BWW Preview: AMERICAN IDIOT at Circle Players

I believe that every theatre lover has at least one show that touches them in such a deep and profound way, that they will never be the same again. Some people have multiple shows like this. Some have only one. If you say you haven't ever had that experience, I say that you just haven't found your show yet. You will someday. I hope.

Before I discovered AMERICAN IDIOT, I thought that Rent-heads were slightly....out of their heads. Not that I didn't love RENT; because I did. But I couldn't wrap my head around sleeping on sidewalks for rush tickets and seeing a show so many times. When I walked into the St. James Theatre in New York in May of 2010, I wasn't super excited to see this show. I was going because my friend wanted to see it and because she adored Green Day. Little did I know that the next 3 years of my life would be wrapped up in Idiot.

I went on to take 3 more trips to New York with my friend, seeing AMERICAN IDIOT five more times on Broadway. We then saw the show additional times on both the first and second national tours. Each time was different, each performance was a new and individual experience. I understood why people saw RENT multiple times because I wanted to see AMERICAN IDIOT as many times as possible. Something about seeing that show made me feel like myself and my entire generation were having our lives displayed on stage for the world to see. Something about AMERICAN IDIOT made me feel like someone understood.

When you love theatre as much as I do, finding out the show that tops your list is getting produced in your town brings insane amounts of excitement. Circle Players has taken on the task of being a regional premier of AMERICAN IDIOT. Right here in Nashville, the disenchanted youth of Jingletown are coming to the stage.

I was blessed enough to get a chance to converse with the director of Circle Players' production of AMERICAN IDIOT, as well as a couple of the cast members. First up is my chat with director Bradley Moore. I wanted to get an idea of why and how Moore approached the upcoming production of the show.

BWW Nashville: What was your first introduction to AMERICAN IDIOT?

Bradley Moore: When it made its debut on Broadway in 2010, I started listening to the cast recording and instantly became obsessed.

BWW Nashville: Did you see the Broadway or touring productions of the show? If so, what did you take from those when choosing the direction of this production?

Bradley Moore: Unfortunately, I was never lucky enough to see Idiot on Broadway, but I did see the tour when it came through Nashville. As a director, I never try to recreate anything that I have seen in a production, but the general energy of the show was something I always remembered. Idiot is hard because of the "operetta" nature of the show. Some things have to be a certain way in order to convey the story, but it also leaves a lot up for interpretation.

BWW Nashville: What made you so interested in directing AMERICAN IDIOT?

Bradley Moore: Because it is insanely awesome! The music is infectious, the show is a bullet out of a gun! It is a jacked-up love story for a new generation. I had to get my hands on it.

BWW Nashville: Without a solid book, how did you decide to get the stories of the characters across in the show?

Bradley Moore: This was definitely tough. The written word in the show covers only about 9 pages so a lot had to be conveyed through blocking and choreography. It was very important to me that the story lines of the characters were clear and something that the audience would understand. I focused very hard to develop these "stories" with the actors. It was always something in the front of my mind.

BWW Nashville: What has been your favorite part about directing this production of AMERICAN IDIOT?

Bradley Moore: The cast & crew. I have been around the block having acted in and/or directed about 130 shows in my life and this has been my absolute favorite. Most people think that directors say that about whatever the current show is that they are working on, but I really mean it. This group of 17 performers has changed my life. Their dedication and commitment and consistent pushing of themselves has been insane. I really lucked out when they walked into auditions 2 months ago. I seriously fell in love. We have all been in this together from the very beginning. I think they all know we have something very special on our hands. And to have Shauna Smartt Hopkins, one of the most brilliant choreographers, by my side, Steve Mogck shaping all the music, and LaTonya Turner producing her butt off, it has been a dream! Circle Players has fully supported my vision and made my maiden voyage with them one of the best theatrical experiences of my life.

BWW Nashville: What has been your greatest challenge while directing this production?

Bradley Moore: We have pushed a lot of boundaries with this show. The set is big and tall and people are doing a lot of acrobatic things 20 to 30 feet in the air, hanging off of railings and scaffolding. Keeping everyone safe has been a big concern of mine. Exploring those blocking options was challenging, but totally exhilarating!

AMERICAN IDIOT plays at Tennessee State University Performing Arts Center August 20th - August 30th. You can purchase tickets by visiting Circle Players' website. And for more inside scoop on the production and the cast, check back Thursday for another preview piece, including more from director Bradley Moore as well as cast members Julia Nettles and Shaun Kopischke.