From mixed noises to scenery, the characters are revealed onstage, and viewers are awestruck with visions of grunge wear, metal-patched scenery, and flickering TVs. That is when a spiky-haired punk shouts, “Don’t want to be an American idiot!”
This shocking introduction, along with the rest of Green Day’s “American Idiot,” stomped into Kingsbury Hall this week with a punk temper tantrum like no other. To say the least, the production set the bar high and morals low for future showings at the performing arts center. Equipped with Green Day’s chartbuster album “American Idiot,” jerky choreography, and crude images, the musical creates a timeless depiction of a post-adolescent crisis.
The performance’s rebellious journey starts with three friends in the “recent past” trying to figure out what they are going to do with their lives in a screwed-up, post-9/11 America. Johnny, the lead, and his pal Tunny set off for the big city with guitars and attitude. Also, there’s Will, the friend they meant to bring along, who discovers his girlfriend is pregnant right before their planned departure. Lost and unprepared for such responsibilities, he sinks into the couch with a beer in one hand and a bong in the other as his buddies set off for “Holiday.”
Upon arriving in the big city, Johnny meets influential drug pusher St. Jimmy and the girl of his dreams, Whatsername. At the same time, Tunny is bombarded with war hero propaganda to the song “Favorite Son.” At the end of the track, he signs up for the army. As for Will, he lives life on his couch as well as vicariously through Johnny and the letters he sends. After scenes of relationship resentment, war hallucinations, and doped-up episodes, the three friends recognize they are still trapped in a “land of make believe that don’t believe in me.”
The interchangeable line between ecstasy and misery was grasped during an emotional performance of “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Johnny, Tunny, Will, and company. At this point, it is evident the characters’ deeper issues lie within themselves and their emotional struggles. Originally believing an unfulfilling America created their individual issues, the friends are forced to look within. This epiphany causes audience members to explore their own motivations in the song “Know Your Enemy.”
All in all, Green Day’s “American Idiot” had seemingly offensive scenes filled with drugs, sex, and an excessive amount of black eyeliner. Shock factor aside, it left attendees with a musical and emotional charge nonexistent in other Broadway productions. The beauty and sadness of young-adulthood struggles in a fractious time remains as the curtain rises one last time. In this moment, the characters share an acoustic set and food for thought in the tune “Time of Your Life.”