Photo Coverage: Lea Salonga Visits AMERICAN IDIOT

Tony award-winning actress Lea Salonga ("Miss Saigon", "Les Miserables") took time out to watch one of the most popular shows playing on Broadway Greenday's "American Idiot" at St. James Theatre in New York City Wednesday evening, September 1, 2010.  Ms. Salonga was accompanied by composer and lyricist Jay Kuo ("Worlds Apart", "Insignificant Others"), who is also one of the associate producers of "American Idiot". 

Ms. Salonga and Mr. Kuo, together with George Takei ("Star Trek", "Equus"), Telly Leung ("Rent", "Wicked") and Allie Trimm ("13", "Bye Bye Birdie"), are presently working on a Broadway bound play "Allegiance: A New American Musical". 

Right after the performance, Ms. Salonga and Mr. Kuo stepped backstage to meet with some of the cast members of  the Tony award-winning rock musical including Tony Vincent (St. Jimmy), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Whatsername), and Christina Sajous (Extraordinary Girl).

"American Idiot" is a narrative expansion of the 2004 iconic album of punk rock band Greenday.  The stage musical tells the story of a young man Johnny (John Gallagher, Jr.) who leaves the suburbs for the city in search of something greater as a reaction to post-9/11 world. He starts his new life in the city with St. Jimmy and Whatsernane.  Meanwhile, Johnny's two old pals from the suburbs, Will (Michael Esper) and Tunny (Stark Sands) choose their own destiny by choosing different paths. 

Greenday's hit songs "American Idiot", "Wake Me Up When September Ends", "Know Your Enemy", and "21 Guns" have been incorporated into the show. 

"American Idiot" features music by Greenday, and lyrics by the band's vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong, book by Mr. Armstrong and Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening"), arrangements and orchestration by Tom Kitt ("Next To Normal"), scenic design by Christine Jones, costume design by Andrea Lauer, lighting design by Kevin Adams, sound design by Brian Ronan, choreography by Steven Hoggett, and direction by Michael Mayer. 

For tickets, visit www.americanidiotonbroadway.com.

Photo credit:  Jay Kuo and Blair Shepard