Last Show: Green Day's American Idiot

Missie and I saw our last show together yesterday, Green Day's American Idiot. I went knowing nothing about the show. I would not say I'm a huge Green Day fan, but I'm pretty familiar with their music.

Initially, Missie and I chose to forgo any kind of pre-show food and beverage, but when we arrived at the theater 45 minutes early, we opted for drinks and Otto Mosher's. We managed to talk through two cocktails each, for which I gladly paid. Then, off to the show.

To my bemusement, the audience for this show was immediately recognizable as different from the usual Saturday matinee theater crowd. There were many, many fewer senior citizens and much more casual dress! In fact, the only older folks I saw were "Red Coats," the ushers who always volunteer at Playhouse Square.

The performance was a single act without intermission. There was very little dialogue -- the show being almost entirely a string of Green Day songs (with a real band onstage throughout the performance), interpretive dance and songs being performed by actor/singer/musicians. TV screens flash in the background throughout the show and strobe lights flare with regularity.

The show tells the story of three young friends: Johnny, Will and Tunny who decide to leave suburbia and move to The City. Will's girlfriend becomes pregnant and he decides to stay behind. Tunny joins the military and ends up wounded and losing a leg. Johnny remains in The City and lapses into a drug abuse downward spiral. The three reunite at the end and take stock of where their lives took them.

This is not your grandfather's musical theater. Swearing, partial nudity, simulated sex -- all were demonstrated throughout the performance. I wondered if the Red Coats were scandalized. (There were an awful lot of handsome young men with 2% bodyfat running around in their underwear onstage.) I loved every moment of the show! When the curtain came down the first time, I could barely wait to get to my feet for a standing ovation. As an encore, the cast, all strumming acoustic guitars, performed the Green Day song "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" and received a second standing "O".

The entire cast was marvelous, but special recognition goes to Jared Nepute as Johnny, Dan Tracy as Tunny and Olivia Puckett as Whatsername. Their acting and singing chops were unparalleled in this performance. A member of the ensemble, Liam Fennecken also caught my eye as the only male member of the cast who wasn't in the slim-fit club. He performed brilliantly and made it look effortless. Bravo!

There are three shows I want to see in the next Broadway season: Newsies, Kinky Boots and Pippin. I will see them by myself, if necessary -- like I did Once.