AMERICAN IDIOT Reviews- Page 5

[maxximumvolume]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 12:08am

Matthew Murray is Mixed to Positive, although he completely trashes Gallagher Jr., much as he did in his review of Spring Awakening and Rabbit Hole.

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/index.html

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 12:16am

Who? Is that a name that should be familiar?

[maxximumvolume]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 12:21am

I don't know, Mr. Namo, I've definitely seen him in just about every other opening night reviews thread. Maybe it's just you?

[gcontini2]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 12:48am

I was at opening tonight and was very touched to see Green Day come on stage at curtain to hug and congratulate the cast...They seemed genuinely thrilled at the fact that their creation was being so warmly welcomed at a Broadway Opening Night.

I'll also add that, while I'm a little in conflict -- because I think the show has great artistic integrity and yet I don't really want Broadway to become the new dumping ground for concept album shows at the expense of new original book musicals - I have to admit that seeing actual mainstream music find serious theatrical expression on Broadway in a non-derivative way (i.e Moving Out, Mama Mia, etc) is both a compliment and a return to a new relevancy for the musical theater as an art form. It's very much a testament to the fact that it's alive and well and available to speak to a broader, non-traditional theater audience.

Updated On: 4/21/10 at 12:48 AM

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 12:56am

The reviews were decent but far from being raves. It would still win by default.

[PReeves2]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:03am

where is the Wall Street Journal? i though the NY Times was the last to post?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:12am

"I have to admit that seeing actual mainstream music find serious theatrical expression on Broadway in a non-derivative way (i.e Moving Out, Mama Mia, etc) is both a compliment and a return to a new relevancy for the musical theater as an art form."

There's no way that can be a bad thing! I also don't think you have to worry, there aren't many rock artists creating worthwhile concept albums nowadays.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:18am

The only other one I can think of on the top of my head is My Chemical Romance with "The Black Parade," which I adore.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:22am

Please don't give Gerard Way any ideas. Or Muse.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:25am

haha. While I love Muse, I don't know if I would want to see a musical by them. Gah, that would be one trippy experience.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:27am

...not sure why Isherwood starts by calling this a punk musical, and then dwells on rock opera for the rest of his review as if punk and rock are indistinguishable.

You think Broadway fans (and critics) actually know the difference? Some people here believe Andrew Lloyd Webber invented the concept album.

[gcontini2]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:29am

"..There's no way that can be a bad thing!"

No, I didn't say it was, The first part of the sentence -- a wholesale trend of concept albums substituting as theatre instead of new book musicals -- refers to the part I would not want.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:39am

It is my new goal in life to revive The Wizard of Oz with the score of The Dark Side of the Moon.

[emg_sound]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 1:59am

To the previous comment about bands not releasing concept albums anymore, I shall give y'all exhibits A-C against this...

A: Cursive: Almost every album by this Emo band has a very well defined structure and thematic construct... Personally, I have a vision to stage their album Happy Hollow as a classic touring religious tent revival.

B: David Byrne: He recently released the album "Here Lies Love" a 22 song meditation on Imelda Marcos. Admittedly, this was conceived from a more theatrical perspective (he worked with Marianne Weems on staging concepts) but this was also his homage to "the death of the album".

C: Sigur Ros: While there is no lyrical cohesion to their albums (heck, most of () was famously sung in "Hopelandic") you will be hard pressed to deny both the extreme theatricality to their music and cohesion in the records. Personally, I view their records as rather long through-composed pieces of music.

[Brick]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 2:07am

"The reviews were decent but far from being raves. It would still win by default."

Yes. It's a very weak year. And you're right these aren't across the board raves. FELA looks to be the best reviewed new musical of the season. That isn't, however, a prerequisite for Best Musical.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 3:04am

Yup, this smells like a poor copy of 2008:

Addams Family is Young Frankenstein, Memphis is Cry-Baby, American Idiot is In The Heights, Fela! is Passing Strange...

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 3:12am

The NY Post gives it 3 out of 4 stars.

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/green_with_frenzy_OYSVpKug8AOrKr86TGVZaL

[bythesword84]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 4:52am

(I didn't see this posted, but if it already was, my apologies)

Theatermania is a rave, and marks Sands as the stand out.
Theatermania.com: American Idiot

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 9:00am

Whatever your opinion of the show -- and I liked it -- it certainly is already the most talked-about new musical of the season. Which in itself is a good thing because people will want to see it just because it's becoming a talking point.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 9:21am

NY Daily News gives it 3 out of 5 stars, but is very Mixed.


http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/04/21/2010-04-21_green_days_american_idiot_more_like_a_breakneck_event_than_a_broadway_musical.html

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 10:03am

Stark Sands deserves a Tony nod for this. He really, really stood out for me. Which is saying a lot, because this cast is fantastic.

[newintown]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 10:04am

Not much of an accomplishment to be "the most talked-about new musical of the season." At least not in ,i>this season.

Congrats to all on some good notices. I still regret what appears to me to be the utter banality of this work.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 10:27am

Seeing the words "Gallagher Jr." invokes a vision of a small child with clown hair smashing oranges with a Playskool plastic hammer.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 10:35am

One other thing -- I think Tony Vincent is certainly Tony-nomination worthy.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/21/10 at 10:56am

Stage Grade tallied the reviews as a B.
Updated On: 4/21/10 at 10:56 AM