MD Theatre Guide: American Idiot

AmericanIdiot-151-460x306Keegan Theatre’s hurricane of a production, directed by Susan and Mark Rhea, with musical direction by Jake Null, is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Just like the album, it is at times percussive and violent, and at other times profoundly human and raw. The production is also a word that I never thought I’d apply to Green Day: gorgeous. There were gorgeous performances from the entire cast.

… Choreographed by Rachel Leigh Dolan and Alison Crosby, the show is percussive and physical. Through her design, the ensemble is equally as believable as a group of small town teens and as business drones. It is also effortless and melodious at times, as in “Wake me Up When September Ends.”

… AMERICAN IDIOT is a work of art in the capable hands of master artists. In their note to the audience, Directors Susan  and Mark Rhea describe American Idiot as “a love letter to a musical movement… a defiant cry for understanding on behalf of the generation who came of age in the post 911 world.” I think that there is a truly unifying human need for understanding, and this production provides a space for it for those who feel like they are “living in a world of make believe that don’t believe in me.”