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GDA Editorial - Review of the final performance of American Idiot


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"This is not a party, it's a celebration," Billie Joe yelled to a theater filled with Green Day and Broadway fans on Sunday April 24, 2011. Easter Sunday no less. The American Idiot musical had been running at the St. James theater in New York City for just over a year. At it's start there was skepticism about whether a punk rock musical had staying power - and amongst fans, skepticism about how Green Day's music could be turned into a stage production without becoming a giant cheese ball.

Walking around the St. James on closing night only highlighted the clash of cultures. Punk kids with pink, purple and bleached hair wearing an array of pins or clothes you could swear they'd been wearing the previous 5 days and every Green Day shirt out there - and celebrities, theater "folk", and people dressed nice enough to visit with the President of the United States (sorry other presidents, only ours gets the attention of the fashion savvy). I can't think of many bands right now who could possibly weave these two cultures together and create something each could equally enjoy.

This was my first time seeing Billie Joe play the part of St. Jimmy, the maniacal bad side in all of us wanting to get out and burn the world around him. I had seen the musical a year before, opening night, with the original cast which included Tony Vincent playing "St. Jimmy", John Gallagher Jr. as "Johnny", Michael Esper as"Will" and Stark Sands as "Tunny". The story revolves around three friends who plan to leave their hometown, but when the other two get sidetracked by life, Johnny ends up alone in the city with only his demons to entertain. St.Jimmy comes in, showing him the fun fast life of drugs and alcohol then proceeds to watch Johnny destroy himself. I think it's a solid interpretation of the music. There are added or adapted story lines, but all were done in a way that complimented what was already going on with the story Green Day created in American Idiot.

Full review

http://www.greendayauthority.com/news/2327/

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This is awesome. A great thing to read, especially for those who weren't able to see it.

Thanks for posting! :)

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Great reveiw. I liked this line: "the other just wants to have fun and really doesn't give a shit what happens." To me that describes Billie Joe irl too. He's doing what he wants. Making music that he likes and letting it go as far as possible.

Letting him play a role that is a part of his soul was just amazing to watch. I'm glad I got to see the musical a couple of times before I saw Billie's performance; I just couldn't take my eyes off of him even when he was in shadows. He truly amazed me in the role (although I loved Tony too).

I can't wait for the musical to tour. I hope I have the opportunity to see it many more times, no matter who's in the cast.

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Wow awesome work! Really descriptive and great for the people (like me) would couldn't go! Thanks!

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Really awesome review, especially for something written on a plane after only two hours of sleep :lol: I never got to see the musical, and this really gave me a good picture of what the show was like.

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Wow, i really enjoyed reading that! Thanks for writing and sharing Andres! :happy:

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Amazing job as always, Andres.

Though I'm thankful for seeing once, I really wish I could have gone to NY to see that last show...

And I really wanted to give burritos to random "chubby Mexicans in a black sweater with a faux-hawk"

Maybe next time.

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The review was just remarkable. I'm glad you all had the time of your life!! It sounded amazing and you definitely described everything so well! Thanks for sharing this with us! :happy:

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Awesome review Andres. I couldn't wait for it to be posted! :)

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I really enjoyed reading this :)

Thanks for posting for all of us that don't get to see the musical.

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Ok, yes, I'm late, but I just got a chance to read your review, and it was totally worth the wait! Thanks so much for writing all that out and expressing things so wonderfully. :wub: I really enjoyed reading your experience, and I agree with so much of what you said.

About the lipstick thing not sure if anyone mentioned it yet, but I had never seen him scribble like that before. He usually would draw the heart the same as 'Johnny' - he just went a little overboard the last time, lol.

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thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i really like it good work well done :D

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