Winner of two Tony Awards®, AMERICAN IDIOT follows Johnny, Will and Tunny, three young, disaffected Americans searching for meaning in a post 9/11 world. AMERICAN IDIOT is a one-act, through-sung stage musical, and as such I would be more inclined to label it a “rock opera”; Though the songbook does incorporate songs from other Green Day albums, the bulk of the music is based on the concept album “American Idiot”. The punk rock music and lyrics are the recognizable backdrop to a recognizable story — that of the wasted and often superficial, rebellious youth of the twenty-first century.
AMERICAN IDIOT focuses on the angry and frustrated Johnny as he cuts ties with suburbia (and his TV) for the Big Apple, only to fall into drugs. In the touring company, this lead role is played with panache by Van Hughes in a role originated by Tony Award®-winner John Gallagher Jr. (SPRING AWAKENING). With Johnny in New York City is his friend Tunny (the wonderful Scott J. Campbell), who leaves to join the army without caring that this goes against all of Johnny’s — and, previously, his — anti-establishment beliefs. Rounding off the trio is Will (Jake Epstein), a boozing slacker who is left in suburbia because of his girlfriend’s unexpected pregnancy. Epstein has the least showy of the three roles, but he gets to spend the entirety of AMERICAN IDIOT laying on an on-stage couch, making out with a girl and wearing a SCOTT PILGRIM t-shirt. I am serious: He does not leave that couch for about 90% of the musical. It’s amusing, and very much in character with his slacker-type character. Will’s pregnant girlfriend Heather (Leslie McDonel) has the most rewarding character arc throughout AMERICAN IDIOT and, with the advantage of the best voice of the cast, McDonel often outshines the leads whenever she is on stage. Kudos, my dear Leslie.
AMERICAN IDIOT features music by Green Day and book by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer. The musical’s more memorable numbers include “Holiday”, “Give Me Novacaine”, “21 Guns” (my personal favourite) and “Wake Me Up When September Ends”. AMERICAN IDIOT also features the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “American Idiot” from Green Day’s 2004 Grammy Award-winning, multi- platinum album, and several songs from Green Day’s Grammy Award-winning 2009 release “21st Century Breakdown”.
The cast of AMERICAN IDIOT features four Canadian performers including Jake Epstein — You’ll recognize him from DEGRASSI — and Scott J. Campbell as two of the three leads, Will and Tunny, and ensemble members Talia Aaron and Gabriel Antonacci.
Here’s the touring cast at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto on New Year’s Eve. If you think they’re good in the below video, you should see them perform when they’re not freezing their skinny jean-clad butts off.
Ticketing Information: AMERICAN IDIOT will play Toronto until January 15, 2012 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street) before moving on to Detroit, Michigan. Tickets can be purchased online at www.DancapTickets.com or by calling 416.644.3665 or toll-free at 1.866.950.7469.
