BWW Interviews: Michael Mayer and Tom Kitt Talk AMERICAN IDIOT Tour

American Idiot was a surprise smash hit on Broadway in 2010, and last week the 1^st National Tour of the production launched in Toronto.   Arguably one of the most anticipated shows of Toronto’s 2011 season, the current tour cast features four Canadians, including Jake Epstein as Will and Scott. J Campbell as Tunny.

American Idiot first premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2009 and played through November of that year before opening on Broadway in April 2010.  Hailed by the New York Times as “the most adventurous musical to brave Broadway in the past decade” and The Toronto Star as “the first great musical of the 21^st century”, the show was nominated for Best Musical at the 2010 Tony Awards and took home two awards that year. 

Based on the award-winning Green Day album of the same name, American Idiot takes the songs and characters from that album and brings them to life on stage.  Applauded for its creative use of lighting, costumes and set design, the show promises to be a feast for the eyes and the ears.  

BWW had the opportunity to speak with Director Michael Mayer and Music Supervisor Tom Kitt about launching the tour in Toronto, the changes they’ve made to the production and the responsibilities of working on a show that appeals to such a wide and diverse audience:

Congratulations on launching the National Tour of American Idiot! Why Toronto and why now?

MM: I love Toronto! I came up here for our big American Idiot casting call, and filmed “At Home At The End of the World” here in 2002 and spent a lot of time in the city.  I was really disappointed I didn’t get to see Spring Awakening during its Toronto run (with two Canadians in the lead, Kyle Riabko followed by Jake Epstein) so I’m thrilled to get to see American Idiot launch here.   I’m into the Canadians, what can I say?

TK: This is my first time here but it’s a great, wonderful city for theatre and the houses so far have been wonderful.  People here seem excited for the show in general which is always good – and I’m noticing that it isn’t just people who know Green Day but also many people who are here to experience the music for the first time.

One thing we often hear in Toronto is that our audiences are much more “reserved” than on Broadway.  Do you think this will be the show to get Torontonians rocking in their seats?

TK:   I think that the power of the show is undeniable, and I think this show reaches out to a large audience and the emotions that the show brings out when you watch it here are hard to resist.  Whether people are screaming or sitting quietly and taking it all in, the journey and the effect on them has been the same.  I can see it in the audience, even when they aren’t vocal, this show makes an impact.

We are thrilled to see four Canadians in the production, two of whom are in lead roles.  How are our Canucks doing?

TK:  They are fantastic! They’re remarkable performers and wonderful human beings and we are thrilled to work with them.  We know how much it means for them to be here and we feed off that energy.  We want this venture to be successful and life affirming because they have so much pride and desire to perform here.

MM: They’re really doing great and are an amazing bunch of kids.  We’ve got Gabriel Antonacci going on for Van Hughes (as Johnny) next Friday night and Saturday matinee, and when that happens all three lead ‘American Idiots’ are going to be played by Canadians on a Toronto stage.  That’s pretty incredible.

What kinds of changes have been made to the production since Berkeley and Broadway?

MM: Most of what we have done has been to clarify the story, and we’ve made the scale of the production a lot more human.  The relationship between the bodies and the space is very different from the New York production even though the footprint has remained very much the same.  It’s possibly a little less epic and more personal than it was in New York. 

TK: Exactly.  It’s mostly been little things; we haven’t gone in and replaced a song or added a whole scene.  But we have made changes that are mostly design oriented, whether it is to the lighting, the set or a sound cue.  I don’ think you are ever really done working on something, especially if you can get back into rehearsal.

Michael, you’ve dealt a lot with obsessive personalities in your past works.  With American Idiot we have this over-arching drug theme, Spring Awakening had sex and now you’re embarking on Smash which focuses on the obsession with fame.  Have you consciously chosen these topics and themes or has it just unfolded that way?

I actually hadn’t really thought about it until you just said that! I think I do end up attracted to stories that have a very strong and passionate undercurrent in them.  People who are searching for something that becomes a severe need it their lives can seen that need manifest in obsessive behavior.  Even in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever I’ve got this shrink with an obsessive love…maybe I need to be figured out? *laughs*

Finally, it would seem a lot of non-theatre goers are excited to come and check out American Idiot.  Would you guys agree that this is the type of show that reaches out to a wider audience? And what kinds of pressures does that bring?

MM: Absolutely.  American Idiot is the very first theatre experience for a lot of our audiences.  It was that way in Berkeley, on Broadway and even in Utica for the first two previews the cast did there.  These are people who are fans of Green Day and they’ve never been to a “theatre” show before.  It’s a brand new world for them, and it’s challenging and humbling for us to be able to bring that to them.   Who knows? Maybe it will inspire someone in the audience to go out and actually create something. 

TK:  Exactly.  There’s no better feeling as a writer than to see your piece going beyond what you can have ever imagined.  And a wonderful way for that to happen is for new audiences to discover it.  This show brings a whole new life to the music of Green Day, and I honestly think it does justice to what they’ve written.

When and Where?

Dancap presents Green Day’s American Idiot

December 28^th-January 15^th 2012

The Toronto Centre for the Arts

Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at (416) 644-3665 or online at www.dancaptickets.com

For more information on American Idiot, please visit the official website at www.americanidiotthemusical.com

Photo by Racheal McCaig Photography

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