Green Day Musical American Idiot Will Rock the St. James Theatre Beginning March 24
After an acclaimed world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the new musical American Idiot will officially rock Broadway. Directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer and featuring music by multi-Grammy Award winning punk trio Green Day, as well as book and lyrics by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and Mayer, the new rock tuner takes the St. James Theatre beginning March 24. Opening night is set for April 20. Complete casting will be announced shortly.
Based on the Grammy Award winning album of the same name, 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. The production features Green Day songs from their American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown studio releases. The show ended its twice-extended run at Berkeley's Roda Theatre on November 15, 2009.
Green Day is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool. Following their mainstream breakout in 1994 with the Grammy-winning Dookie, the band has consistantly topped the charts with studio albums including Insomniac, Nimrod and Warning. Green Day's landmark 2004 release of a more mature concept album, titled American Idiot, helped move the group from pop-punk notoriety to the next level musical stardom, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and spawning 5 hit singles before winning two Grammy Awards. Their newest release, 21st Century Breakdown, was nominated for the 2010 Best Rock Album Grammy Award.
Director Mayer received the 2007 Tony Award for his direction of Tony Award-winning Best Musical Spring Awakening. His other Broadway credits include Side Man, Thoroughly Modern Millie, A View From The Bridge, After the Fall, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Triumph of Love.
The show features choreography by Steven Hoggett (Black Watch), orchestrations by Tony-winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), scenic design by Tony-nominee Christine Jones (Spring Awakening), costume design by Andrea Lauer (The Butcher of Baraboo), lighting design by two-time Tony-winner Kevin Adams (Hair), sound design by Brian Ronan (Cabaret) and video design by Darrel Maloney.
American Idiot will be produced by Tom Hulce and Ira Pittleman in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
