American Idiot - Page 2

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 7:09am

1. I had no issues with the show being too loud....and I'm particularly sensitive to noise. I usually have to block my ears the first few minutes at the movies! I didn't have lots of problems with hearing the lyrics....but I'm rather familiar with Green Day's work so that may have compensated.

2. Green Day PLAYS on the cd, they do not add any vocals. It doesn't matter because the recorded sounds soul-less and is NOT any indication of what is happening each night on the stage musically.

3. I do think Michael Mayer is drawn to the young adult/teen angst genre and there DEFINITELY are similarities between this and SA -- but do not agree that this is JUST like SA. I DO think that choosing to supplement the score with so little dialogue was a mistake. I had no problems following the story, but I think many do/will. Even given that -- it is too simplistic and we don't get to truly feel for any of the characters.

4. The actors energy and performance are well worth the price of a discount ticket -- they have to be the hardest working cast on a stage right now, and must be EXHAUSTED each night. I can't imagine how they get through a 5 show weekend!

5. I expect that I will re-visit this to see if I will connect any better to what they are TRYING to have happen. But I'm not quite sure.

[sorano916]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 9:46am

4. The actors energy and performance are well worth the price of a discount ticket -- they have to be the hardest working cast on a stage right now, and must be EXHAUSTED each night. I can't imagine how they get through a 5 show weekend!

I whole-heartedly agree with this. The cast is amazing in their performances and energy. And I just looked at their schedule. In June/July, it's madness with 15 consecutive shows from the 1st to the 12th, 8 shows after the Tonys, and then 16 consecutive shows after a Monday off.

[kidbroadway2]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 3:01pm

Could someone explain the similarities between this and SA? Besides the shooting up scene being similar to the sex scene in SA, I don't see many similarities.

[ElphabaRose]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 3:19pm

American Idiot is just like Mamma Mia.

They both have talented casts and plenty of energy, but have little else going for them. They bothe have plots that are so shoehorned around songs that it's painful and one dimensional characters. And to put it in perspective, Mamma Mia is the show with a stronger and more compelling storyline.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 3:27pm

But Mamma Mia knows & acknowledges that it's pure fluff.

[rorschach37]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 4:27pm

Both have very well-known names and fanbases. So far Idiot has much better reviews then Addams Family, and they've announced their tour no more than a month after opening. I think Addams'll be the first to go. Their numbers will improve greatly on the road, due to the worldwide fanbase. I have a feeling Idiot's going to be raking in the dough for awhile longer. It may pick up a Tony and if that Tony happens to be Best Musical, I'm sure it may get at least a 2 year run. Shows based on a popular media, with the exception of Disney (excluding Little Mermaid) and Mamma Mia usually close rather quickly.


Updated On: 5/8/10 at 04:27 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 4:29pm

I can see some similarities between the shooting up scene in American Idiot and the hayloft scene in Spring Awakening. However, I do think that has more to do with the style of Mayer as a director than anything else.

However, like I said earlier, it is stupid to say that this show is trying to be another show. I feel that by saying that it gives off the impression that the creative team is trying to copy others rather then do their own work. And, like I said earlier, it is very hard to find true 100 per cent originality in theatre these days.

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 9:39pm

Great responses and opinions. Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

[broadwayrocks2]

Posted: 5/9/10 at 9:13am

you are all American Idiots !!! ~Definitely not critics ~

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/9/10 at 9:40am

But we are allowed our opinions. Even if they don't match your opinion.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 5/9/10 at 4:41pm

I just got back from the show. They must've addressed the sound because it was by no means loud in a problematic sense. I had gotten familiar with the cast recording, so I knew some of the lyrics. My partner had never heard any of the songs and he and I both really enjoyed it. I agree about the book being very weak. HAIR has a fairly loose story line, but it is much more solid and easy to follow than this is. As I result, I cared much more about Claude Bukowski than I do about the Jesus of Suburbia. It's hard to get invested when only so much is revealed about the characters. Even still, I did find myself caring about the guy's drug problem and ....spoiler alert........many of the audience did too based on their applause when he poured out the contents of the baggie. I agree with those who have said that it's not trying to be anything other than it is. At the end, I had to wonder what the moral of the story was. That being said, I found it incredibly enjoyable and was thoroughly entertained for 90 minutes. From a visual standpoint, I thought it was spectacular. IMHO, it's certainly worth checking out...and I'm not a Green Day enthusiast. The little encore after the curtain was pretty cool too.

[BigsCanYouHereMe?]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 8:19pm

Saw show last night. Big Green Day fan so I was very excited to see the show. It was great. Not much of a book but the story was easy to follow. Tre' Cool in the audience last night. For those who do not know, that is Green Day's drummer.

The Who's Tommy is my favorite show so I am always looking for the next great rock musical. I remember seeing Green Day in '94 at the Garden around seeing Tommy for the first time. I never thought the two would share the same stage(St. James) someday.

[steven22]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 8:22pm

I saw the show on Friday and loved it. A very enjoyable 90 minutes.