'American Idiot' April 2010 St James Theatre, New York

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 11:39am

Anyone interested?

[Princeton2]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 12:22pm

VERY!!

This is my type of music! I actually dont listen to musical theatre stuff all that often, normally once and then thats it. This will be interesting!

[Princeton2]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 12:22pm

VERY!!

This is my type of music! I actually dont listen to musical theatre stuff all that often, normally once and then thats it. This will be interesting!

[Mark_E]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 12:34pm

YESSS!!!

Think it will really be great, i didn't realise how many songs from the album I used to listen too!

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 1:06pm

Seems like a new and interesting piece is headed for Broadway.
Looking forward to seeing this one on my next visit.
Just had message from BA that i can have a seat on the last flight tonight. Quiet nice having 2 extra nights here, so cold but relaxing. NOT looking forward to the cold back in Europe tho!!!

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 2:05pm

Ive got a GREAT dvd copy of this
The staging is brilliant, as is the music, lighting, cast, effects etc. The one MAJOR thing the show is missing is a book, it simply does not have one. The story could be summed up in 2 lines. the charachters are -1 dimensional, and where as Hair (which comes to mind when watching AI) offers the angst as well as hope AI just offerst the angst, a lot of it. The show has nothing to say AT ALL.

If they can sort out the book (a lot of work) they will have one of the best new musicals in years. As it stands they have a good show with no story

[winston89]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 2:23pm

Dantes, I disagree. Now, I know that the Broadway production of Tommy had spoken dialouge written in by both Townswhend and Macanuff. However, I don't think that the little spoken bits were needed to follow the story. I think that one would have been able to follow the story if it was just song after song.

I feel the same way with this show, there is a story within the muisc. And, I feel that it doesn't need much of a book because the music explains a lot.

[exedore]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 3:22pm

Tommy had about a dozen spoken lines.

Looking EXTREMELY forward to AI - Having that and Next to Normal in New York at the same time is almost enough to make me want to visit family in the US.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 5:35pm

The point that I was trying to make with Tommy was that there wad a good chunk of spoken lines added to the theatrical version of the show. prior to all that being there, the story was told via song after song.

Hell, there is even a couple of monologues thrown in. One in the overture done by the revrand, and one done by Uncle Ernie right after I'm Free, and before Miracle Cure.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 6:33pm

Really excited about this. It is now very high up my list of shows to see when I'm in New York in March (should catch early previews).

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/8/10 at 9:19pm

Winston have you seen the show?

[winston89]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 1:55am

Not legally but yes. I have seen it and had no trouble at all following the story.

[exedore]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 7:01am

I really don't think it's fair (or accurate) to compare AI to Tommy - it's MUCH closer to Quadrophenia in terms of its focus on emotion and characterisation than Tommy's fairly linear - if not bizarre - story. There are a lot of gaps for the audience to fill in, and while the story can be enjoyed without filling in the gaps, those expecting to be spoon-fed will be disappointed, as witnessed by the stage Quad.

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 9:43am

Winston its not so much about following the story its about the fact there is no story
Its obviously suposed to be a show about youth and finding yourself, going on a journey and coming out the other side. The guys dont, the simply leave do a few drugs, join the army and go home. They have not learned anything and nothing has changed or looks like it ever will. You don't get to the guys at all (they have to be the most 1 dimensional people ever) so you can't feel anything for them.

Don't get me wrong i really enjoyed the show, the music,cast, energy etc is all great and the production is stunning. They just need to listen to all the out of town critics and rework the book

[winston89]

Posted: 1/9/10 at 4:52pm

exedore, actually I would go with the music critics and say that Quadrophina is more in tune with 21st Century Breakdown then American Idiot since Breakdown has more to with focusing on the current generation of American youths who have grown up during the time of 9/11 and the time of terrorism. In general the struggle that youths have today. Quad was also about the same thing just dealing with different groups. Furthermore, I wasn't comparing American Idiot to Tommy in terms of style, I am comparing it to American Idiot due to the fact that they were both rock operas that started out as albums and then went to the stage.

Dentes, I think that people are upset abiout the book or lack of one, depending on how you want to look at it because they feel like although the format that it is currently in is one that can carry and tell a story, it isn't doing so for their liking.

[exedore]

Posted: 1/10/10 at 4:28am

@Dantes I think you may not be getting it. The more I listen to and "watch" the show, the more I think that the characters' failure to advance is the point: each tries a different way (go to the city, join the army, start a family) and each one, through fate or their own actions, screws it up. They don't advance but perhaps they end up wiser. It's not the most fulfilling thing to see or the most satisfying, but it's certainly realistic.

@Winston Thematically maybe, though Quadrophenia is really about growing up and coming to terms with adulthood. Structurally, it's a rather abstract album, as are both AI and 21CB. Green Day are huge Who fans (as witnessed by the cover of My Generation on Kerplunk and A Quick One on the 21CB iTunes edition). There hasn't been enough time to really tell, but Quadrophenia is extremely universal in its story, written 10 years after the period in question and it holds up brilliantly now - modern teens can just as easily relate to it.

FWIW, I like all three albums.