American Idiot

We got to see American Idiot at the Beck Center this past Sunday.  I had wanted to see the Green Day musical last year when it came through town, but our schedule just didn't allow it.   This production is the first regional production for Northeast Ohio.   It was really good!

It's not a musical like Mamma Mia where they take a bunch of songs and jam them into a story (nothing against Abba).  The musical is the driving force of the story.   There isn't a ton of dialog and the lyrics pretty much convey what is happening in the show.

It's the turn of the century, the middle of the George W. Bush presidencies.  Three young men yearn to leave their small town with their guitars to the big city.  The first is detained by an unexpected pregnancy.  The second makes it to the city, only to be lured by the attractions of the military,  The last finds love in the city, but ultimately falls into drugs and loses the girl.

The Beck Center did a great job on the minimalist set.   It makes me think of Rent or Stomp with all the scaffold for the actors to climb.   The colors used on the costumes were thoughtfully used.   Most characters are in muted red, white, and blue.   Important characters stand out in bolder shades.   You'll know them when you see them.

Definitely make time to see this show.   The music rocks and hearing it transformed into a chorus of voices is amazing!