BWW Reviews: Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT Rocks the Hippodrome But Lacks Story

First, let's be clear: Just as punk rock was not intended to bridge the gap between parents and their offspring, American Idiot is not the type of musical production to which you want to plan a family outing. Parents, please don't bring your young children. And children, you may find yourself trying to disappear into the upholstery of your just-this-side-of-comfortable theater seat if you find the idea of watching sex scenes, observing rampant drug use and hearing streams of profanity along with members of a previous generation highly unpalatable or, at minimum, painfully awkward.

But Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, who wrote this rock opera's lyrics, and his punk rock band that created its unstoppably vibrant music weren't going for "comfortable." They were aiming, along with co-creator and director Michael Mayer (who picked up a Tony for his direction of Spring Awakening), to offer a musical production that breaks ground for its in-your-face punk rock approach to storytelling and its entirely unapologetic tale of sex, drugs and (punk) rock n' roll. And while there's lots of all of the above--and all very well done--there's not so much in the way of a plot with any depth.

Still, the production is remarkable. Just the stories-high speaker towers flanking the Hippodrome stage are enough to impress if not overwhelm, and the performance jump-starts your heart immediately as the speakers blare to life accompanied by rhythmic strobes for the title number. An actress is suspended upside down from a couple of chains and hangs there, head banging; immediately, the audience knows this is going to be spectacular.

There's no easing into this production, and there's no sleeping your way through it, either. The five-piece band (cello included) on stage makes sure of that and serves as an integral part of the cast, maintaining the momentum and driving the production forward. The musicians' energy infuses the action with vigor and gives the whole production a live-concert feel, perfectly appropriate for this rock opera created by a band that's currently in the midst of a European tour.

The set, too, could easily be swapped for a sophisticated concert getup. The design, which earned Christine Jones a Tony, evokes the industrial décor of big-city clubs and ingeniously incorporates scaffolding that easily serves multiple purposes. The backdrop is a black wall punctuated by flat TV screens of all sizes that broadcast song-appropriate images and video, sometimes in tandem, sometimes not. The lighting (by Tony-winner Kevin Adams) is extraordinary; aside from an abundant (but thoughtful) use of strobe, there are projections that sweep over the stage and bold, beautiful washes of color.

As the music, imagery and striking, energetic choreography (by Steven Hoggett) unfold, we begin to gain an understanding of the characters and their motivations, although if the production is lacking, it's in the character development. In the nineties and early oughts (when I was listening to them somewhat regularly), Green Day sang about--among other topics--angry youth in suburban America, afflicted by pervasive ennui and a general, albeit undefined, sense of disdain for the government and its shadier dealings.

American Idiot captures this but also attempts to tackle, although with questionable efficacy, some deeper themes about drug addiction and war. Johnny (played endearingly by Armstrong lookalike Alex Nee) and his unmotivated guy friends Will (Casey O'Farrell) and Tunny (Thomas Hettrick) decide to leave their vanilla suburban lives behind in search of something more exciting in the big city. Will's girlfriend gets pregnant, requiring him to stay behind while the other two take off on "Holiday" to an unnamed metropolis. Via Johnny's very brief monologues that serve as "postcards" back to Will, we learn that Tunny does nothing but sleep until he is inspired to join the military and is summarily shipped off to battle and injured. Left to his own devices, Johnny goes in search of girls and friends, finding both but not in the most reputable places. He spirals into drug abuse, loses the girlfriend over it and finds himself very, very lost. In the meantime, Will's relationship with his baby mama unravels and he loses her to another guy, and Tunny deals with losing a leg. Upon reflection, it's a wonder all this loss and losing comes together, but somehow, it does.

And parts of it are hauntingly beautiful. During quasi-acoustic numbers like Nee's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," O'Farrell's "Give me Novacaine," Hettrick's "We Are the Waiting" and the trio's absolutely stunning "Wake Me Up When September Ends," which features all three lead actors playing guitar, their voices take center stage and fill the theater, and their true talent--both vocal and instrumental--shines through. In the louder numbers, unfortunately, the music often drowns out their voices.

The cast also comprises talented dancers who manage to make highly energetic, frenetic numbers look effortless. Of note is a scene in which soldiers toss themselves around while prone on the stage, managing 180-degree flips, approaching a stylized break dance, and another in which Nee and girlfriend Whatsername (a standout Alyssa DiPalma) perform an elastic, sinuous ballet using a rubber band.

Even in this most raw and loud of productions, there are moments of peaceful beauty. Don't leave as soon as the curtain drops. Stick around, and you'll be treated to one that may be the highlight of the performance.

American Idiot runs through Sunday, May 12. The Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center's Broadway Series returns Oct. 15 with We Will Rock You. For more information, visit www.france-merrickpac.com.

Photos by John Daughtry and Turner Rouse Jr., courtesy of Broadway Across America.

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