music by green day
lyrics by billie joe armstrong
book by billie joe armstrong and
michael mayer
choreographed by steven hoggett
directed by michael mayer
limited season | roda theatre
september 4–november 15, 2009
world premiere
Extended through November 15
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
the play
Green Day won two Grammys for its multi-platinum album American Idiot, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. Now those searing songs seize the stage with the director behind Spring Awakening, the groundbreaking musical that earned eight Tony Awards and enthralled audiences around the world. American Idiot follows working-class characters from the suburbs to the city to the Middle East, as they seek redemption in a world filled with frustration. This high-octane show features every track from the album, plus several new tunes from Green Day’s newest release, 21st Century Breakdown. With an on-stage band and a cast of 19, American Idiot will take you on an exhilarating journey borne along by Green Day’s electrifying songs.
the players
Please note
This is not a Green Day concert—this is the stage version of American Idiot developed by Green Day and Michael Mayer. Although the band will not appear on stage, the show will definitely rock.
For this event, no more than 10 tickets may be purchased per household. Additional orders exceeding this limit will be void, except for group tickets.
Admittance is only guaranteed with tickets purchased through Berkeley Rep. Tickets purchased through brokers or other third party sales could be fraudulent.
Green Day—vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool—were loud, snotty, scrappy kids from working-class backgrounds who came of age in the underground punk scene in Berkeley. American Idiot debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and raised the bar for modern rock ‘n’ roll. Visit the band’s website.
Michael Mayer earned the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Spring Awakening. He has directed 11 shows on Broadway, three on London’s West End, two films and many other projects. In 2004, The New Yorker proclaimed him “a great director.”
discover green day
green day says…
“We are really excited to be working with Michael Mayer on this project. We’d been thinking of bringing American Idiot to the stage, but knew we needed to find the right partners. After meeting with Michael to discuss the possibility, he invited us to see Spring Awakening. We were so impressed with that production, as well as his vision for American Idiot, that we knew we’d found the perfect collaborator. Plus, doing it in our hometown at Berkeley Rep was an obvious bonus. They’re an amazing theatre group, very adventurous, and their willingness to take chances is in keeping with the spirit of the album. The end result will be terrific, and we’re really proud.”—Billie Joe Armstrong, frontman for Green Day
“Yes, the American Idiot play. It’s opening off-off-off-off-Broadway in Berkeley, California. We’re keeping it close to home, so we can change things and make little tweaks. But what we’ve seen so far, it’s mindblowing. The cast is incredible.”—Tré Cool, drummer for Green Day, quoted in the Edmonton Sun
the buzz
“American Idiot is that rare creature, a true rock opera…directed with polish and precision by Michael Mayer, on a spectacular set by Christine Jones…Green Day’s potent gift for irresistible tunes delivers the emotional contours of the story…their lushly melodic music is played with impressive raw power…American Idiot possesses a stimulating energy and a vision of wasted youth that holds us in its grip.”—New York Times
“Wildly entertaining…The music of Green Day practically blasts the lid off Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre. The cast and creative crew match the pulsating wall of sound for sheer energy and pump it up with Broadway-quality pipes, stage-rattling, thrashing choreography, flying bodies and walls crammed with pulsating video and projected images. Never has the Roda appeared more expansive yet bursting with images and action…The rock opera that opened Wednesday, in a world premiere with Broadway aspirations written all over it, packs plenty of excitement and entertainment into a remarkably theatrical rock concert…The lyrics are crystal clear as well. Every poetic twist and angry pun of Armstrong’s words comes through.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Rock on! The much-anticipated Green Day musical delivers big-time…A collaboration between veteran Broadway director Michael Mayer and Billie Joe Armstrong, the Berkeley-bred punk trio’s frontman, the amped-up rock opera is now in its explosive world premiere…Intensely directed from start to finish, the relentless adrenaline rush of the piece makes its rare moments of quiet hit home that much harder…On the heels of Passing Strange, the last alternative-rock musical Berkeley Rep sent to Broadway, this production marks the troupe’s emergence as a major player in the development of hip, new musicals that harness the effervescence of pop culture.”—Bay Area News Group
“The cast, led by Tony-winner John Gallagher Jr., is phenomenal and the physicality they bring to the show and Steven Hoggett’s punk-esque choreography deserves a lot of praise. The sets, lighting, video and projection design are all amazing, creating a huge, urban jungle gym of concrete platforms, flat-screen TVs, and ad-plastered walls that keep every scene visually alive…This show is a sure-fire crowd pleaser—last night’s audience leapt to its feet twice.”—SFist.com
The San Francisco Examiner says American Idiot is “opening the world of theater to people who’ve not experienced its power before.”—San Francisco Examiner
Plus, check out all the features…
The New York Times reports, “That American Idiot would be developed in Berkeley isn’t surprising. Green Day cut its teeth in the 1980s playing gigs not far from Berkeley Rep, and since then the theater has become a popular spot for potential Broadway productions, including last year’s Passing Strange.
“Minutes before the official opening of Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s staged rendition of American Idiot, the members of Green Day were their usual affable selves,” begins the Rolling Stone feature.
“Michael Mayer was smitten with the pop-punk band’s album and openly wondered why it wasn’t being staged. Good thing he was serious,” begins the cover story in the LA Times Fall Arts Preview.
“Musical theatre gets punk’d by American Idiot, reports the San Jose Mercury News.
“Picture a Broadway musical premiere with a punk slant,” begins ABC TV News’ feature story.
About the album
“A masterpiece…A significant part of American Idiot’s charm is that for an album that bemoans the state of the union, it is irresistibly buoyant. Listen closely, and you will hear a story about Jesus of Suburbia, his dangerous friend St. Jimmy and a heroic girl called Whatsername, who are struggling to express their individuality in a mass-media culture. Listen less closely, and you will still nod your head a lot and remember most of the melodies, which veer from surf rock to Motown to Broadway to thrash, usually within the same mad dash of a song.”—Time
“The ambitious American Idiot joins an elite list of albums, such as The Who’s Tommy, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band, that successfully weave a narrative through music.”—Amp
“It is a fearless and politically astute rock album, a richly melodic song suite that gives voice to the disenfranchised suburban underclass of Americans.”—Rolling Stone
“What most fans—Democrats, Republicans, and anarchists alike—seem to be connecting with is the irresistible passion, intensity, and hookiness of the music…And Idiot’s brash sound has done more than just connect with the public. It’s also struck a decisive blow for rock music—make that loud, butt-kickin’ rock music, the kind that shakes your nerves and rattles your brain.”—Entertainment Weekly
more from the artists
“When I first heard American Idiot I was struck by its innate theatricality. Here was a new musical drama begging to be staged. Who would have thought that one of the most brutally honest, eloquent, passionate, funny and poetic theatrical responses to the post 9-11 world would be a Green Day record? The connection I felt to American Idiot surprised me. I knew and liked Green Day, but had no clue that I would ever feel so inside their songs. This work of passion and vision and fierce intelligence seemed to me like the heartbeat of a generation of Americans who were fed up. I hear in these amazing songs the articulation of their frustration, anger, longing for a better world—a journey from apathy to action. Collaborating with Billie Joe and the band is a mind-blowing thrill, and I can’t wait to begin production at Berkeley Rep, the perfect home for making a new kind of musical event.”—Michael Mayer, Tony Award-winning director
“Green Day is a band that we’ve long admired here in Berkeley and championed as one of our own. American Idiot is an iconic album, and having the opportunity to bring it to the stage is a bit of a dream come true. To preserve the original intention of the album while creating a stage-worthy experience is a challenge that we relish, and bringing a director with the skill and experience of Michael Mayer into our theatre makes it that much sweeter.”—Artistic Director Tony Taccone
multimedia
Watch the high-octane production trailer
writing on the wall
Before and after performances of American Idiot, you’ll find a crowd of people in the lobby writing on the wall. Not to worry, they’re all scribbling on the graffiti wall specifically designed to showcase their thoughts, emotions and messages. We urge you to arrive early to add your voice. Then hang out in the courtyard and get “stupid” with one of our American Idiot-inspired specialty drinks.
from the blog
“21 Guns” live on the Grammys
Watch Green Day and the Broadway cast of American Idiot rock the Grammys in an unforgettable live performance.
American Idiot cast recording
Listen to the American Idiot cast singing “21 Guns” with Green Day, recorded in Oakland just days after the show closed.
A toast to the opening
Artistic Director Tony Taccone makes a passionate toast in honor of American Idiot.
The Idiot fan wall
Read the writing on the wall, literally, as fans tag our lobby graffiti wall.
Backstage peek at American Idiot
The sound equipment alone looks ready for a NASA launch.
more buzz
American Idiot wins two Tony Awards!
Keep up with the latest on Green Day’s American Idiot on Broadway
The San Francisco Chronicle covers the creation of American Idiot
Read the SF Bay Guardian’s cover story on American Idiot
San Jose Mercury News calls American Idiot “hottest fall theatre ticket”
lead sponsor
sponsor
in-kind sponsors
Bistro Liaison / Club One / Darling Flower Shop / GHS Strings / Hotel Shattuck Plaza / Peet’s Coffee and Tea / Pyramid Breweries / Raymond Vineyards / Semifreddi’s / TCHO / Tomatina
season sponsors
Press Photos
