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Description
The playGreen Day won two Grammys for its multi-platinum album American Idiot, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. Now those searing songs seize the stage with the director behind Spring Awakening, the groundbreaking musical that earned eight Tony Awards and enthralled audiences around the world. American Idiot follows working-class characters from the suburbs to the city to the Middle East, as they seek redemption in a world filled with frustration. This high-octane show features every track from the album, plus several new tunes from Green Day’s newest release, 21st Century Breakdown. With an on-stage band and a cast of 19, American Idiot will take you on an exhilarating journey borne along by Green Day’s electrifying songs.
Please note: This is not a Green Day concert—this is the stage version of American Idiot developed by Green Day and Michael Mayer. Although the band will not appear on stage, the show will definitely rock.
The players
Green Day—vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool—were loud, snotty, scrappy kids from working-class backgrounds who came of age in the underground punk scene in Berkeley. American Idiot debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and raised the bar for modern rock ‘n’ roll.
Michael Mayer earned the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Spring Awakening. He has directed 11 shows on Broadway, three on London’s West End, two films and many other projects. In 2004, The New Yorker proclaimed him “a great director.”
The buzz
Read the Rolling Stone interview with Michael Mayer and Billie Joe Armstrong
“We are really excited to be working with Michael Mayer on this project. We’d been thinking of bringing American Idiot to the stage, but knew we needed to find the right partners. After meeting with Michael to discuss the possibility, he invited us to see Spring Awakening. We were so impressed with that production, as well as his vision for American Idiot, that we knew we’d found the perfect collaborator. Plus, doing it in our hometown at Berkeley Rep was an obvious bonus. They’re an amazing theatre group, very adventurous, and their willingness to take chances is in keeping with the spirit of the album. The end result will be terrific, and we’re really proud.”—Billie Joe Armstrong, frontman for Green Day
“A masterpiece…A significant part of American Idiot’s charm is that for an album that bemoans the state of the union, it is irresistibly buoyant. Listen closely, and you will hear a story about Jesus of Suburbia, his dangerous friend St. Jimmy and a heroic girl called Whatsername, who are struggling to express their individuality in a mass-media culture. Listen less closely, and you will still nod your head a lot and remember most of the melodies, which veer from surf rock to Motown to Broadway to thrash, usually within the same mad dash of a song.”—Time
“The ambitious American Idiot joins an elite list of albums, such as The Who’s Tommy, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band, that successfully weave a narrative through music.”—Amp
“It is a fearless and politically astute rock album, a richly melodic song suite that gives voice to the disenfranchised suburban underclass of Americans.”—Rolling Stone
“What most fans—Democrats, Republicans, and anarchists alike—seem to be connecting with is the irresistible passion, intensity, and hookiness of the music…And Idiot’s brash sound has done more than just connect with the public. It’s also struck a decisive blow for rock music—make that loud, butt-kickin’ rock music, the kind that shakes your nerves and rattles your brain.”—Entertainment Weekly
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