Photo Flash: AMERICAN IDIOT National Tour Kicks Off In Toronto

Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT premieres in Toronto through January 15 before continuing on to 14 other markets across the United States.

Original Broadway cast member Van Hughes stars as Johnny, a role in which he concluded AMERICAN IDIOT’s Broadway run, along with original Broadway cast member Joshua Kobak as St. Jimmy, Jake Epstein as Will, Scott J. Campbell as Tunny, original Broadway cast member Leslie McDonel as Heather, Gabrielle McClinton as Whatsername and Nicci Claspell as The Extraordinary Girl.

AMERICAN IDIOT will also feature Talia Aaron, Krystina Alabado, Gabriel Antonacci, Larkin
Bogan, Matt DeAngelis, Dan Gleason, Kelvin Moon Loh, Tommy McDowell, Jillian Mueller,
Jarran Muse, Vince Oddo, Okieriete Onaodowan and Kaitlyn Terrill.

"I am thrilled that soon we will get to share AMERICAN IDIOT with audiences across North America," said director Michael Mayer. "The creative team and I couldn't be happier with the stellar group of actors we've assembled which includes original Broadway cast members Van Hughes and Leslie McDonel along with many wonderful and talented new additions to the AMERICAN IDIOT family."

AMERICAN IDIOT, a 2010 Tony Award®-nominated Best Musical and 2010 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Show Album, features the music of Green Day with lyrics by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The book is by Armstrong and Michael Mayer and direction is by Tony Award®-winner Mayer ("Spring Awakening").

The show is choreographed by Olivier Award-winner Steven Hoggett ("Black Watch") with music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Kitt ("Next to Normal"). The tour features Tony Award®-winning scenic design by Christine Jones and Tony Award®-winning lighting design by Kevin Adams.

The acclaimed creative team also includes costume design by Andrea Lauer, sound design by Brian Ronan, video and projections design by Darrel Maloney, music direction by Jared Stein, associate choreography by Lorin Latarro and associate direction by Johanna McKeon.

Winner of two Tony Awards®, AMERICAN IDIOT is the story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world. Through incredible spectacle, thrilling performances and with the hope embodied by a new generation, AMERICAN IDIOT will give audiences the time of their lives night after night on tour in the same way it did during its acclaimed Broadway run at the St. James Theatre from March 2010 to April 2011.

The musical features the hits "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Wake Me Up When September Ends," "Holiday" and the blockbuster title track "American Idiot" from Green Day's 2004 Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album. Also included in the score are several songs from Green Day's Grammy Award-winning 2009 release "21st Century Breakdown" including "21 Guns" and an unreleased love song, "When It's Time."

AMERICAN IDIOT premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2009 and played through November of that year. In April 2010, the musical opened on Broadway where reviews were unanimously positive with Charles Isherwood of the New York Times calling the show "the most adventurous musical to brave Broadway in the past decade" and the Toronto Star naming it "the first great musical of the 21st century!"

For more information on AMERICAN IDIOT, visit www.americanidiotthemusical.com.

Photos by Doug Hamilton

Van Hughes, Scott J. Campbell and Nicci Claspell

The company of AMERICAN IDIOT

Jake Epstein

Leslie McDonel, Gabrielle McClinton and Krystina Alabado. Back from left, Talia Aaron, Nicci Claspell and Jillian Mueller

Scott J. Campbell and Nicci Claspell

Scott J. Campbell

Gabrielle McClinton and Van Hughes

Van Hughes, Joshua Kobak and the company of AMERICAN IDIOT

Scott J. Campbell, Van Hughes and Jake Epstein