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"American Idiot" Musical Tour


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Probably they're going to have different prize categories. So there's still the option to take some seats that aren't that close to the stage but less expensive and you still have the chance to see it.

Yeah, I think so too. I can't wait to know about this. It's pretty nerve-wracking :lol:

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Guys, if you're worried about the price, check with the theater if there are discounts or rush/lotto tickets. Most stops have had them; I got $26 rush for front & second row in Raleigh.

Also, check the cast twitter. They are sometimes given tickets & they ask if anyone wants them for free.

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Awesome, have a blast! :D

Thank you. :)

I'm so excited right now. Only five more hours! :lol:

I keep getting up and pacing.

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Guys, if you're worried about the price, check with the theater if there are discounts or rush/lotto tickets. Most stops have had them; I got $26 rush for front & second row in Raleigh.

Also, check the cast twitter. They are sometimes given tickets & they ask if anyone wants them for free.

Thanks for the advice. I'm always checking the Twitter and the Theater's site so I hope I'll have luck sometimes as well! :)

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Yesterday's show was AMAZING! I loved it so much. Now I really want to see it again.

(I'll post all of my favorite moments when I get a little more time).

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Green Day's 'American Idiot' musical tours the nation

Joshua Kobak, Van Hughes and Leslie McDonel, all from the 2010 Broadway cast, bring the show to the Ahmanson.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-american-idiot-actors-20120304,0,7965611.story

Reporting from Chicago ——

Joshua Kobak, hair already spiked like the character of St. Jimmy, is pondering the question of what "American Idiot" is giving to America, and what America is giving back to "American Idiot" now that the Green Day musical is out on the road.

Kobak, who plays a sexually ambivalent drug pusher in the touring production of the show, has dark eyes, a fixed stare, close-to-the-surface emotions and a certain weariness, as if he's figuring out if his questioner can be trusted. That seems apt for "American Idiot," a show about both the futility and the necessity of individual hope and longing in Green Day's operatic conception of vaguely disenchfranchised twentysomethings all lost in a paranoid 2004 America.

Sitting over a pre-matinee brunch in a restaurant in Chicago's theater district, actors Van Hughes and Leslie McDonel (like Kobak, both are holdovers from the Broadway company of this 2010 musical), have already expressed excitement about bringing the evocative Green Day lyrics down the proverbial lost highways, into suburbia, across the alien nation to the Los Angeles stand of "American Idiot," which begins March 13 at the Ahmanson Theatre.

"There is something about shows with 'America' in their name," Hughes had said, grinning. He plays the central character of Johnny, an alienated but needy sensualist who gets hooked on sex and St. Jimmy's drugs. "There's something really powerful about that. It's like we're an invasion of their hometown."

But Kobak comes up with something different.

"I've been surprised," he says, tentatively. "The feeling that comes back to me is grief. For addiction. For people who have lost someone or for the someone who was lost. Somehow, the show brings that out."

Hughes and McDonel (who plays Heather, a young woman who finds herself pregnant) stare and then nod. To perform a show based on a 2004 Green Day album, a show with songs that range from punk numbers dominated by thrashing guitar down strokes to plaintive ballads where sweet melody prevails, is to be aware of the powers of contrast and contradiction.

"There is something," Hughes says, "about dropping down in a new city every week and hanging your dark cloud over a dirty town."

He starts talking about Detroit, the only place, he said, where the whole audience stood for the encore.

"We had just gotten out of Canada," Hughes said. "In Toronto, it felt like we were yelling at Canadians about America. They got it, they liked it, they agreed with it, but there was a disconnect. Not in Detroit. If there are any people in America that understand disenchantment, it is the people of Detroit. In Detroit, they weren't clapping. They were shouting."

Green Day, of course, has fans in Michigan and all over the country, who provide "American Idiot" with a built-in national following and who made a touring production viable, even though audiences for touring Broadway shows tend to be dominated by subscribers rather than the single-ticket buyers of Broadway. Presenters, then, are gambling not only that Green Day fans will fill in the single-ticket sales but make up for those subscribers, especially older subscribers, who might be turned off by loud punk rock. In Chicago, several such subscribers could be seen headed for an early exit on opening night,although McDonel says that she has been surprised by "how accepting some people have been, even those for whom this is clearly outside their comfort zone."

Green Day emerged in the late 1980s as part of the volumous Berkeley punk scene. "American Idiot" was first staged at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2009, and lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bass player Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool all have roots on the West Coast. Then again, they also got around the great American interior on their way to selling those 65 million records.

Armstrong, who is credited with the book for "American Idiot" alongside its director, Michael Mayer, declined interview requests. In New York, Armstrong was a constant presence at the St. James Theatre (where the show ran for 422 performances), occasionally performing the role of St. Jimmy himself (after Kobak's instruction), and frequently taking the stage at the end of the show, sometimes accompanied by his fellow band members, regularly turning the encore into an impromptu Green Day jam.

"That was a very special thing to have the band so engaged," said Mayer earlier by telephone. "I think they will be again as soon as they come up for air," Mayer said, suggesting that Armstrong might pop up in Los Angeles, in the audience at least.

Armstrong's presence aside, this first leg of the national tour of "American Idiot" is, as national tours go these days, a pretty close replication of the Broadway experience.

On Broadway, the physical production was dominated by a huge wall, designed by Christine Jones and peppered with video screens. The touring set is much less tall (20 feet as opposed to 45) but not necessarily to the detriment of the show. "Everything is in a more horizontal environment now," Mayer said. "It puts more focus on the people."

And, says orchestrator Tom Kitt, on the music. Kitt argues that the questions that accompanied the tour — Was this music too harsh for mainstream theatergoers? — were the same questions that were asked when the show was courting Broadway investors.

"I always felt like the power of this music could reach people who had never heard Green Day before," Kitt said by telephone. "Billie Joe and the band are melodists. They are rooted in punk, and there is music that celebrates the down stroke guitar motion, but they write incredibly strong, melodic music, where there are arpeggios; where there is piano."

For the show, Kitt added new layers of orchestration, making extensive use of the cello, for example.Saying he has been influenced by Beatles producer George Martin, Kitt also argued that this experience has shown that Green Day's music works well with fuller and more acoustic orchestrations, with the apparent disconnect only adding to the complexity of the musical drama.

Meanwhile, Kovak, Hughes and McDonel are selling Green Day every night, from State College, Pa., to St. Louis. Kovak is a refugee from the original cast of "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," an experience he declined to discuss but that clearly left him bruised. "With this 'American Idiot,' we are all just going 160 on a motorcycle ride across the country," he said, changing the subject. "Nothing I'd rather do in life."

On this day, a load-out awaited, followed by a flight north. "Minneapolis," McDonel said confidently, "is where Billie Joe met his wife."

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Anyone else thought that that interview was a bit awkward? Especially the whole "let's change Kobak's last name to Kovak" in the end.

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I really hope that if Billie decides to play St. Jimmy for a little bit that he goes opposite Larkin as Johnny because come on!

063c7286672a11e1abb01231381b65e3_7.jpg

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I really hope that if Billie decides to play St. Jimmy for a little bit that he goes opposite Larkin as Johnny because come on!

That would be awesome! :lol:

Plus Larkin is soo cute. :wub:

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I really hope that if Billie decides to play St. Jimmy for a little bit that he goes opposite Larkin as Johnny because come on!

063c7286672a11e1abb01231381b65e3_7.jpg

:lol: this picture of Larkin is too cute!!

ME TOO!! I was thinking last week that this should happen! :woot: If it does, someone please record that!

Love Larkin!! :wub:

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Why can't they do this outside America too? ç_ç

As in, outside America and the UK/Ireland? Then yeah, I wonder why..

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Q & A: American Idiot's Leslie McDonel on sharing the stage with Billie Joe Armstrong

Billie Joe Armstrong and Green Day managed to knock the socks off more than a few listeners when they released the song cycle American Idiot on CD in 2004. But at the time, no one could have imagined the ruckus a stage version would eventually make on Broadway. A fabulous set of songs beefed up with a stronger plot, it's a rock musical that pushes the envelope of what that really means.

​And though Billie Joe himself starred in at least part of the run in New York, his absence should be overshadowed on tour by a strong cast led by a few of the show's Broadway veterans. American Idiot opens at 8 p.m. tonight at the Buell Theatre and continues through Sunday; for tickets, which start at $20, visit the Denver Center website or call 303-893-4100.

We caught up with cast member Leslie McDonel, who comes to the tour directly from the Broadway show, to find out what it's like to help bring Billie Joe Armstrong's musical vision to the stage.

Westword: How did you end up performing in American Idiot on Broadway?

Leslie McDonel: I auditioned in the winter of 2009 for the Broadway cast and ended up working in the ensemble for the entire run.

Now that you've stepped up to a bigger role on tour, what challenges have you had to face?

Actually, as Heather, I have the easiest role, physically. I'm holding a baby a lot of the time in what's really, physically, a highly demanding show. The cast members are like athletes -- they have to be punk-rock mosh-pitters, all while dancing and singing and acting. You really have to be on your game. It's kind of like being shot out of a cannon!

What was it like to work with Billy Joe Armstrong on Broadway?

It was beyond exciting to fall in love with the material, and I came to admire him so much for his lyrics and the heart he brings to the music. I felt very lucky -- I learned a lot about honesty and giving every ounce of yourself and not saving it for later. Billy Joe is great -- in some ways, he's still the same as when he was nineteen. He now has two teen sons, and he's forty years old and a smart businessman, but he still has that spirit of the young punk kid who wants to shake things up. And he's silly. He would dress up for us a lot, and come down in different costumes.

What attracted you to audition for American Idiot in the first place?

Honestly, it's what I do: rock musicals. To me, it was just another audition, though I was already a fan of Green Day's music. When I got in, it was like, "Wow!" I had no idea that it was going to be this impactful. It's not just a staged concert, and I think it surprises people how moved they are by it. I wanted to be in a piece that challenges people. If you love good theater and punk rock music, this is it. It's modern and interesting, there's lots of dancing and beautiful orchestrations with string arrangements -- there's something for everyone.

http://blogs.westwor...ie_joe_arms.php

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What was it like to work with Billy Joe Armstrong on Broadway?

It was beyond exciting to fall in love with the material, and I came to admire him so much for his lyrics and the heart he brings to the music. I felt very lucky -- I learned a lot about honesty and giving every ounce of yourself and not saving it for later. Billy Joe is great -- in some ways, he's still the same as when he was nineteen. He now has two teen sons, and he's forty years old and a smart businessman, but he still has that spirit of the young punk kid who wants to shake things up. And he's silly. He would dress up for us a lot, and come down in different costumes.

How incredibly weird it is to hear Billie Joe described as 'a smart businessman' haha XD

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How incredibly weird it is to hear Billie Joe described as 'a smart businessman' haha XD

Haha, my exact thought when I read that!

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As in, outside America and the UK/Ireland? Then yeah, I wonder why..

Yeah, I'm from Italy so I wish they did a world tour or something like that

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What was it like to work with Billy Joe Armstrong on Broadway?

:lol:

Good interview though. :)

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Yesterday's show was AMAZING! I loved it so much. Now I really want to see it again. (I'll post all of my favorite moments when I get a little more time).

We were at the same show! It was so amazing :) I wish I could've seen it again!

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We were at the same show! It was so amazing :) I wish I could've seen it again!

That's awesome! Where were you sitting?

I wish I could too...

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So there will be Lotto for the LA run. This makes things easier for me!

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Here's the basic details for the lottery in LA:

For anyone planning on seeing Idiot in LA, the Ahmanson just announced that they'll be offering rush tickets for each show (http://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/productiondetail.aspx?id=15434)

Quick summary: Names are taken upon box office opening (12PM or 11AM on Sunday) and the names are picked 90 minutes before performance time. Winners must be present at time of drawing. Tickets are $30, and there are approximately 30 tickets per show available. None of the articles specify if it's cash only or not, but considering that Ahmanson lets you buy Hot Tickets (their version of rush) with a card, I'm going to guess that you'll be able to buy lotto with a card too.

LA Times is also reporting "Those who don't win the daily lottery will be automatically included in the lottery for the final Saturday performance at the Ahmanson on April 21, the company said." (from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2012/03/green-day-american-idiot.html)

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That's awesome! Where were you sitting? I wish I could too...

I was sitting in Mezzanine N. I really wanted closer seats, but the tickets were a gift. I'm not complaining though! I could still see it perfectly, just at a bit of a distance

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