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‘American Idiot’ is a rock concert disguised as a musical
You have to wonder why Filipinos should watch a musical called "American Idiot". Outside hardcore fans of Green Day—who would likely flock to see local theater group 9 Works Theatrical's production of the punk trio’s big Broadway hit—who else is this show for?
With a stellar cast, eye-popping visuals, and a pulsing, frenetic energy that matches, if not totally overpowers its mammoth stage , the answer is simple: it’s a musical for people who don’t generally like musicals.
First, the venue: an extraordinary stage in the middle of the Bonifacio High Street amphitheater built specifically for this production, and you can tell they spared no expense. All of 9 Works’ previous musicals, and it’s quite a notable list over the years, were staged inside proper indoor theaters. This time, they partnered with a huge corporation (Globe Telecom) eager to show off new technologies and capabilities that complement their main telecommunications business.
The result is nothing short of impressive. "American Idiot" achieves a scale that would have been difficult to capture in a traditional theater. The stage is so massive it could have dwarfed the cast. Thanks, however, to creative blocking and choreography, not to mention sets and installations that go up two or three storeys high, audience engagement is heightened rather than minimized. There’s so much going on in many of the dizzying, chaotic sequences that there’s almost no time to take a breather. In the context of a musical, which many non-fans almost always think of as staid and lifeless, that is definitely a good thing.
An amazing outdoor stage is all well and good, but the real highlight of this show, expectedly, is its cast. A rock musical needs bona fide rock stars and this one more than delivers. Chicosci’s Miggy Chavez and ex-Rivermaya vocalist Jason Fernandez both make their stage debuts in varying degrees of success. Although Chavez, who plays Will, is a bit uneven as an actor, sometimes seeming overwhelmed and disjointed, he more than makes up for it with a surprisingly strong set of vocal pipes.
Fernandez, meanwhile, is a revelation. The former lead vocalist of Rivermaya imbues his character, Johnny, with irreverence and disillusionment without losing his likability. He struggled a bit with his speaking lines, but insofar as meeting the challenge to carry the weight of the narrative as the main protagonist, I’d say he knocked it out of the park. It also helped that he channeled Billie Joe Armstrong in looks (the guyliner helped) as well as in sound (close your eyes during “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and it’s as if the Green Day frontman is right there in front of you).
There’s not much else to say about Basti Artadi, who plays the role of St. Jimmy, other than he should really consider doing more theater work. As the consummate rock star, perhaps the country’s best and most authentic example of the term, he lights up every scene he’s in and automatically captures the audience’s attention each time he pops up. Clearly he’s not letting a serious medical condition (a facial tumor which he talked about in a Facebook post) get in the way of delivering a terrific performance. If that’s not the most literal definition of a rock star, I don’t know what is.
The rest of the cast all pretty much work as a cohesive unit that elevates the production to much more than what the material allows. Special mention to Nel Gomez as Tunny, Yanah Laurel as Whatshername, and Norby David, who did more than double duty in multiple roles as part of the ensemble.
So what exactly is it all about? For an idea, go and listen to the album that inspired the musical. American Idiot, Armstrong has said, is a compendium of the band’s musings on the world after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. It includes songs that have become modern rock classics like “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” and the title track, “American Idiot.”
There is some sort of story about how three young men attempt to rebel against a restrictive society, but in truth, I think it’s much better to dispense with the search for meaning and depth and just enjoy the show for what it is: a dizzying, chaotic rock concert with songs delivered by a bunch of insanely talented individuals in a big, cool outdoor stage. — BM, GMA News
9 Works Theatrical's “American Idiot” is showing on the next two weekends (July 1 to 3 and July 8 to 10), at the Globe Iconic Store, Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater in Bonifacio Global City. Tickets at P2,000+.
Paul John Caña is a magazine writer and live music geek. He is also co-founder of libreto.org, an online collective of writers and artists. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.
