So, I'm sure most of you are aware that Green Day's album, American Idiot has experienced some praise in a Berkley broadway production. We all knew it would happen, the talks of movies and musicals ran wild with the rock opera's release and major success. The story worked perfectly, who could blame the producers for clawing at the band's door? It was only a matter of time! Well after a profitable run at the San Francisco theatre with critical praise, Rolling Stone is reporting that a NYC run of the show may be in the works.
“American Idiot is that rare creature, a true rock opera…directed with polish and precision by Michael Mayer, on a spectacular set by Christine Jones…Green Day’s potent gift for irresistible tunes delivers the emotional contours of the story…their lushly melodic music is played with impressive raw power…American Idiot possesses a stimulating energy and a vision of wasted youth that holds us in its grip.”—New York Times
Not dates or times have been announced just yet, but there are definitely talks in the works. Personally, I'm kind of excited about this. San Francisco is a bit far, and I definitely want to see this for myself. The band collaborated with director Michael Mayer and the AI producers to bring the stage show to life. Critics are loving the adaptation, and it has only just begun. The show will close the Berkely Rep run on November 15th and who knows what the future holds?
The show follows the story of Johnny and his friends living in modern day America. They face war, unplanned parenthood, battles at home, love, drugs and a variety of other teen struggles. Surprisingly, politics play a rather small role in the heavily political album's stage show. There is also no dialogue, the show uses only music and recordings to convey its story line, and apparently does a fair job of it. The musical features tracks off the American Idiot album, as well as a selection of tracks from the more recent "21st Century Breakdown". If you would like to know more about the plot line (as it can be a little difficult to explain- its rather complex) then check out this article/review by the fan site Green Day Authority. Also, I'll leave you with this trailer made by the theatre where the show is currently closing its first string of shows.
So what do you think? Would you go see this play if it found its way to a city near you? Do you think the album works as a musical or is it just overkill? What other rock operas would you like to see hit the broadway stage?
Rock On!
- Girl At The Rock Show
Song of the Day: St.Jimmy by Green Day... An anthem about youth's decent into the grips of madness. Awesome song. High energy, intense emotion, I just love this song.
hm, i really dont know if I would go see this or not. I mean, as much as I love musicals, I think a Green Day one may just be overkill. Legendary bands such as Queen and Michael Jackson that have been around for decades deserve to steal this kind of spotlight, but Green Day? Already? Maybe in ten-fifteen years from now.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see your point, and I agree that their are some groups who are perhaps more deserving of this. But at the same time Green Day has been a band since 1987, so thats a 22 year career. How long do you think a band would have to be around before this should happen? I agree that bands like Queen earned that right with long successful careers and a place in music history, but I have to wonder if Green Day has also paid a few of those dues? Personally, I think the reason for the adaptation is the way this album spoke to a generation in need. It had phenomenal timing, and therefore was able to reach a lot of people on a lot of different levels. As a fan, I have to admit that this album has long run its course for me. The overplay kind of killed it for me, but I still remember the way I felt when I first listened to those songs. All in all, I definitely see where you're coming from, but I have to wonder if the reason this stage show was created is because the repertoire fit so well unlike some of the artists out there who have been around longer, you know? Not everyone releases an album that has a plot line associated to it, so maybe thats why they were presented with this opportunity? Thanks for the comment! :)
ReplyDeleteI saw American Idiot on Broadway and the entire time I couldn't stop thinking how I would much rather be seeing Green Day in concert. I got best tickets. Aside from some very talented cover bands, I don't get the appeal of seeing music you like performed by people other than the actual band.
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