Using the music from Green Day's American Idiot album, the stage musical tells the story of three friends from Jingletown, USA -- Johnny, Will and Tunny -- who are disillusioned with their lives that they plan on hightailing it to New York to explore their futures. But Will's exodus derails early as his girlfriend Heather tells him that she's pregnant, leaving Johnny and Tunny to head for the bright lights on their own. Once in the big city, Tunny becomes disillusioned with what he thought would be a great time in his life and chooses to join the military to fill an emptiness that eats at him. And Johnny, he dives into the drug culture, teaming up with St. Jimmy to enjoy a life of excess and a new girlfriend, Whatsername. The musical follows each of their stories as they maneuver through life in the days leading up to 9/11 and how that event changes their outlook on the future.
The entire cast was amazing from the three leads -- Van Hughes as Johnny, Jake Epstein as Will, and Scott J. Campbell as Tunny -- to Leslie McDonel as Heather and Gabrielle McClinton as Whatsername. Josh Kobak as St. Jimmy is a force to be reckoned with, too. The show also gave me a new appreciation of Green Day's songs. It's one thing to hear them in their original punk rock forms, but put them into a context where they are pared down or use a different arrangement, and the meaning and impact of the songs shines, like Are We the Waiting when Tunny makes his decision to join the military (one of my favorite songs). What also makes the songs so much more is the choreography, such as with When September Ends. Johnny, Will and Tunny are in their respective lives, And Johnny tells the audience that it's September 10. The ensemble slowly gathers onstage one at time, each dressed in suits or office attire, staring into the audience as rectangles of light, like what you see reflected from windows, slowly climb the set. The ensemble collapses on stage, and as they sing, some lift their arms and legs in the air, flailing as they sing a single note, resembling people falling from a tall tower. It's an incredibly powerful scene and changed my entire impression of the song.
Simply an amazing production. That's all I can really say without overly gushing about it. I highly recommend it if the opportunity presents itself.
Image from Chicago Theater Beat.




