American Idiot is the musical adaptation of the Green Day’s award winning album of the same title. It opened here in the Philippines last June 24th at the BGC Amphitheater, as Globe Live’s initial offering, in partnership with 9 Works Theatrical.
American Idiot tells of the struggles of young people, of three young men in particular, in trying to break out from societal norms. It tells of their adventures and misadventures, of their little triumphs and failures, of them getting lost and finally finding their way back. The plot was not out of the ordinary, but render it with Green Day’s songs and stage it in a vibrant set and you’re creating one helluva rockin’ musical!
It is the first time that American Idiot is staging here in the Philippines and from what I’ve witnessed, the Filipino talent indeed delivered! The cast was quite interesting, as they all came from different backgrounds. Most are regulars already in the theater world, but interestingly, the lead characters are newcomers, crossing over from the rock band scene. I got really excited about Miggy Chavez and Jason Hernandez playing two of the leads in this musical. It’s refreshing to see them in a different light, from being rock icons, to stage actors and they’re really feeling it. And Basti Artadi, need I say more? He still got that iconic voice and he’s definitely a live wire on stage. It was an explosive fusion of rock and Broadway.
The stage production also deserves a hat’s off. The set design and musical staging was such a dynamic spectacle. I loved how the performers moved around the stage and around the set. The lighting was vibrant and on point. The LED display, flashing supplemental scenes in the background was also a great addition to the set. The sound quality was superb, considering that it was staged in an open-air venue. A lot of external factors could intercept the output of the sound and it’s also double work for the actors as they had to compete with the noise around.
I’m not a big fan of Green Day, but their songs definitely gave this musical its much needed ‘feels,’ angst and spunk. People were stomping their feet, tapping their lap and singing along during every act. It got a standing ovation from the crowd that night and people just can’t seem to get enough as we kept on clamoring for more towards the end of the show. It was such a joy to watch. It was fun, youthful, endearing, electrifying and all in all, awesome!
American Idiot The Musical runs every weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from June 24 to July 10 at the BGC Amphitheater (right below the Globe Iconic Store). Tickets are available at Ticketworld