AMERICAN IDIOT Opens At Berkeley Rep, First Reviews In

On Wednesday, September 16, the much anticipated AMERICAN IDIOT premiered at Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre. Not surprisingly, the (literally) off-beat rock opera has gotten theatergoers and music lovers abuzz. After all, how often is it that one of the country's most famous punk rockbands collaborates with Broadway elite to turn one of the most successful albums of all time into a stage show, without the addition of a single stitch of added dialogue? The first reviews are in, and, naturally, they are impassioned.

Through the clever weaving of every song from the 2004 multi-platinum "American Idiot" album and several new songs off of Green Day's new album "21st Century Breakdown, 19 actors artfully tell the story of three wayward friends trying to find themselves from the suburbs, to the city and to the Middle East through drugs, disillusionment and all of the related recklessness.  The expectations of the outcome were so high that before the show even opened, Berkeley Rep extended the show due to record-breaking sales and unprecedented demand for seats. Originally scheduled to close on October 11, the show will now play through Sunday, November 1.

As any theater enthusiast knows, with prospects so hot, the stakes skyrocket and the critics have, thus far, delivered accordingly.  The Murcury News, proudly deems AMERICAN IDIOT the "white hot."  Karen D'Souza writes that the piece is "a relentless adrenaline rush" and a "punk extravaganza that, as the song goes, explodes in your heart like a hand grenade." To access the full review, click here.

The San Franscisco Chronical seems to agree, revealing that "The music of Green Day practically blasts the lid off Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre...Generating arena-worthy enthusiam."  Not deterred by the slim story line, writer Robert Hurwitt writes that "The cast and creative crew match the pulsating wall of sound for sheer energy and pump it up with Broadway-quality pipes, stage-rattling, thrashing choreography, flying bodies and walls crammed with pulsating video and projected images."  Access full review here.

With equal verve, The Oakland Tribune bashes the piece, as if downright brokenhearted by an effort failed. Jim Harrington begins with the opening remark: "There will hopefully come a day when the stage adaptation of "American Idiot" is seen as just a curious misstep in Green Day's otherwise highly enjoyable career." The most tragic part of the whole effort, according to Harrington, is not the lackluster storyline Director Michael Mayer and collaborator Billie Joe Armstrong (front man for Green Day) developed, but that the overly directed and produced "Disney musical" of a show weakens the power of the famous music. He writes: "Green Day works so well in concert because the three musicians - vocalist-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, drummer Tre Cool and bassist Mike Dirnt - perform with such passion that it's impossible not to care about the music. Likewise, Green Day works harder than just about any other band to make sure that concertgoers have fun. The "American Idiot" musical strikes out in both those regards. The grandiose arrangements, more "Rent" than rock, are so weighted down with illusions of self-significance that they fail to strike any emotional involvement with listeners. The music sounds processed and stale, handled with kid gloves by way too many players and sung by more than a dozen actors that have rehearsed the original fire right out of the songs." To read the full review click here.

National press has not been able to review the Berkelely Rep production, however, it is hard to image that they will not be afforded the chance, especially if D'Souza has anything to say about it: "If there's any justice in the world," she wrote, "it will head east shortly."

Green Day won two Grammys - Best Rock Album and Record of the Year - for its multi-platinum "American Idiot," which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.  

The show features the music of Green Day - vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool - along with Armstrong's lyrics. It is being staged by Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer, who collaborated with Armstrong on the story. Berkeley Rep presents American Idiot in association with Tom Hulce and Ira Pittelman, the lead producers of Spring Awakening.

The production features choreography by Olivier Award-winner Steven Hoggett with Tony-winning composer Tom Kitt providing orchestrations, arrangements, and musical supervision. The design team includes Tony-nominee Christine Jones (sets), two-time Tony-winner Kevin Adams (lights), Baryshnikov fellow Andrea Lauer (costumes), and Obie Award-winner Brian Ronan (sound), as well as video designer Darrel Maloney. The music director is Carmel Dean and the associate choreographer is Lorin Latarro.

Tony-winning actor John Gallagher, Jr. plays Johnny, leading an ensemble of 19 young performers that also includes Matt Caplan as Tunny, Michael Esper as Will, and Tony Vincent as St. Jimmy with Mary Faber as Heather, Rebecca Naomi Jones as Whatsername, and Christina Sajous as the Extraordinary Girl.

American Idiot is supported by several contributors to Berkeley Rep's Annual Fund. Bill Falik and Diana Cohen, John and Helen Meyer, Sally Smith and Don Burns, the Strauch Kulhanjian Family, and Felicia Woytak and Steve Rasmussen serve as executive producers. The lead sponsor is Levi's®. The show is also sponsored by the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation.

Berkeley Rep is the Tony-winning playhouse that launched last year's provocative rock musical PASSING STRANGE.

To purchase tickets for American Idiot, or for complete information on all upcoming shows, call Berkeley Rep's box office at (510) 647-2949 or toll-free at (888) 4-BRT-Tix - or just click berkeleyrep.org.