American Idiot

Fifteen years ago, when superpower band Green Day decided to produce a rock opera paying homage to The Who, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, who is credited for writing 98 percent of the Green Day’s most celebrated music, created the dynamically screwed up anti-hero Jesus of Suburbia. When the effort catapulted into the band’s 2004 album AMERICAN IDIOT, it was a worldwide success and won the Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2005. In 2009, Armstrong collaborated with Green Day fan and Broadway director Michael Mayer (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, Tony winner for SPRING AWAKENING) to turn the band’s TOMMY-like concept into a stage musical. First mounted at Berkeley Rep, the theatrical version of AMERICAN IDIOT went on to New York, rocking out the v... full review

Follow the link (“original article”) for my Exit Review of AMERICAN IDIOT, which runs through the month of July and is part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2015. Exit Reviews is a new series of ‘vlogs’ or video reviews presented by ArtsBeatLA.com.... full review

Green Day’s American Idiot was in and of itself a highly successful album. Green Day’s American Idiot the Rock Opera draws on the fans and does not disappoint. The story has a strong arc. Three Friends go off on individual journeys of self-discovery, descend into their private hells, and come out the other side. The Doma Theatre gives us another fine production from an energetic cast. Playing as it is during the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Green Day’s American idiot is a great example of a fringe production that made it big. Of course, it all starts with very fine music but the presentation can either add to the production or detract. In this case the dialogue between the songs was delivered with color and energy and definitely added to... full review