"American Idiot" Musical Tour

[jetsrule128]

and we have our first blog from extraordinary girl

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

<a href="http://theycallmenicci.blogspot.com/2011/11/ow-and-wow.html">Ow. And Wow.

as of today i know how to fly

Ok, I'm learning to fly. But the six of us who are here learning are catching on pretty quickly, I think! We all got into town yesterday and had a chance to hang out a little bit and get dinner together. Except for Gabe. I guess technically he got in today, 12:30am, because he had to fly from Florida back into Toronto, where he's from, so he could go through customs to then catch a connecting flight into Charleston. Insane.

After breakfast at the hotel this morning we all walked over to the theater where we're learning to fly. We got fitted into our harnesses and were told about how they work and how we aren't going to die (in so many words) and then we went up in the air! The first couple times were to make sure our weight was distributed properly and practice doing front and back somersaults. It was awesome. A bit uncomfortable - your whole weight is basically resting on your groin and pelvis - but really cool. Next we practiced the "Jesus spin", a part in the song when Ex. Girl and Tunny spin up and away from each other. It looks easy enough, you're just spinning yourself, but it's a lot harder than you'd think. For some reason almost everyone's center of balance didn't want to be where it should have been. That's definitely going to take some practice.

We had an hour for lunch and all went to a cafe around the corner that was pretty good. These Southern portions man, they're no joke. Light lunches are the way to go if you're going to be suspended in the air for 7 hours a day. When we got back we started learning the first sequence of the song. According to Krystina, who did the show for a while on Broadway, we've learned the hard stuff. Now it's a matter of perfecting them, learning the rest, and putting it all together.

Our shuttle and cab drivers will be happy to know that when we finished for the day, the six of us went to Jestine's for some soul food. There were about three places in town that were recommended to all of us so we figured we'd see if they measured up. All in all was some meatloaf, fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, and fried okra, and I think we were all satisfied. We got back to the hotel and the girls watched a bit of Jurassic park while the boys kept up with their fantasy football, then we all watched funny videos of animals on youtube and called it a night. Tomorrow after rehearsal we are going as guests to the production company to see In The Heights! So exciting.

I feel like I still have the harness on.

[jetsrule128]

wow i see a common trend from the new idiot girls

Nicci

Never had to ice my groin before. I guess there's a first time for everything...

Krystina

Being in the harness for 8 hrs makes me sit like a dude due to the intense pain not allowing my legs to close! Must.be.a.lady. But ouchies!!

Jullian

Learned the whole Extraordinary Girl routine today!! As exciting as it is...that harness hurts ur thigh/crutch area like u wouldn't believe

[pasalaska]

Heh, much respect for the girls and guys that have to do the flying routines

[jetsrule128]

Heh, much respect for the girls and guys that have to do the flying routines

if they are hurting after 2 days they are going to be dead before the tour hits the west coast

[lizziebix]

if they are hurting after 2 days they are going to be dead before the tour hits the west coast

Nah, they'll be numb to it by then!

[plaid ducky]

if they are hurting after 2 days they are going to be dead before the tour hits the west coast

Or... they'll be used to it. The Tunny & the EG of whichever performance will have flight call before each show. Over time, they'll find their comfort spots and it won't hurt as much.

[jetsrule128]

Or... they'll be used to it. The Tunny & the EG of whichever performance will have flight call before each show. Over time, they'll find their comfort spots and it won't hurt as much.

i was just joking

[plaid ducky]

i was just joking

Heh... couldn't tell, especially with some of your posts. A smiley face would help in those types of situations.

[-Karen-]

ill be going to tampa florida for this if they dont come to new orleans louisiana or anywhere closer.

[plaid ducky]

ill be going to tampa florida for this if they dont come to new orleans louisiana or anywhere closer.

I think they cancelled that stop. San Fran is the last one listed. Frowny face.

[jetsrule128]

looking back this girl has done more at 17 then i have done my entire life lol

Marlboro teen set for national tour

Jillian Mueller, 17, joins cast of ‘American Idiot’

MARLBORO — As she looks at a map of North America, Jillian Mueller will soon be checking off the cities she has visited as she embarks on the “American Idiot” tour.

Jillian, 17, of Marlboro, has already graced the Broadway stage and made her television debut. Now she is gearing up for her first experience at touring with a production.

Jillian has appeared on Broadway in Dr. Seuss’“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” for two holiday seasons, and she performed in the ensemble of a revival of “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Jillian has worked hard and trained with the best to hone her skills. She took part in a new workshop production of director Susan Stroman that focused on the darker side of ballet.

She made her television debut in an episode of CBS-TV’s “AGifted Man.” Jillian said she filmed a few scenes and had a couple of lines for an episode of the show that was scheduled to air Nov. 4.

She also auditioned for a potential pilot episode for theABC Family channel and said shewas the top NewYork City pick for a role.

Soon Jillian will take to the road to perform in the “American Idiot” tour. “American Idiot” features the music of Green Day with lyrics by the group’s lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong. The show’s book is by Armstrong and Michael Mayer, a Tony award winner. “American Idiot” was nominated for a 2010 Tony award for Best Musical and won a 2010 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.

Jillian had been preparing to join the “American Idiot” Broadway cast just before the show closed earlier this year. She was happy to hear that she would still have a chance to be a part of “American Idiot” by going on tour with the show.

Opening night will be Dec. 28 in Toronto, Canada. With dates scheduled into July, Jillian will be busy in her position as a swing for the performances.

While she works as an understudy for the character of Extraordinary Girl, Jillian is also considered a swing, which means she can be called upon to go on stage in any role at any time.

Being a swing means Jillian must know everyone’s positioning, dance moves and lines. The swing is known as one of the hardest roles, Jillian said, because the person who fills the role has to know everything for every character.

Because she graduated from high school early, Jillian will not have to worry about juggling school work with the hectic touring lifestyle.

The best part of performing for Jillian is the rush that comes over her when the stage lights hit her.

“There’s the moment when you’re on stage and everything you’ve worked hard for (comes together),” she said.

Going on tour is one way for Jillian to see and experience cities she has never visited before and to return to some places that she loves.

“I am looking forward to (all the stops) because it’s a way to experience cities that I normally wouldn’t visit (on vacation),” she said.

The “American Idiot” tour will stop in Los Angeles for six weeks and that is a stay Jillian is anticipating. She is looking forward to the possibility of sharing the stage with Armstrong, who on occasion performed with the Broadway cast.

The “American Idiot” tour is expected to end in July and Jillian said at that point she will resume her schedule of auditions and training. Although she is hoping for a career on stage and screen, she tries not to have too rigid a plan set for future.

“You cannot predict what is going to happen,” she said, noting that the people a performer meets along the way can drastically change any plans that had been set.

[jetsrule128]

new blog from Nicci

Week One: Done

Greetings from the Charleston airport! We had a very successful week of rehearsals. It's amazing what we were able to learn and become comfortable with in only three and a half days.

Day two of flying was... painful. We learned a lot and it went great, but man oh man I cannot describe the pain I was in. If you follow me on twitter you can see a picture of the bruises on my arm from banging it against the wire. And that's by far not the worst of the bruises. But we got through it and over the next few days put the whole thing together. The associate choreographer was there to give us details for the rest of the number and we ran it over and over again. It looks really beautiful.

Yesterday the girls practiced what we're doing for the very opening of the show. All we do is hang upside down. I didn't think there's be anything to it, but it's a lot more frightening than you'd think. We're hanging about 40-50 ft above the stage for two and a half minutes. Not only that but for the tour, we'll have the potential to slowly spin around up there. I'm ok (as ok as I can be) when looking at the set or into the wings, but when I see the whole audience and the ceiling is closer to me than the floor, it's pretty crazy. Then we have to do a couple of back flips while descending and then run around and dance like crazy. That's gonna take some getting used to.

Our last day of rehearsal a half an hour later and were finished by around 2:00. That gave us a some time to explore a little bit of Charleston. We walked down to the old slave markets, which is now occupied by various vendors selling jewelry, candles, food, and lots of woven baskets. After a great lunch we headed back to the hotel to catch the shuttle to the airport.

This is where it gets fun... there were six of us scheduled to fly directly to LaGuardia at 7:10, getting in a little after 9. Our boarding time, 6:40, goes by. Then it's 7:15. Then 7:30. No one knows why we haven't boarded yet. They finally tell us that they have a maintenance issue and they don't know how serious it is but they'll let us know as soon as they know. We come to find out that there's an air valve or something in need of repair and there's no mechanic on site, so they have to call someone in. Who do you just call up to fix an airplane? I guess they didn't know either, because whoever showed up couldn't fix it so the flight was cancelled. Instead of lining up at the counter to change our flights we immediately got on the phone and got new flights in the morning. I think I got one of the last seats available because I'm in first class on my connecting flight, and two other people had to get another flight because the one I was on was full by the time they got through. So this will be my first time ever flying first class! I hope the flight from DC to NY will be long enough to enjoy it.

We were put up in a hotel near the airport, and got dinner - paid for by the AI production company. We also get an extra day of per diem for today, which is really nice of production. It's the stage manager's birthday today, I missed my sister's going away party, and a cast member's wife's birthday was yesterday and he missed it. We did make the best of our situation though. We even had a little jam session with another guy on our cancelled flight. He had a ukulele and one of our guys had a guitar, so we sang Good Riddance while waiting for the hotel shuttle.

Now we're back at the airport again. Luckily for me, that means an extra check in on Yelp and Foursquare. I'll be heading straight to my sister's place when I get in, and if all goes to plan we'll go directly to The Meatball Shop from there. Right, Sarah? Right??

[Tripe]

Thanks for sharing the blogs - interesting take on the flying training, for sure. I imagine the harness things are a lot like riding a horse, your body parts get used to it after a time period of doing it over and over.

Impressive bio on Jillian Mueller. Sounds like she is one of those people who kind of knew from birth that she wanted to be an actress on Broadway, so great for her that she has been successful so young. coughRachel Berrycough.

[jetsrule128]

first pic of the tunny's

first pic of the extraordinary girls

[LouLou]

I am really looking forward to this and already am trying to plan on where I can see it at. I know I will be able to make a Dallas show and a Phoenix show, as Dallas is near me and my aunt is going to the Phoenix one...So I might as well should go a long

[desertrose]

Jillian Mueller, 17, joins cast of ‘American Idiot’

http://nt.gmnews.com/news/2011-11-16/Front_Page/Marlboro_teen_set_for_national_tour.html

[beejeezee]

Can't wait for april

[KilljoyFromDetroit]

Gonna be the best Christmas gift EVER!!! Cant wait untill January

[desertrose]

KrystinaAlabado krystina alabado

Ok well we are stuck in Charleston but just jammed out to Green Day...it can't get better than Green Day!! #idiottour

pic.twitter.com/F65mdNiN

18Nov

[jetsrule128]

first blog

From Kelvin

http://asianamericanidiot.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-1-new-york-city-first-day-of-school.html?spref=tw

Day 1: New York City (First Day of School)

It's a little before 9pm and I am BEAT! Rehearsal started off with a bang-

I have to geek out for a moment; No Billie Joe yet, or anyone from the Green Day team but it would have been overload seeing them and also sharing the room with three serious theater greats: Michael Mayer, Tom Kitt and Steven Hoggett. Is this really my life? I'm a crazy fan of all their works and well- when I go to talk to them, I'm reduced to a babbling college freshman.

It was a get to know you day. Meet and greets and trying to retain everyone's name. I am already enamored by this cast. First off, everyone is just BE-A-U-TIFUL. The energy feels just right; honest, warm and raw. Steven had us, at one point, sprinting (mine, a light jog) across the room as an exercise shouting each other's names, then choreographed our own routines in groups. Oh, and a serious abs warm-up- ouchies, I'm discovering a muscle group that doesn't really flex unless we're at taco bell.

Then some music time with Tom and our awesome music director Jared Stein. These guys are going to have us sounding baller in no time. Catching sound bytes of everyone's voice in rehearsal- making that sound for the first time as a group- I have to remind myself that I have to sing and not just listen to the awesomeness that is this group of rockers.

Alright, time to do a little memorization homework and unwind with a little American Horror Story- behind on my all my shows!

[jetsrule128]

and nicci with her first blog

WITH VIDEO

http://theycallmenicci.blogspot.com/

Remember that time when I wrote a blog about High Fidelity and tried to catch the attention of Tom Kitt and Amanda Green? Well, tom didn't see the blog but he was aware that I performed in High Fidelity this summer. I'll take it.

Today was the first day of rehearsal! It's been four months and ten days since I got the call and now it has begun. I stayed up much later than I should have last night watching the show. I'd never seen it before, so I thought it would have been a good idea to familiarize myself with more than just what's available from bootleg clips on youtube. What a cool show. The visuals are pretty incredible and the vocal arrangements are stunning. I can't wait to really get into it and feel it for myself.

We started off the day by having an equity meeting. I'm on my way, ladies and gents! In just a few months I'll be an official member of the Actors Equity Association. There were four other people in the cast who were also non-equity, so I imagine it was an especially exciting day for the five of us. When that was all taken care of our choreographer, Steven, led us in an exercise that helped us to learn and remember each others names as well as warm up our bodies. After that we did some core work, crunches and things like that. I had forgotten to put my rehearsal clothes in my bag this morning so I had to do it all in my jeans, boots, and long sleeve shirt. Luckily it wasn't as intense as I was mentally prepared for. I assure you it will get crazy, but it's nice that we had today to kind of ease us into it. We were also given about five minutes to listen to a song and come up with an 8-count, then were put into groups of four and put our moves together. We think some of these moves may be incorporated into the choreography, that's how they came up with some of the original stuff. I guess we'll see.

After about two hours with Steven we went into the adjacent room to work on music with Tom and Jared, the music director. Got through American Idiot, most of 21 Guns, and some of Last Night On Earth. Everyone sounds incredible together, there are so many fantastic voices in the cast. I can't help but smile when we get to the really powerful moments of the songs. Wow.

The day ended with a meet and greet with everyone involved with the show. Fun fact: Tom Hulce, one of our producers, was Mozart in the movie Amadeus. He was also the speaking and singing voice of Quasimodo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. True story. Billie Joe Armstrong wasn't able to be there but Michael Mayer, our director, said he sends his love and is very exciting. He'll meet up with us at some point. Maybe even perform with us? I'm not making any promises, and nothing's been announced but..... I'm just sayin.

Time to work on my music and pack up my bag for tomorrow. I'm an positive that it's going to be intense and I will mot be forgetting workout clothes again.

Ps. Here's a clip of us singing Good Riddance and the airport.

[Jaymee!!]

Nicci Claspell mentioned an unpromised and unannounced comment about Billie Joe performing with the cast. "...Billie Joe Armstrong wasn't able to be there but Michael Mayer, our director, said he sends his love and is very exciting. He'll meet up with us at some point. Maybe even perform with us? I'm not making any promises, and nothing's been announced but..... I'm just sayin."

http://theycallmenicci.blogspot.com/

[GDLoT]

and nicci with her first blog

WITH VIDEO

The day ended with a meet and greet with everyone involved with the show. Fun fact: Tom Hulce, one of our producers, was Mozart in the movie Amadeus. He was also the speaking and singing voice of Quasimodo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame. True story. Billie Joe Armstrong wasn't able to be there but Michael Mayer, our director, said he sends his love and is very exciting. He'll meet up with us at some point. Maybe even perform with us? I'm not making any promises, and nothing's been announced but..... I'm just sayin.

Time to work on my music and pack up my bag for tomorrow. I'm an positive that it's going to be intense and I will mot be forgetting workout clothes again.

Ps. Here's a clip of us singing Good Riddance and the airport.

I find these blogs so interesting & fun to read, especially this blurb is exciting to chew on! Thank you. I appreciate you reposting them here. So much easier than me missing her tweet & trying to remember to go read them.

Love the GR vid too. Nice way to pass the time at the airport.

[jetsrule128]

Krystina's Blog

http://krystinaalabado.blogspot.com/

Flying Southern Belle's

Flying home from fly school is not going as smoothly as flying did this week in Charleston. What a great week it was. And what a great city Charleston, SC is. Meet our newest Idiots, Nicci, Jillian (girls up there) Scott, Dan, and Gabe! We had some great times, and big laughs this week and it was wonderful getting to know everyone, especially suspended a billion feet in the air. It was such an awesome feeling getting back into the harness! As some of you know, I understudied Extraordinary Girl on Broadway, but haven't flown in over six months. Muscle memory really is fascinating because the minute I got back in my harness and was hooked up, it all came back to me pretty quickly. My flying partner for this week was Dan and by the end, we were all flying like Cirque de Solei performers/Tunny's&Extraordinary Girls. Also, to answer a question from you guys that I got a lot from my last post, I will be performing in the same track I did on Broadway, Ensemble/ u/s Whatsername & Extraordinary Girl!

The food here in Charleston was incomparable. Some of the best southern comfort, buttery food I've had. And I have spent some time in Charleston over the past few years, but for some reason this time around, woo! A few highlights were definitely Magnolias in downtown Charleston. I had these amazing barbeque pork sliders with sweet potato fries. The meat was so tender and the bread was perfectly toasted! We also had a really great celebratory dinner at a place called Hyman's close to our hotel which we were referred to by every cab driver in Charleston. We ate some yummy fish, fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, and I tried a sip of a Bloody Mary for the first time. It's like drinking salsa out of the jar. Not my kind of drink but Gabe insists that a "Caeser" Bloody Mary is the way to go which has Clamato juice in it (clam juice). Apparently it's all the rage in Canada where he's from, but I can't imagine drinking salsa with clam juice either. We shall see. Our first night in we ate at Jestine's, another place the cabbies all told us about and I had pecan fried chicken with some of the best mac&cheese. None compares to Matt's grandmas, but it came pretty darn close. All in all, my food experience in Charleston was top notch and I would recommend any and all of these restaurants to anyone visiting!

Not only was the food great in Charleston, but the people were so nice! True ladies and gentlemen, and I mean to the fullest. People on the street said good morning, the waiters took only the ladies orders first, everyone calls you ma'am, and it seems as if every person around us had a big ol' smile on their face and was genuinely happy to see us! I think everyone (including me) could learn a little something from the South and how hospitable they are! Such a great atmosphere! And now, without further ado, my first guest blogger! The ever-so-talented, biggest Southern gentleman I know, straight from Charleston, South Carolina himself, Matt Shingledecker!

"Let's start with the fact that I'm so glad you recognize the FACT that my Mama's mac&cheese is the best on the planet. Still not sharing the recipe. Sorry!

The best way to describe Charleston's cuisine is French Gourmet meets Gullah Soul meets Seafood. If you're ever in the area, check out Laura Albert's. My best friend Elliott Elsey's mother and grandmother have a wine and beer shop on Daniel's Island which also does lunch during the weekdays, brunch on the weekdays, tastings, and caters. For the locals it also boasts dinners that you can take home, reheat, and serve as if you made a home-cooked meal. During the warmer months they have outdoor seating and cornhole.

I learned I wanted to act and sing for the rest of my life at the Doc Street Theater, the oldest theater in the country. It's home to Charleston Stage, the regional theater that I worked the most. It also is one of the many theaters that houses productions that are part of the Spoleto Festival which brings in artists of all sorts from around the world to Charleston as well as featuring local talent.

What you forgot to mention is how beautiful the city is. Downtown Charleston is a peninsula so there is water everywhere. There are many beaches just a short drive away. It also has the largest historic district in the country. My personal recommendations are the Battery, Market, and Rainbow Row. If you're a fan of the "The Notebook," the internet can point you to many scenes filmed in Charleston for the movie as well as many other motion pictures.

All in all I couldn't ask for a better city to grow up in because it kindled some of my greatest loves: food, acting, and singing".

Check out Matt in the Rent revival at New World Stages playing now eight times a week! He plays Roger and it is basically the best thing I have ever seen. Plus he wears really tight pants, and who doesn't wanna see that! Also, follow @bwaybites on twitter, a new food blog created by some of the guys from Rent, including Matt!

So now as I finish this blog post from my comfy couch in New York after being stuck in Charleston for an extra night, we move on to full rehearsals starting Monday at 9 o'clock! And from then on it is go, go, go! It really is crazy how fast time flies! Before we know it, we will be opening in Toronto and I cannot wait. But first, we spend the next three weeks in New York! This should be fun! Enjoy the below picture where some of us deliriously chowed down on a late night dinner at Chili's after we were stranded in Charleston due to our plane being broken. Until next time!

krystina

Next City: NEW YORK CITY

(remember to leave any and all recommendations for food, fun, sight seeing or just about anything in this city! Even though I live here, I and the Idiots are always looking for stuff to do. We will be busy, but still! Also, leave any questions if you have them about the rehearsal process, flying, life, or anything!)

that did not copy well

just go to the site

cool behind the scene pics there so it's worth a vist

Edited November 22, 2011 by pasalaska
fixed for the most part

[jetsrule128]

CAN ANYONE READ WHAT THE WHATSERNAME BOOTS(the pink ones)_ say?