2010 Tony Nominations
May 4, 2010 by Lance Carter
Filed under Performing Arts News
BEST PLAY:
In the Next Room by Sarah Ruhl
Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts
Red by John Logan
Time Stands Still by Donald Margulies
BEST MUSICAL:
Fela!
Million Dollar Quartet
Broadway Review: “American Idiot”
May 3, 2010 by Lance Carter
Filed under Columns
After hearing all the buzz about American Idiot, I was really excited to see the show when I was in New York the other week.
I love the Green Day album it’s based on and from all the press it’s generated it seemed like a mashup of Rent and Spring Awakening. It even stars John Gallagher Jr. from Spring Awakening, so it had to be great, right?
Wrong. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t like it. Actually, that’s too strong. I just thought it was ok and definitely not worth the ticket price they’re asking ($127!)
Don’t get me wrong, there were aspects of it that were wonderful. The set was amazing, the songs obviously rocked (I mean, its Green Day) and the actors voices were perfect; not to mention it seemed like they each drank a case of Red Bull before they came on stage – their energy flowed throughout the house.
The 1st 10 minutes were like the going to the greatest show you can imagine; energy, lights, pulsating music! But then the story sets in and that’s where the problems start.
There is a story but only a shred of one. The main characters, Johnny (Gallagher), Will (Michael Esper) and Tunny (Stark Sands) start out as bored kids who then head off in separate directions. Tunny enlists and goes to Iraq, Will knocks up his girlfriend and is forced to stay at home and Johnny leaves town only to get mixed up in drugs.
