American Idiot Musical (Theatrical Production)

[sallysimpson]

Wow, quite insightful, I think that makes more sense to me now. I'm still curious what Mr. Mayer's intent was from his point of view. Of course there's only one way to find out :wink: I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is close to spot on.

Thanks! and if you ever get any one-on-one time with Mr Mayer (I should have taken the opportunity when I had the chance) be sure to ask him and report back. You seem to have excellent connections.

I have such a list of "what does this mean, why did you do this, how did you come up with this song/line/concept" but I suspect they will remain precisely that -- a long list coupled with a whole lot lengthy speculation on my part.

Ah well.

[Mar]

She was at the Friday performance, along with his brother and high school music teacher. All very nice people to talk to, you can tell how she just radiates with pride when she talks about Billie. Weirdly his brother recognized me from the SLC show.

Aww, I can imagine! And that's pretty cool!

[MassHysteria]

Thanks! and if you ever get any one-on-one time with Mr Mayer (I should have taken the opportunity when I had the chance) be sure to ask him and report back.

Now reporting :wink:

Seems that you were close in your guess.

First, regarding who he's singing to: St. Jimmy, being the representation of the addiction, is singing to both Johnny AND Whatshername. And the explanation as to why he's directing it toward them? "He's singing in a way as the drug which is entering them."

[J'net]

Now reporting :wink:

Seems that you were close in your guess.

First, regarding who he's singing to: St. Jimmy, being the representation of the addiction, is singing to both Johnny AND Whatshername. And the explanation as to why he's directing it toward them? "He's singing in a way as the drug which is entering them."

The more I think about this, the more I can see it making sense. It's not that different from what we were saying. But there are some lines in the song that don't make sense from this perspective.

Except, again ... he's the "personification" of the addiction, so he can sing as a person.

I'm gong back and forth. But thanks for the info!

[MassHysteria]

The more I think about this, the more I can see it making sense. It's not that different from what we were saying. But there are some lines in the song that don't make sense from this perspective.

Except, again ... he's the "personification" of the addiction, so he can sing as a person.

I'm gong back and forth. But thanks for the info!

No problem! Like with any work of art, its always open to personal interpretation, regardless of the actual intent of the creator. But it is always nice to know what the intent of the creator was.

[sallysimpson]

Now reporting :wink:

Seems that you were close in your guess.

First, regarding who he's singing to: St. Jimmy, being the representation of the addiction, is singing to both Johnny AND Whatshername. And the explanation as to why he's directing it toward them? "He's singing in a way as the drug which is entering them."

Woo Hoo! After 16 years, I can finally tell my parents that my education is paying off! Degrees in English do serve a purpose!

thanks for checking and reporting back!

[Metanoia]

i'd like to see it soooooooo bad =( fucking living in germany =(

[BuriedInAHole]

My best friend is going to see it this month..I want to see it too!

[sundaymorning6am]

Wow, very insightful thoughts on St. Jimmy. I'm not sure what I think about him really. I think he definitely represents part of Johnny's addiction, but I also don't know if he's truly there - or just in Johnny's head, though he probably is just in Johnny's head since Whatshername never really acknowledges him.

Two things I love:

The line, "Justice was served, you were just too stupid to notice." I don't know why but I love it

The music that Tom Kitt scored for St. Jimmy's death right after the lyric, "My own private suicide.." I think it adds a lot to the moment.

[elanorelle72]

Okay, I'm going to try to be coherent after my big glass of MILK!

So, we know Jimmy is Johnny, right? But they are portrayed as two separate people. I feel Jimmy is singing about his love for Johnny. In other words, Johnny is struggling to learn to love every facet of himself - "My beating heart belongs to you" is a really telling line. That's the one I felt was strongest when Jimmy was singing this song. He is singing it to Johnny (who can also be seen as himself).

Tell me if you think this makes any sense at all. I'll be so thrilled if it does!

holy smoke.....J'net..for some reason that touches my heart alot....

[GDM]

Hey, I'm on my iPhone so it's hard to type. I posted some initial thoughts on Facebook, for those who are friends. I have very mixed reactions about the show. Someone I know may have an extra ticket and I might be going back tonight, which would be good, give me another opportunity to digest the show.

[J'net]

holy smoke.....J'net..for some reason that touches my heart alot....

Thanks, Suzanne. I found it really touching, too, in the way Tony Vincent performed it.

[sallysimpson]

Hey, I'm on my iPhone so it's hard to type. I posted some initial thoughts on Facebook, for those who are friends. I have very mixed reactions about the show. Someone I know may have an extra ticket and I might be going back tonight, which would be good, give me another opportunity to digest the show.

totally understand. I recommend seeing it a second time. Since you already know what you find distracting, you'll be to look at the whole more objectively. I almost didn't go on the second night since I had such an emotional response to certain aspects of the show the first night and I was so sad that I didn't love it. But I'm glad I did. You already know I have some concerns about the show, but after the second viewing I could say that on the whole I liked it.

On the California thing -- I totally concur -- it was very NYC. Those windows made me totally think "NYC apt windows in an airshaft". But having grown up in California, I didn't really see much of that anywhere in the set. I'm not sure exactly how that might be infused since most California visuals are a bit cliche -- granola, surfer, skateboarder.

Although some skateboarding might could work. Maybe. Or a big old political propaganda picture of the Governator.

[GDM]

Dawn, yes, I was thinking more skateboard/Oakland combination of California. I know some hardcore skatebaoarders/punks and I was thinking if them. But not something blatant, but a flavor at least. I suppose, though, there is an argument for a more universal appeal. But I found it a bit telling when someone in the audience asked at the post-show discussion, asked if any of the actors were from the East Bay area, and there was only one born there. I think she was getting to the same issue regarding the East coast flavor of the show. Of course, the band and the folks at Berlkeley arefrom the area, so that can be argued as a balancing act.

I want to make it clear that Im somewhat of a hard critic of theater, particularly mainstream theater, so I'm coming from a different place in relationship to my view of theater. I studied experimental theater, soI feel that the show could benefit from some slight experimental additions. Particularly in the choreography.

I like to see pain and resolution onstage, which American Idiot has, but I didn't necessarily feel the album that I think is the greatest album ever. When Johnny gets clean from heroin, I didn't see the horror of that withdrawal process, and I thought the character and the drama could benefit from seeing that process a bit more.

Sorry that I am on my iPhone and can't manage the spolier alert it's just not working on here.

Anyhoo, I really hope that the extra ticket comes through tonight. I'd love to se it again n

[GDM]

I'm going back to the show tonight.

[J'net]

I'm going back to the show tonight.

GREAT! I'm so glad you got another ticket .

[GDM]

So I went back to the show last night and suspended my theater critic from the heights of the theater and went back as a Green Day fan. My reactions were much different from that perspective and I had a super time just letting myself go with it. The music arrangement is great. The story came through nicely. Gallagher really was on fire last night, as well Will and Tunny. Still have issues with choreagraphy but the Genie scene was really moving last night. The high-wire stuff is strange but the skill of the actors is solid in that scene.

Anyway, I love it out here. Don't really want to go back East. Hmmm.

[J'net]

So I went back to the show last night and suspended my theater critic from the heights of the theater and went back as a Green Day fan. My reactions were much different from that perspective and I had a super time just letting myself go with it. The music arrangement is great. The story came through nicely. Gallagher really was on fire last night, as well Will and Tunny. Still have issues with choreagraphy but the Genie scene was really moving last night. The high-wire stuff is strange but the skill of the actors is solid in that scene.

Anyway, I love it out here. Don't really want to go back East. Hmmm.

Tanya, I can connect so easily with everything you've said here. I always try to suspend my critic, because I have more fun that way. I can let the critic back in later when I'm remembering the show, but during the show I just want to enjoy myself. I agree with all your comments ... including the not wanting to go back east (I had and still have the same feeling, but ... cost of living).

I'm so glad you got the enhanced experience!

[sallysimpson]

So I went back to the show last night and suspended my theater critic from the heights of the theater and went back as a Green Day fan. My reactions were much different from that perspective and I had a super time just letting myself go with it. The music arrangement is great. The story came through nicely. Gallagher really was on fire last night, as well Will and Tunny. Still have issues with choreagraphy but the Genie scene was really moving last night. The high-wire stuff is strange but the skill of the actors is solid in that scene.

Anyway, I love it out here. Don't really want to go back East. Hmmm.

Second go around for me was sooooo much better too. Perhaps it was because I had already analyzed the show to death in my mind (and found that I had totally erroneously recalled some key items) or because I knew what to expect, the scenes that had bugged the night before weren't as troubling. But something you [Tanya] had mentioned -- that AI is one of the greatest albums ever (and I totally agree) -- made me realize that I went into the first show expecting THAT kind of experience. I wanted the stage version to be to theater what the album was to music and, frankly, to society when it dropped. And that's some pretty tall expectations.

AI the album gave voice to all of us that were so frustrated and angry about the Bush administration's fascist policies (and I mean fascist) when the theoretical "free and independent" press had been co-opted by Fox's definition of "fair and balanced" ("fear and hate") and either remained silent or became a conduit for government propaganda. I distinctly recall hearing the song "American Idiot" for the first time and literally thinking, "someone with the public's attention is finally calling this group of frat boys on their crap." I went out and bought the album the next day.

So I wanted the show to be THAT. And it wasn't. How could it be, really? It is, however, a great ride with a ton of energy. It embodies the anger, frustration and impotence I felt for eight long, painful years and continue to feel on occasion. Sure, I still think the show has flaws, and I definitely went in on the first night thinking, "ok, give me a Tony-worthy show". It's not there yet, but I have no doubt it'll be there when it hits the Big Apple. As I've said before, I'm excited to see how it evolves and how the NY critics and theater-going public receive it.

As for the West Coast -- stay there if you can. It's like a swamp in NYC.

[MusicalDeviant]

On BART yesterday I was sitting right next to some hipsters. Cute hipsters, but I usually loathe such people.

So as I'm sitting there, on BART heading towards Berkeley, I notice said hipsters are talking about Green Day.

Such things as "they're so genuine" "they're so awesome" and so forth. I thought "man, this must be an omen."

So it turns out that these were some of the main actors from the AI musical. What are the odds, right?

[MassHysteria]

On BART yesterday I was sitting right next to some hipsters. Cute hipsters, but I usually loathe such people.

So as I'm sitting there, on BART heading towards Berkeley, I notice said hipsters are talking about Green Day.

Such things as "they're so genuine" "they're so awesome" and so forth. I thought "man, this must be an omen."

So it turns out that these were some of the main actors from the AI musical. What are the odds, right?

Lol nice.

[Anja]

On BART yesterday I was sitting right next to some hipsters. Cute hipsters, but I usually loathe such people.

So as I'm sitting there, on BART heading towards Berkeley, I notice said hipsters are talking about Green Day.

Such things as "they're so genuine" "they're so awesome" and so forth. I thought "man, this must be an omen."

So it turns out that these were some of the main actors from the AI musical. What are the odds, right?

That's why love riding BART!

Did you see this, people?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBq88sUQrgg...player_embedded

I haven't watched it yet cause my internet's sooo lame.

[MassHysteria]

Did you see this, people?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBq88sUQrgg...player_embedded

I haven't watched it yet cause my internet's sooo lame.

"Caps"? Nobody told me they were making hats! Curse you Berkeley Rep, finding new things with which to tempt me!

[GDM]

"Caps"? Nobody told me they were making hats! Curse you Berkeley Rep, finding new things with which to tempt me!

There were no American Idiot caps on Friday or Saturday when I went. Unless they got them in Sunday. There were Berkeley Rep caps, though.

[MassHysteria]

There were no American Idiot caps on Friday or Saturday when I went. Unless they got them in Sunday. There were Berkeley Rep caps, though.

Hmmm well, then that is more comforting. Not that it REALLY matters though, lol.