So for the past week I've been on vacation. Went to Boston, Manchester New York, and Cape Cod.
Boston and Cape Cod we just toured the city and went to the beaches, but New York was probably the best part. My boyfriend and I were just planning to stay in Boston, but we were so freaken close to the musical, I just had to beg him to go with me. So at 5 am we took a cab to the train station, then took the train to the bus station, then got to ride on a bus for four hours to New York... I think it was worth it. Didn't get back until 5 am the next morning though.
The musical, all together, I thought was cool, because I absolutely love Green Days music, but I felt they could’ve done a better job. I didn't like the choreography or most of the acting, but I loved the songs. I feel they could’ve chosen a better St. Jimmy, because he just seemed like a whiney dweeb to me. When I picture Green Day's St. Jimmy, I picture a devious, evil looking punk, but that's just my opinion. Also I wished they chose a different JOS, because his acting wasn't the best. For the most part I thought his character was cheesy and annoying when he spoke, but again that's just my opinion.
The songs were the best part, I think, so I thought it was better that they did less talking and more singing. I liked how they mixed a few of the songs from their 21 Century Breakdown album as well. Most of them they just used a AI song and then combined it with a 21CB song. Like She's a Rebel and Last of the American Girls, were mixed together and I thought it sounded awesome. Also they started singing the beginning of Before the Lobotomy and then stuck it with Extraordinary girl and finished it with Before the Lobotomy. They also threw in 21 Guns and Do You know the Enemy, which was cool how they interpreted it. It was a part in the musical were JOS is too cracked out and he starts yelling at Whatshername. She starts singing 21 Guns while he's passed out and then I think they start singing Do You Know the Enemy and St. Jimmy comes along. Jimmy ends up taking him away from her if I remember it right, and that’s the separation of their love.
Other songs that they added were Too Much Too Soon, which was about Johnny’s (JOS) friend Will and his girlfriend, which I thought was done nicely. Favorite son was added in as well, which was sung by an Army recruiter and 5 ladies in sequent dresses. It looked so random when they started singing it, but it made sense in the end because Tunny came out and that was when the recruiter got him to join the Army. All together that song was sung nicely. One song they added in, that I didn’t like too much was Tell Me When it’s Time To Say I Love You. I like the song and it sounds nice when Billie sings it, but they fucked it up. When JOS started strumming, he played the music to Wake Me Up When September Ends, and then started singing Tell Me When it’s Time. It didn’t fit together at all and I didn’t know why he didn’t use the actual tabs to the song. Another song that is my favorite is Homecoming, but I didn’t like how they did that song either. I’m only disapproving because they fucked up Mike and Tre’s part in the song. Will sang Mike’s part, which is one of my favorite parts in the song, but he sang it really high and sounded like shit. In Tre’s part, they had a guy come out and start singing it, but it was played out awkwardly when he sings “I bang the shit out of the drums”, he runs over to the drums and does a solo, and then stops and says “And I can play the guitar” and then runs over to a guitar and does a solo. It was weird to have the song paused while he did that, because Tre’s part is fast and continuous.
My absolute favorite part though was when it ended and they came out to bow. The curtains closed and when they came up again, the whole cast had an acoustic guitar and they each sang a portion of Good Riddance. It was pretty cool seeing 20 people play it together and I of course love that song as well, so I loved them singing it.
All together I had an awesome time, but was just a little disappointed. Everything I just said is just my opinion and I’m sure if you see it, yours will be different as well. I’m just a big fan of Green Days music and I didn’t like how a lot of the songs were portrayed. I could go on about how the show, but I don’t want to ruin it.
American Idiot Musical is definitely worth seeing if you’re a Green Day fan. I had an awesome time even if it sounds like I didn’t. If I had the option, I’d see it again.
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