DC Theatre Scene: American Idiot

Keegan Theatre’s production is sharp, loud, and grimy—all in a good way. The set is a series of open windows which the cast and ensemble continually climb up and down and through; it also provides a broken backdrop for projections of the G.W. era’s media coverage, which ground the musical in a reality whose aftereffects reverberate today.

The cast of American Idiot at Keegan Theatre. (Photo: Cameron Whitman Photography)

The cast of American Idiot at Keegan Theatre. (Photo: Cameron Whitman Photography)

And the full cast looks like a heap of lost, late ‘90s miscreants—spiky or over-dyed hair and baggy pants with exaggerated eyeliner and dark brown lipsticks (oh, how it took me back to my good old days). The ensemble adds weight and power to an already pounding soundtrack with big, expressive dance movements.

… if you feel like a night out and want to see how one of the greatest rock albums of all times looks on stage with strobe lights, this is your ticket.

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