE]
Wanna get rich


Wanna get my braces off 

[BRETT, LUCY, MALCOLM, MOLLY]
Wanna get drunk



Wanna get my nose pierced 
 

[CASSIE, EVAN, PATRICE, EDDIE]
Wanna get out!




Wanna grow my hair long[ALL]
But all I keep hearing is:
"No, you’re not ready!"
"No, it’s not time yet!"
"No, it’s not right now!"
"Wait until you’re older!"

"No, you’re not ready!"
"No, it’s not time yet!"
"No, it’s not right now!"
"Wait until you’re older!"

"No, you’re not ready!"
"No, it’s not time yet!"
"No, it’s not right now!"
"Wait until you’re older!"

[EVAN, BRETT, MOLLY]
"Homework!"

[EDDIE, PATRICE, CHARLOTTE]
"Laundry!"

[KENDRA, MALCOLM]
"Dishes!"

[LUCY, SIMON, RICHIE]
"Courses!"

[ALL]
"Just settle down and hold your horses!"

[Guitar solo and dance.]

[EVAN]
In the middle of this city
In the middle of this street
There's the sound of something crumbling
Rumbling underneath my feet

In the middle of the sidewalk
Outside P.S. 84
I hear a roar
I can't ignore

I hear, "Evan, it's not your fault"
I hear, "Evan, can't you see?"
I hear, "Evan, do you want to go with Mom or stay with me?"

I hear, "Kiddo, I'm not angry"
I hear, "Buddy, you know best"
And there's the rumbling getting louder

But there's one day in October
When the pieces all will fit
When they have to be together
And pretend they didn't quit

I've got one day in October
And I know it's got to be
The perfect party

I'm becoming a man
I don't know what "a man" really means
The rule book grows
But no one knows
What all the rules allow

I'm becoming a man
No one tells all us scared in-betweens
Just how we should
Be strong, be good
With so much pressure now!

One day it gets better -
One day it makes sense
One day I'll stop talking in the friggin' future tense
One day in October
It'll all be great!
And I can't wait!
I can't wait![EVAN]
I can't wait![KIDS, overlapping]
I can't wait to come to your party!
I can't wait to come to your party!
I can't wait to come to your party!
I can't wait to come to your party!
I can't wait-
Your party![ALL KIDS]
I can't wait! I can't wait!
Can't wait
Can't wait
Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait, can't wait for[EVAN, BRETT, KENDRA
LUCY, EDDIE, PATRICE]
Somethin' is comin'!

Somethin' is goin' up!

Somethin' is hummin'!

Somebody’s growin' up!

[CASSIE]
Hey, yeahhh!

[EDDIE]
No, no, no-no, no-no!

[MALCOLM]
Hey yay-yeah-yay-yeah!

[CHARLOTTE]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah![KIDS]
Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen!

Thirteen!


Thirteen!


Thirteen!


Thirteen!


Thirteen![ALL]
The best and the worst
And the most and the least
And the crazy and the scary
And we’re just about to turn
Thirteen!