It's about hope and hormones, crushes and cliques, young love and other delightful disasters.

We're talking about the Vail Performing Arts Academy's 16th summer production, which is “13” the musical.

It's hilarious, high-energy and it's playing Friday and Saturday in the Vilar Center. “13” is the 2008 hit Broadway that teaches those at a young age a lesson for the ages — cool is where you create it.

“This musical deals with those early teen years that we all survive somehow,” said Annah Scully, VPAA's executive producer.

“13” is performed by 70 teenagers, 8-18 years old, who are actually pretty focused and really funny.

About ‘13'

Alec Mauro plays Evan Goldman, a soon-to-be 13-year-old who's uprooted from an idyllic childhood in Manhattan and dropped into “the lamest place in the world,” Appleton, Indiana, and the halls of Dan Quayle School.

The displaced New York teen tries to win favor with the school in-crowd so they'll come to his Bar Mitzvah. Along the way he encounters unpopular geeks, gossipy cheerleaders, hot chicks, mean chicks, dim-witted jocks, and a handicapped boy.

Blaize Olle plays the football star, Brett Samson. He's the star of the football team, but not the play.

Goldman sees Samson as his path to popularity. Samson wants a girlfriend, but not just any girlfriend. He wants the beautiful but ditsy blonde girlfriend, Kendra (Meredith Steinke), who'll do almost anything to be popular. Goldman tries to get Kendra to go out with Samson, but in the end Samson ends up with the mean girl, Lucy (Hailey Vest), who seems determined to ruin lives, including Samson's.

“It's a win/lose situation for Brett,” Olle said. “It sounds like middle school, and this character does not have a Disney ending.”

The best they've ever done

Olle says he and other cast members usually believe that whatever play they're staging is the best they've ever done.

But they really, Really REALLY believe it about this one.

“I've been doing this for years,” Olle said. “All the plays I think are awesome, but sometimes there's difficulty in generating energy for rehearsals.”

That's not a problem this time around, Olle said.

“In this play there can be too much energy. It's about 13-year-old kids and there are 13 year olds playing those parts,” he said laughing.

The music is Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown's inspired rock and roll score. It's high energy and laugh-out-loud funny. Imagine the hit TV show “GLEE” on energy drinks.

“13” teaches some life lessons in a light-hearted way, says Colin Meiring, VPAA artistic director.

“We hope to inspire and enlighten our students to realize the importance of acceptance, kindness, and appreciation of others who may be perceived as different,” Meiring says. “We believe it is our differences that make life interesting and worthwhile.”

The cast began day-long rehearsals last month.

Vail Performing Arts Academy has been offering year round performing arts education and performance opportunities in the Vail Valley for 16 years.

The Vail Performing Arts Academy was founded, appropriately enough, with a fundraiser/performance titled “An Evening of Karaoke,” hosted by Bobby Hernreich.

The first Theater Arts Production Workshop and recital was the performance, “The Tale of Castle Fun,” performed at Battle Mountain High School.

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 or rwyrick@vaildaily.com.