ROBIN'S SHOW RECOMMENDATION: AMERICAN IDIOT

(photo credit: Paul Kolnik)

AMERICAN IDIOT follows the exhilarating journey of a new generation of young Americans as they strive to find meaning in a post 9/11 world, borne along by Green Day’s electrifying score. The musical includes every song from the acclaimed album American Idiot, as well as several songs from the band’s GRAMMY® Award-winning new release, 21st Century Breakdown, such as “21 Guns.”

Called a “masterpiece” by TIME Magazine, Green Day won two GRAMMY® Awards for the groundbreaking rock opera American Idiot, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. Now Billie Joe Armstrong and the band collaborate with one of the theatre's most acclaimed creative teams, led by the Tony Award-winning director of Spring Awakening, Michael Mayer, two-time Tony Award-winning composer and orchestrator Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Steven Hoggett (Black Watch), to bring this explosive, iconic album to the stage.

Tony Award winner John Gallagher Jr. (Spring Awakening) stars in AMERICAN IDIOT alongside Tony Award Nominee Stark Sands (Journey’s End), Michael Esper (A Man For All Seasons), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Passing Strange), Christina Sajous (The Wild Party), Mary Faber (Avenue Q) and Tony Vincent (Jesus Christ Superstar). The cast also features Declan Bennett (RENT), Andrew Call (Cry-Baby), Gerard Canonico (Spring Awakening), Miguel Cervantes (…Spelling Bee), Joshua Henry (In The Heights), Van Hughes (Hairspray), Brian Charles Johnson (Spring Awakening), Joshua Kobak (RENT), Lorin Latarro (Movin’ Out), Omar Lopez-Cepero (North American tour of Evita), Leslie McDonel (Hairspray), Chase Peacock (High School Musical), Theo Stockman (Hair), Ben Thompson (Cyrano with Placido Domingo), Alysha Umphress (bare), Aspen Vincent (Dirty Dancing) and Libby Winters (White Noise).

The cast is amazing.  Young, sexy, raw and super talented.  You can't take your eyes off them.  They perform with abandon.

The show features scenic design by Tony-nominee Christine Jones (Spring Awakening), costume design by Baryshnikov fellow Andrea Lauer (The Butcher of Baraboo), lighting design by two time Tony-winner Kevin Adams (Hair), Sound design by Obie Award-winner Brian Ronan (Cabaret), as well as video design by Darrel Maloney. The Music Director is Carmel Dean and the Associate Choreographer is Lorin Latarro.

The set is inventive, riveting, pulsating, stimulating, you name it.  Electrical eye candy.

What the show lacks in character development and story line, it makes up for in energy.  From the moment it open with the title song, you are pulled in for the ride, and your attention is held closely for the 90 minutes of the production (no intermission).

AMERICAN IDIOT is produced on Broadway by Tom Hulce and Ira Pittelman, in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

The playing schedule is Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday through Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm & 7pm. Tickets range from $127.00 - $32.00 and can be purchased at The St. James Box Office beginning Monday, February 22, 2010 or via telecharge.com (212-239-6200).

Visit http://www.americanidiotonbroadway.com/