American Idiot invited dress thoughts

So I just got back from the American Idiot invited dress, and keep in mind that I know very little about theater.

The best part of the show is the music. Billy Joe Armstrong is a super talented pop songwriter, a genius at writing hooks. I'm not a fan of modern musicals because I just don't enjoy the songwriting that happens on Broadway. (or lack therof). The set is also very cool, as is the choreography (which is more movement than dancing).

The band sounds great, most of the male singers sound great. Some of the female singers could benefit from doing some gigs with a rock band (they just sounded a little musical theater-y for my taste). The sound design needs more tweaking--the vocals are way high in the mix but aren't EQ'd well and I had a hard time understanding the lyrics at times.

The weakest part of the show is the "story". I think they did as good of a job creating a story out of an album that has more of a theme with characters than an actual story. At times it felt like more of a concert and other times it felt like an actual story. The subplot about the kid going to Iraq had the most attraction for me.

The most painful part was when an Iraqi woman in a burka magically descends from the rafters, only to strip down and grind with an American soldier ( if people actually paid attention to Broadway shows there would be a fatwa against this one).
The following flying sequence was actually kind of cool, but when she first floats down I had a hard time holding in my laughter.


All in all the show has a lot of energy and will do well, and people who don't know Green Day's music will leave singing the songs to themselves. Theater snobs will hate the abstract storyline.

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Yeah I should probably rephrase that thing about theater snobs:

I can see some theater snobs hating it.

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Loved the show !!!Was the flying seq suppose to be a dream?

yes. the flying sequence is a dream/fantasy/hallucination brought on by his morphine.

Oh good, we're reviewing dress rehearsals now.

You just stated my thoughts a lot nicer than I would have. LOL

Plus, it's a review of a dress rehearsal of a show which has already had a substantial out-of-town tryout. If it'd been completely new, that's a different story.

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Though I understand your point, Lizzie, as an actor, I still find it kinda gross to post negative comments about an invited dress.

You (general you) were invited for free to allow the actors to perform in front of a friendly crowd in a new theatre, with whatever changes are being implemented, etc.

I've been to a number of invited dress rehearsals. Some for shows that opened out of town already. Some of them went really smoothly. Others had some pretty glaring mishaps. I simply would never post about those mishaps or other negative thoughts I might have had about the show. My 'job', if you will, is simply to provide support to fellow actors so that they may find their legs before a paying audience. That's the job of the invited dress audience. If you feel you must say something, stick with the positive. Leave the negative for the paying audiences who were not invited guests.

And the only reason I opened this thread was to post my thoughts on the subject of 'reviewing' an invited dress.

I see nothing wrong in posting opinions about any performance that took place in front of an audience. The difference between an invited dress and a first preview is only one day. As long as the opinion is an honest one about what was seen, I think a lot of people are interested to hear it. To say that only compliments are permitted is to force a happy face on everyone and suppress any darker thoughts - never a healthy attitude.

And remember, in NY, most shows come in having already had a good production and a lot of rehearsal - they're ready to be evaluated by audiences at the final dress (if not reviewed by the press). Getting a free ticket doesn't mean you have to like it or keep your mouth shut.

So with American Idiot only running for 95 minutes, would this show have a interval?

I understand your feelings, Sonof, but I guess I just disagree. I think that whenever artists put their work in front of anyone, invited or not, paying or not, that work is up for evaluation, positive or negative. If it's ready to be looked at, it's ready to be discussed honestly. Otherwise, the discourse is of less value.

"that work is up for evaluation"

I know this seems really picky...but the work is not up for evaluation. That's why it's still called a 'rehearsal'. Evaluation starts the next night, with the first public performance.

And please realize I'm coming at this as someone who has done many, many, many invited dress rehearsals. You may think it's a very little thing, the difference between invited dress and first public, but, as a performer, I'm telling you it's not. It's a completely different mindset. You're looking for different things; working toward something entirely different. It's ineffible, really. But the two could not actually be any more different. At least to me. And to many, many actors I've worked with (some you know, some unknown like myself).

I do want to say that there seemed to be nothing egregious in the OP thoughts...but when someone voiced their concern about reviewing the invited dress, they were dismissed pretty handily. I just wanted to take the time as someone whose been in the sh*t to offer a different point of view.

I'm not saying 'don't talk'. I talk all the time about stuff I see in invited dress. But I would never write about it. I would never post anonymously about it. Generally, invited dress has a lot of people you trust to either be a good cheerleader, or give constructive criticism. There are generally few people I would take criticism from if they're not an actual part of the project. They're not privvy to what's occurred and been discussed in the rehearsal process.
But sometimes you get a helpful piece of advice.

Maybe it's just the way I was raised. I wouldn't go over to your house for a dinner party and then write online, 'Dantes can't cook for sh*t and his couch is more unsightly than Bette Davis post stroke.'* And I wouldn't write about your invited dress either.

*I recognize no one has been disrespectful re: American Idiot in this thread. I'm just expanding the conversation.

You think I can't start a blog called "Dantes' Dinner Party Sh*tshow'??? Don't you try me!

I agree with you on feedback. I guess I just don't view these boards as the place to go for it. But to each their own.

I'm also someone who, if a preview is discounted instead of full (crazy) price, I will give it much more leeway. There was a revival a few years ago that I really didn't like too much, but was so appreciative of the producers' choice to discount most of the preview period by half that I didn't feel right slamming it on the boards. It was like a recognition of the fact that previews are still a work-in-progress.

I also once found myself in a virtual screaming match with someone about MY FAIR LADY. Turns out, this person was 14 years old. I reprioritized shortly thereafter.