SCAD students have been listening to possible flood warnings all week. Fortunately, the only area flooded on Atlanta’s Peachtree Street was the Fox Theatre. On May 1, guests swarmed the theater to attend Green Day’s “American Idiot” musical.
Award-winning director Michael Mayer paired up with the iconic American punk rock band, Green Day, to bring their Grammy-winning 2004 album “American Idiot” to Broadway. Since its premiere in 2009, the musical has received countless reviews and several Tony nominations – winning the awards for best Scenic and best Lighting Design. Now the show makes its Atlanta debut. Here is the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good
in AMERICAN IDIOT (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)
Rock-opera turned musical. Mayer stumbled onto a unique concept when he decided to approach Green Day with the idea to transform the “American Idiot” album into a musical. Track by track, the musical follows three friends “forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia.”
An amazing team. The musicians, vocalists, choreographers, costume designers, set designers and anyone else collaborating on the visuals of the musical delivered a stellar product. They brought the album to life. Television screens, dim-smoke, flashing lights and even sprinkles of glitter filled the stage. In addition, there are symbolic cues throughout the set that give the show another dimension. There were countless head-bangings and numerous fist pumpings, but it all enhanced the punk rock composition. Impressive costume changes added to the notable good moments.
Authentic acts. On its website, the Fox Theatre mentions, “‘American Idiot’ contains adult content and strong language.” Some audience members didn’t get that memo ( cue the mother dragging her pre-teen by the hand out of the theater and the old couple briskly walking to the exit). Love, rage, sex, parenthood, drugs, alcohol, patriotism, rebellion, youth, and America are just some of the themes of this production. The cast boldly displayed each theme on stage.
The bad
What’s happening? There is a lot to take in. Each friend is pulled into a different life. The only thing connecting the storyline is the music from Green Day’s album and snippets of dialogue. However, the snippets of dialogue does not establish a clear sense of action.
Executing choreography. Award-winning choreographer Steven Hoggett created beautiful dance sequences (the performance to “Last Night on Earth” was amazing). However, there were certain moments (like during the “Extraordinary Girl” sequence) where the synchronization fell apart. Still, what the group lacked in synchronization, they made up for in song.
The ugly
More diversity, please. It would be nice to see a cast that represents a wider range of race and ethnicities. The musical speaks to a young American audience, yet all American ethnicities were not represented in the company’s cast. Perhaps the addition of an Asian member would help to add diversity to Jingletown, U.S. (the location of the story).
Overall, “American Idiot” is an experience (the musical lasts 90 minutes with no intermission). There are many artistic values to take away from the production (especially in the areas of design). The cast will perform at the Fox Theatre from now until Sunday May 4. Click here to purchase tickets online or purchase a ticket at the box office to avoid purchase fees. The North Avenue MARTA station is a short walk from the theater, if twenty dollar parking is a concern. Enjoy the show and visit the website to see what other performances are taking place at Atlanta’s fabulous Fox Theatre this year.