AMERICAN IDIOT Reviews- Page 7

[sorano916]

Posted: 4/29/10 at 2:09am

is the full original cast performing in every show?

If I'm understanding your question correctly, currently Chase is out for a couple of weeks due to injury. However, no one has been replaced or anything.

[Amneris]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 10:31am

I didn't feel the need to start a new thread to post my personal thoughts on the show but, I really needed to speak my opinion. That is 100% fine if none of you agree and I get attacked. To sum it up, it was the longest 90 minutes I have ever had to sit through. Not only was it too loud to the point where you couldn't hear the lyrics to the song but, the audience around me were complete animals thinking they were at a concert singing out loud. Also, they should alert the drunks that the bar closes after walk in and to please stay seated instead of getting up 19 times in the middle of a row to get more vodka. You can't take away incredible vocal talent from these people but, they all deserve to be in a good show. All I got from it was "I masterbated today into oblivion" "Lets say the F word again because we were told to" "Lets have more sex" and finally "lets shoot up because it's in the script 14 times". Maybe I totally missed the point of this show and again I am sorry if my thoughts seem out of line. I just did not like it. And a lot of the people who were not drunk and singing along felt the same way myself and 3 friends did. I respect anyone who enjoys it but, it just was not for me. I think my favorite of the Season goes to "Memphis".

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 10:43am

"I masterbated today into oblivion" "Lets say the F word again because we were told to" "Lets have more sex"

Oh my god, that sounds terrific to me. Then again, I'm the type who knows how to spell "masturbated" really well.

[Rachel Feldman (me)]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 10:59am

I applaud this show and all other shows current and to come that are stepping out of the box. Musical theater can be of any type of music or genre if done well. American idiot had TERRIFIC singers and set design. Shows like 'My Fair Lady', 'Guys & Dolls', and 'Bye Bye Birdie' (which, btw, SUCKED!) aren't the only definitions of musical theater anymore.

[sorano916]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 11:07am

I amend my earlier statement. With Chase Peacock out, they have hired Sean Wing as his temporary replacement. However, he will not be understudying the role of Johnny, which mean only Van Hughs will be available (according to the Playbill) if John Gallagher, Jr. is out (which is unlikely; he tries not to miss shows).

[Amneris]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 12:40pm

I applaud shows as well for not sticking to 1950s style old school musicals but, I just don't get the hype on why it's so good. As I said to someone else who posted and I really can't remember their name "to each his or her own." I may have really disliked AI but, there will be 90 others who think I am very wrong.

[Marinacat]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:36pm

I liked it. I did not love it. I loved the arial scene and "Holiday", as they were both good theater. The show was high octane and left me smiling through most parts.

I have a hard time with John Gallagher Jr. in both SA and this, in that his acting goes from high velocity to completely down-played with no stops in them middle. I have seen him in plays where there were nuances to his performance, the likes of which I have not seen in the two musicals. The few bits of dialogue were atrocious.

I thought that Stark Sands was great and achieved the above, where JGJ did not. Michael Esper was fine as the third part of the trio. He fulfilled the role of the third guy who stays home. *shrug* I thought Rebecca Naomi Jones was completely on fire and I agree that Mary Faber was miscast.





Updated On: 5/3/10 at 05:36 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:51pm

I finally saw the show this afternoon. I thought it was ok. Definitely not anything special but it was fine for what it was. Let's not kid ourselves though and say it has any real plot to it, though. I like Green Day very much and all I took away from this was that I heard some kids sing some great songs.

It's really just 90 minutes of angry 20 somethings angsting so it'll draw in the under 20 crowd who has no reason to be angry but feels that they Should be.
Just like the Next to Normal fans.

[sgv123]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 5:53pm

Just out of curiosity, who do you think should be playing Heather if not Mary?

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 6:11pm

Am I alone thinking it was actually cheesy?

From the beginning I just felt they disguised young people who do traditional musical theater into punks. They painted their faces and gave them Halloween -looking outfits, then forced them to pretend and act like the crowd who likes GreenDay.

Then the choreography seem also forced as: This is where a classical musical theater break would go, but instead the shapely Broadway girls will pretend to dance like punk girls (who, of course, when they groove to punk music they do so altogether and in perfect unison).

Yes, they had energy and the voices were good. I just felt it was too "staged" - I didn't have a problem with book / narrative, but maybe I was alone thinking it was staged within a classic Broadway structure and then had the modern imposed to it by force.

I thought it was funny, to be honest. I guess to me it would have worked a lot better if they would've given a chance to true unknown punk or rock talent, but I felt it was to obvious that most were just pretending to be so.

[Brick]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 10:08pm

That's actually a pretty good observation blaxx.

I thought its choreography looked like a second-rate attempt at SPRING AWAKENING's blend of modern lyricism and youthful punk angst, but you make a very good case for it simply not being punk enough.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/2/10 at 10:30pm

I LIKED this, but did not love it. I thought the performances were amazing (but thought what little dialogue there was, was delivered horridly).

My basic negative: I didn't CARE about anyone. I sympathized with no one; there was no one with redeeming qualities. I walked away thinking: What was I suppose to understand from this?

Posted: 5/3/10 at 8:42am

My sister and I saw the show on Saturday night --- I think we may go for a second viewing -- but we agreed that we didn't feel for any of the characters.

The first 15-20 minutes are painfully loud -- to the point where it is difficult to understand the lyrics...or what is going on. Once the boys take off on their adventures -- then it gets more interesting.

We like the set and a lot of the staging, but found the conductor to be a bit of a distraction (couldn't she just be another monitor).

Wish Rebecca had a better role -- but we still loved her and all of the cast.

It's not Passing Strange -- but we'll take it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/3/10 at 8:58am

I have to admit: for all the complaints about the volume levels, I had NO issues there. I was in the 2nd row of the Mezz and didn't feel overwhelmed at all -- and I'm usually quite sensitive about those issues.

Even though I DIDN'T love it, I am considering going back for a second look as well -- just to see if I get anymore connected. Time will tell.

[RKO Legend]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 10:05am

I went and saw the matinee yesterday. I sat 2nd row in the balcony and didn't think the show was too loud at all and I could hear all the lines perfectly clear. I enjoyed the show a lot more than I thought I would, mainly because I don't agree with a lot of the lyrics of green days songs about America but I would like to see this show again from the orchestra.

[auggie]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 11:39am

Saw the Wed 5/5 show and here are a couple thoughts:

- Did get a serious Hair vibe from the entire experience. Very limited book with a lot of great tunes that had me wanting to get the OBCR coming out of the theater but wasn't thinking much about the story.

- Liked the cast except for Faber, when she had solos I thought it sounded like Kate Monster singing in a punk style.

- Set and lighting were great. Really liked the "Holiday" number and the use of TVs. Caught a Shamwow commercial out of the corner of my eye. Wasn't too loud for me but some older folks in attendance came in with ear plugs.

Also, there was an older gentleman in the mez a couple rows in front of me with pen and paper taking notes the entire show. I would not think he was reviewing at this point; what else could he be doing?