Which Broadway musical did Ariana Grande star in as a child? *13*. Grande made her Broadway debut in the 2008 musical *13*, playing Charlotte, a cheerleader, in the original Broadway cast.
The musical has music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn. Its story follows Evan Goldman, a teenager who moves from New York City to Indiana and tries to navigate friendships, popularity, and his upcoming bar mitzvah. The production was notable for having a cast and band made entirely of teenagers.
*13* began Broadway previews on September 16, 2008, and officially opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on October 5. It closed on January 4, 2009, after 105 performances. Grande appeared alongside Elizabeth Gillies, who played Lucy; the two later reunited on Nickelodeon’s *Victorious*.
Grande’s role in *13* came before her television breakthrough as Cat Valentine in *Victorious*. That makes the musical an important early chapter in her career, although she was a supporting performer rather than the show’s central character.