Principal casting is complete for the Netflix adaptation of 13: The Musical with the addition of Rhea Perlman (Cheers, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife), Josh Peck (Turner & Hooch, The Wackness) and Peter Hermann (Younger, War Horse), Deadline reports.
The musical centers on 13-year-old Evan Goldman (played by Eli Golden) as he navigates a sudden move from NYC to Indiana, his parents divorcing, and his impending bar mitzvah. It debuted on Broadway in 2008, following its commissioned production at Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group. Robert Horn is adapting the script from the stage script co-written with Dan Elish. Composer Jason Robert Brown is expected to add new music for the film, directed by Tamra Davis.
The trio of adult actors join the previously announced ensemble of teens, including Golden, Gabriella Uhl, JD McCrary, Frankie McNellis, Lindsey Blackwell, Jonathan Lengel, Ramon Reed, Nolen Dubuc, Luke Islam, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Kayleigh Cerezo, Wyatt Moss, Liam Wignall, and Khiyla Aynne.
Perlman will play Grandma Ruth, Peck is Rabbi Shapiro, and Hermann portrays Joel Goldman, all newly added characters that do not appear in the stage version. It was previously reported that Debra Messing will play Evan's mom, also an offstage character in the original stage production.