American Idiot Musical (Theatrical Production)

[GDM]

Nice entries, but they really should have kept to the rules.

[packers182]

I'm about to leaving pretty soon and I'm so excited for tonight!!!

[J'net]

I'm about to leaving pretty soon and I'm so excited for tonight!!!

We'll be eagerly waiting for your recap!

[Iamtheminority]

I'm super excited for tonight!!!!! We'll be sure to recap to everyone!

[pattifan]

I'm about to leaving pretty soon and I'm so excited for tonight!!!

Can't wait to hear your recap as well!

Am also interested to hear if there have been any changes since the first couple of shows; here's J'net's summary

Also, any changes to the running time? Audience reaction? Be warned that there might be more theatre type patrons so reactions may be more muted compared to early shows.

[packers182]

I just got home and all I can say it was truly amazing!!! I really did not know what to expect going into it as I have never been to a musical before, but was very excited after reading everyone on here's awesome reviews. Ok now for recap:

The show started out the same, with news clips and the first one was "North Korea has detonated a nuclear bomb" and so on. This really got me hooked and into it right from the start. The stage was set up the same as J'net described it in her recap with posters all the way up to the ceiling. When American Idiot came on I starting shaking lol and just watching all the characters from the beginning I knew it was going to be awesome.

Some of the many highlights for me from the show were John Gallagher Jr. who played Jonny solo of Boulevard of Broken Dreams was awesome, Favorite Son was so funny with the man Joshua Henry walking around in his underwear and changes into a military uniform with avatars on the stage. I thought it was sweet when Jonny played When it’s Time for Whatshername and it was cool how it then jumped right into know your enemy. Next I thought the way they mixed Before the Lobotomy and Extraordinary Girl together was great. Then, probably my favorite part of the show was when Whatsername and Tunny were pretty hanging above the stage and singing was very cool. Then, as J'net describe I really enjoyed Letterbomb and I felt the power the song had. Also, there was a funny moment between my girlfriend and I during Letterbomb, when Jonny was on the ground in his party clothes and my girlfriend whispers to me "King for a day" haha it was funny. Homecoming was sad to watch as it was the death of St. Jimmy, but was cool when everyone came back together in the end and I thought they did Tre's vocal part in the song very well.

They played the same songs, as J'net listed and no real changes after reading her recap and trying my best to compare it to the show tonight. The acting, preforming, and singing was amazing and blew me away. The show started at 8:05 and finished at about 9:40. And yes the crowd was very much theatre patrons tonight lol it was cool reading the wall, I was looking for everyone's post, but all I saw was Mikey's and Sharon's. My girlfriend Mara (Iamtheminority) and I had an amazing time and can't wait for October when we are going again. I just want to close by saying I am so thankful to live where I live to have had the chance to watch this amazing performance and I really hope they do a tour or move it to broadway or something, so Green Day fans all over the world can watch it.

Tony

[J'net]

I just got home and all I can say it was truly amazing!!! I really did not know what to expect going into it as I have never been to a musical before, but was very excited after reading everyone on here's awesome reviews. Ok now for recap:

The show started out the same, with news clips and the first one was "North Korea has detonated a nuclear bomb" and so on. This really got me hooked and into it right from the start. The stage was set up the same as J'net described it in her recap with posters all the way up to the ceiling. When American Idiot came on I starting shaking lol and just watching all the characters from the beginning I knew it was going to be awesome.

Some of the many highlights for me from the show were John Gallagher Jr. who played Jonny solo of Boulevard of Broken Dreams was awesome, Favorite Son was so funny with the man Joshua Henry walking around in his underwear and changes into a military uniform with avatars on the stage. I thought it was sweet when Jonny played When it’s Time for Whatshername and it was cool how it then jumped right into know your enemy. Next I thought the way they mixed Before the Lobotomy and Extraordinary Girl together was great. Then, probably my favorite part of the show was when Whatsername and Tunny were pretty hanging above the stage and singing was very cool. Then, as J'net describe I really enjoyed Letterbomb and I felt the power the song had. Also, there was a funny moment between my girlfriend and I during Letterbomb, when Jonny was on the ground in his party clothes and my girlfriend whispers to me "King for a day" haha it was funny. Homecoming was sad to watch as it was the death of St. Jimmy, but was cool when everyone came back together in the end and I thought they did Tre's vocal part in the song very well.

They played the same songs, as J'net listed and no real changes after reading her recap and trying my best to compare it to the show tonight. The acting, preforming, and singing was amazing and blew me away. The show started at 8:05 and finished at about 9:40. And yes the crowd was very much theatre patrons tonight lol it was cool reading the wall, I was looking for everyone's post, but all I saw was Mikey's and Sharon's. My girlfriend Mara (Iamtheminority) and I had an amazing time and can't wait for October when we are going again. I just want to close by saying I am so thankful to live where I live to have had the chance to watch this amazing performance and I really hope they do a tour or move it to broadway or something, so Green Day fans all over the world can watch it.

Tony

I'm so pleased that you enjoyed it! Since you were with a crowd of mostly theater patrons, I'm interested to hear how the crowd responded to the show. Did they seem to be as excited about and thrilled by it as most Green Day fans have been? I'd love to have been a fly on the wall watching them, but I probably would have gotten too involved in the show to notice .

[Sarahnade.]

Yay! Awesome recap! Thanks for sharing, and I'm glad you two had a great time.

[packers182]

I'm so pleased that you enjoyed it! Since you were with a crowd of mostly theater patrons, I'm interested to hear how the crowd responded to the show. Did they seem to be as excited about and thrilled by it as most Green Day fans have been? I'd love to have been a fly on the wall watching them, but I probably would have gotten too involved in the show to notice .

The crowd responded well. I could tell they really did not know any of the songs expect for probably the hits, but they were into it. They cheered after every song and stood up after the curtains came down and gave a very loud cheer. After the show while my girlfriend and I were walking we overheard a couple of people saying that they really enjoyed it and that it was very good, they just wish they could have understood what the lyrics to the songs were. lol

Yay! Awesome recap! Thanks for sharing, and I'm glad you two had a great time.

Thank you

[J'net]

The crowd responded well. I could tell they really did not know any of the songs expect for probably the hits, but they were into it. They cheered after every song and stood up after the curtains came down and gave a very loud cheer. After the show while my girlfriend and I were walking we overheard a couple of people saying that they really enjoyed it and that it was very good, they just wish they could have understood what the lyrics to the songs were. lol

I'm really glad to hear that the crowd's response was so positive! That's good to hear.

[Sarahnade.]

Me too. It's cool to see that people who aren't "hardcore" Green Day fans can understand and enjoy the musical. I think that's really amazing.

[elanorelle72]

THREE MORE HOURS UNTIL I SEE IT AGAIN!

I will do a Recap Sunday for all of you

i love you all xxoo

[American Basket Case]

Haven't been able to keep up with posts on here because of school, but there's an article and photo gallery from AI. Sorry if it's already been posted.

[J'net]

Haven't been able to keep up with posts on here because of school, but there's an article and photo gallery from AI. Sorry if it's already been posted.

I hadn't seen those. Thanks for posting! Love the photos especially.

[pattifan]

Brat: Thanks for posting your recap! It seems as though they haven't made any significant changes since the early performances. Probably tweaking performances and punching up things. Given that the show is opening in a a few days, it's pretty close to being "frozen". Good to know that regular theatregoers are enjoying the show

[jetsrule128]

wow know your enemy is on youtube now

they mix KYE AND JOS

THAT'S CRAZY

[Sarahnade.]

Thanks for the photos!

[American Basket Case]

I hadn't seen those. Thanks for posting! Love the photos especially.

Thanks for the photos!

You're very welcome! (This board's so active, I almost didn't post those links because I just assumed they'd already been posted.)

I so hope I get to see AI someday.

[Sarahnade.]

You're very welcome! (This board's so active, I almost didn't post those links because I just assumed they'd already been posted.)

I so hope I get to see AI someday.

Yeah. This board is a tornado of posts.

And you and me both. I have to see this thing.

[Ingrid]

Aargh - after reading this thread, my head is filled with ridiculous plans to make a trip to the East Bay next month and see the play on my birthday. Worst part is, I actually have the money to do so at the moment. If only I had someone that would go with me..! Hah, that seems to always be my problem.

Anyway, the musical sounds incredible, and I'm glad that everyone who went so far had a great time!

[sallysimpson]

Hey all --

I just returned from a quick Berkeley trip (hey ya Suzanne!) and saw AI on the 10th and 11th. I was fortunate enough to be in the vicinity of both Tom Hulce, the producer, and Michael Mayer, the director, so it was fun to hear their pre-show comments to friends and colleagues. For the performance on the 10th, Tom Hulce indicated that they were trying something new out that night, and it may or may not stay in the show. I couldn't tell what that was exactly, since the show was very similar to the recaps already posted. They were also planning to give the cast notes after the show on the 10th, so both seemed a bit on edge (and stayed that way for the performance on the 11th).

As for the performance itself, overall I found it compelling and very well staged. The mass media bombardment built into the set was brilliant. I loved the energy in the choreography -- it captured both frenetic rage and isolation that I think is inherent in the music. I also thought the vocal arrangements were amazing and maintained the integrity of the original. For the most part, I enjoyed all of the actors' performances, particularly Johnny's, St. Jimmy's, and Whatshername. I did find Heather's voice a bit shrill, but her friend that sings "Too Much, Too Soon" has a phenomenal voice. Plus I love the fact that someone that's not a size 2 was cast. Three cheers for the real American woman!

Now for the spoilerish stuff -- and there's some critical analysis in here, so if you don't want to read anything remotely negative about the musical, you should stop reading.

The first night I wanted to love, love, love it. But I didn't. I thought Tunney's story arc was very weak and paled compared to Johnny's and Will's. Tunney's character leaves, goes to NYC, and joins the army because of a bout of insomnia and a lack of sense of self? If everyone did that, we'd have a massive number of people in the armed services (including me). Why he would go through the trouble of traveling to NYC on a bus (ew!) from Oakland and then up and join the military shortly after he arrives, particularly since the three guys display open animosity toward the media-generated "America" and authority in general? I thought they needed to explain that a bit more -- perhaps through a letter Tunney leaves behind for Johnny or a letter Johnny sends to Will. Perhaps a lack of money (and being poor in NYC is really hard) or being disillusioned by the lack of opportunity or answers both in New York and at home. A clear catalyst to explain why he suddenly embraces everything that he rejected literally moments before would weave that storyline in a bit better and would make Johnny's journey (because this is really about Johnny's journey) that much more poignant -- both are escaping -- Johnny through drugs, Tunney through joining the military. We just need to understand why Tunney would view the military as a viable escape, preferable to the one that Johnny opts for.

Also, I kind of really hated (yes, hated) the whole "I dream of Jeanie" cirque du soleil segment. It was random and very clumsily done. I know it's Tunney's morphine-induced idealized vision of his nurse, but why she comes on in a lavender burka, which she removes to reveal her Barbara Eden costume was beyond me. We know they're in the Middle East, so the burka / genie costumes made that "we're in Muslim country" allusion seem forced compared to the more seamless staging for the rest of the show, in my view. I think the connection that the woman about whom Tunney is dreaming is, in fact, the nurse that's taking care of him needs to be much more pointed. Although she's the one that wheels him in on a gurney, she disappears fairly quickly so she can change out of her cliche nurse outfit (which works since the soldiers' senses are impaired by the morphine) into her burka/genie threads and get herself hooked up to the flying harness. I get this is a dream sequence, but I found the harness and flying tremendously distracting. Plus the words from "Extraordinary Girl" (EG) are not upbeat and conflict with the euphoric flying going on.

I have no problem with including the dream sequence -- many shows employ it, and the concept is relevant here -- but it needs to be done more effectively (and without flying genies); otherwise, assuming it hits b'way, the NY critics will likely see nothing but that scene. I think this could be remedied by 1) firmly establishing Tunney's relationship with his nurse (could she, along with other fatigue-clad nurses, help get injured soldiers away from danger -- remember we don't have battlefields per se in Bush War II; casualties generally occur in ambush attacks on vehicles and small groups; and maybe this would be going too far, but having him mutter, "you're extraordinary" as she removes him from the stage would set up the extraordinary girl scene) before the whole dream sequence occurs. 2) I think her dream entrance could be on the harness and even in a burka, but when she removes the burka, maybe she could be in an angelic/dramatic version of her cliche nurse's uniform and she could remove the harness when she removes the burka. Her interaction with Tunney shouldn't be on the harness. Getting off that gurney should be more than enough to suggest that Tunney's having a morphine-induced escape hallucination that is centered on the person most important to him at that point in his life. 3) The choreography should really correspond better with the text of "Extraordinary Girl". I think the interesting thing about that song is the upbeat music is undermined by the words suggesting both "he" and "she" feel trapped. "He" clearly looks to her for escape/salvation. And based on the show, she looks for the same as she cares for him.

Although my comments above may suggest otherwise, I really did like it, particularly on the second night. And aside from the production / performance strengths I refer to above, there were a several moments of sheer brilliance. Making St. Jimmy Johnny's addiction personified (instead of an actual person, at least that's the way I saw it -- I can provide reasons in a later post) was genius. And having him sing "Last Night on Earth" to Johnny and Whatshername as they shoot up (the choreography of which was simultaneously chilling and beautiful) was eerie and effective. It was even more powerful since he sings it in tandem with Heather, who attempts to sing it to her baby and to Will, but ultimately sings it only to the baby as Will stagnates. Subverting a love song without mocking it is extremely difficult to do, and that scene pulled it off. I also thought juxtaposing Johnny's "When it's time" with Jimmy's "Know your enemy" followed by Whatshername's and EG's "21 Guns" was relatively seamless and effectively in advancing both couple's storylines.

For me, American Idiot (the album) signifies how media (particularly the political media) 1) fragments the individual self and 2) ensures the individual remains isolated, unable to really connect with others, because either media bombardment violently interrupts the individual's attempt to construct a whole self or the individual decides to simply escape this bombardment. And I think the musical really captured that ongoing struggle / conflict for Johnny, Will and Tunney. It doesn't sugarcoat the effects of that struggle and it doesn't hide at least two characters' failure (Johnny and Will really haven't changed all that much; it's not as clear for Tunney, but I think he has the best shot of sorting himself out of the bunch). It's a powerful, potent, messy ending. The fabric of the show doesn't just have loose ends -- the entire thing remains frayed when the curtain falls. And that's as it should be.

So that was my overall take away from the show. Although I'm not in the theater business, people like me (30s, 40s, 50s with enough discretionary cash to spend $100+ on a ticket and recommend the show to friends) are the demographic that would enable the show ultimately to run in the black. I have no doubt students of all ages will line up repeatedly for rush tickets, and the house will probably be more or less full for awhile, but that won't allow the show to breakeven. B'way is a business as well as a showcase for art, and with this recession it all comes down to the bottom line. I'll definitely see it if it comes anywhere near b'way. The music itself is chaotic perfection. And I'd be interested to see how the show evolves.

[Tripe]

sallysimpson, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and review!

Funny, more than a few people have not liked the aerial scene.

I agree very much with your last paragraph regarding this show's potential for financial success.

[J'net]

sallysimpson, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and review!

Funny, more than a few people have not liked the aerial scene.

I agree very much with your last paragraph regarding this show's potential for financial success.

Dorie, I'm waiting to read sallysimpson's review until I've finished writing mine for the GDA (which I expect to submit later today or tomorrow morning). However, I'm intrigued by your comment and wondering how sallysimpson's review will compare with my own .

[MassHysteria]

Well, tonight is the last of the preview shows. Tuesday they perform for the sponsors, and Wednesday they do it for the critics.

[J'net]

Well, tonight is the last of the preview shows. Tuesday they perform for the sponsors, and Wednesday they do it for the critics.

This is exciting and scary all at once! Our guys are so talented, but this show depends on so many factors/people. I'm biting my fingernails for them .