Are you wondering if you should go and see American Idiot The Musical? If you were an emo teenager in 2004, then Green Day’s American Idiot was probably one of the most played on your mp3 player. Personally, I had just got into rock music (Muse, Evanescence and Placebo were my favourites at the time). I hadn’t listened to Green Day properly until American Idiot came out. the album immediately became a favourite, even though I didn’t really understand the politics of the album. I even had a copy that I carried around with my portable cd player when I went on holiday.
American Idiot The Musical
In 2010, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day helped to bring American Idiot to the stage. Fifteen years after the album was first released, American Idiot is still one of the most loved albums from the early naughties. The stage show, American Idiot The Musical is also celebrating its 10th anniversary and is currently touring the UK. Starring X Factor’s Luke Friend, Waterloo Road’s Tom Milner and introducing Sam Lavery, this fast-paced pop-punk filled musical is one that you definitely don’t want to miss.
With a live band playing in the background, the story focuses on two main characters, Johnny and Tunny. We follow them as they leave town in search of a better life, leaving their friend Will behind. We get to see the highs and lows as Johnny and Tunny try to make it in the big city. However, we also see what is going on with Will whose life has also been turned upside down. The soundtrack to the musical is of course, the entirety of American Idiot. The music is performed live by the band with vocals coming from the cast.
Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
I went along to the matinee performance at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. Just a couple of minutes walk from Birmingham’s main train station, New Street, Alexandra Theatre is the ideal place to see a show in the city centre. Our performance started at 4pm and had finished by 6pm. Meaning we had plenty of time afterwards to grab a drink and something to eat in the city centre.
I really enjoyed the performance. As a fan of the American Idiot album anyway, I had no doubt that I would have a good time. It felt more like a concert than a musical and the atmosphere in the theatre was fantastic. There were a lot of Green Day fans in the audience wearing the band tshirts.
