American Idiot feels like the love child of Spring Awakening and Movin’ Out. Similarly to Movin’ Out, the show is a loosely structured virtually dialogue-free evening based on the works of a single artist, and like Movin’ Out, the lack of dialogue makes the storyline very simple, with some of the songs feeling shoehorned into the throughline. (The spoken word in “American Idiot” is almost all just a sentence or two here and there in monologue-format.) And with the director, set designer, lighting designer, and sound designer of “Spring Awakening” on board, the show contains a lot of the sensibility of that earlier show, but flashier and “bigger.”
I think the lack of dialogue really hampers the complexity of the characterization, although the cast is excellent and does a great job. Although the show has touching moments, the lack of fully developed characterization and storyline made it difficult to be become completely emotionally engaged in the plot and characters.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Tony voting. Having seen The Addams Family and American Idiot very close together, it is inevitable that I am comparing the shows. I enjoyed them both, although I think I enjoyed The Addams Family a little bit more. But The Addams Family is a very flawed version of a musical that could be (should be) much, much better than it is, while this production of American Idiot is probably the best version of a dialogue-free Green Day musical we’re going to get. It is hard to say which scenario is more award-worthy.
Fair warning: American Idiot is almost at Passing Strange volume levels, so if you have sensitive ears, be careful. And if you are sitting in the side orchestra on the inside aisle around rows C - F, there is a blinding light right in front of you at the bottom of the back wall (which means you are staring right at it when you look at the stage and it is angled directly at you) that goes off probably 10 times in the first number (and many more times throughout the show). My eyes literally started hurting from the light, and I had to stop watching the show at one point. Michael Mayer and the rest of the creative team were sitting very close by, so I’m hoping that they know, and I’m hoping the angle on that light gets moved just a tad. (I feel like an “American Idiot” for not having mentioned it to them!)
I was also pleasantly surprised that the audience was very well behaved. Quiet moments really were quiet, and no one within earshot was singing along. The rest of the show was so loud, though, that it helped to cover up any talking/rustling/etc.
For those who are interested, the stage door is very chaotic and really a mess. Hopefully, after Green Day stop coming to the show (they were there again tonight), the stage door will quiet down and it will actually be possible to get signatures.
"What was the name of that cheese that I like?"
"you can't run away forever...but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start"
"well I hope and I pray, that maybe someday, you'll walk in the room with my heart"
