American Idiot follows the exhilarating journey of a new generation of young Americans as they struggle to find meaning in a post 9/11 world, borne along by Green Day’s electrifying score. This high-octane show includes every song from the acclaimed album American Idiot, as well as several songs from the band’s Grammy-nominated new release, 21st Century Breakdown.
Green Day won two Grammy Awards for the groundbreaking rock opera American Idiot, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. Now Billie Joe Armstrong and the band collaborate with one of the theatre's most acclaimed creative teams, led by the Tony Award-winning director of Spring Awakening, Michael Mayer, two-time Tony Award-winning composer and orchestrator Tom Kitt, and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Steven Hoggett, to bring this explosive, iconic album to the stage.
I suspect that I may grow to appreciate 'American Idiot' over time, which is essentially what happened to me with 'Passing Strange.' At first, I was thrown off by the lack of coherent storytelling in 'Passing Strange.' But after listening to the album several times and then watching the filmed performance on DVD, I became able to appreciate the musical on its own terms. I even listened to the original album today on my IPOD. It's also worth pointing out that the Green Day fanbase, by already knowing the lyrics by heart, will be better able to follow the 'Jesus of Suburbia' plotline in spite of its sketchiness and fill in (or ignore entirely) all the gaps. Nevertheless, I need to be true to my gut instincts; and for the time being, will proudly air my initial grievances over the lack of character and story development in 'American Idiot.'
“American Idiot,” directed by Michael Mayer and performed with galvanizing intensity by a terrific cast, detonates a fierce aesthetic charge in this ho-hum Broadway season. A pulsating portrait of wasted youth that invokes all the standard genre conventions — bring on the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll, please! — only to transcend them through the power of its music and the artistry of its execution, the show is as invigorating and ultimately as moving as anything I’ve seen on Broadway this season. Or maybe for a few seasons past.
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