DIRECTOR’S NOTES
I did not grow up a Green Day fan. While I was certainly aware of the band and liked a lot of the songs I had heard on the radio, I was never really “into” them. That said, when American Idiot came to Broadway, I had to see it. I’m so fascinated by the contemporary movement of real rock and roll music being integrated into musical theatre. Sure, we’ve had rock-influenced scores dating all the way back to Hair, but in the last five years, with shows like Rock of Ages and Idiot, we’re finally hearing theatre rock sound like real rock music.
Needless to say, the show blew me away. It was a relentless, visceral experience. And even though I come from a nice middle-class home and my life has been relatively trauma-free, somehow I was able to relate to this cast of misfits and the three anti-heroes who verbalize their need to break out of the suburban doldrums and seek something better.
I knew I had to direct this show. Furthermore, I knew Shenandoah was the place for it to happen, since we now hang our hats on being the most industry-focused center for training theatre artists for the current demands of the business.
I did my research and found a way to reach out to the producers of the show, which had closed on Broadway and was now on a national tour. Stephen Gabriel at Work Light Productions kept in touch with me for TWO YEARS as I waited for the show to finish its tour and become available for licensing. With his help, the people at MTI (Musical Theatre International) were willing to let us have the show first. So this production you are seeing is really only the fourth incarnation of the show, which began at Berkeley Rep., moved to Broadway, then toured prior to premiering at Shenandoah.
I suspect it will be the first in a long line of college productions since this show lends itself so well to the student demographic. Throughout the rehearsal process, I watched as the students grew attached to the music, to the story, and to each other as an ensemble. One of the show’s alumni from the national tour told us that this would be an experience like no other, and he was absolutely right.
I am so proud of the collaboration that came together (very quickly, I might add) to make this possible. It is certainly the most ambitious undertaking I have ever attempted and the biggest for the Shenandoah Musical Theatre program as well. We could not have told this story without the use of video and projections; the use of modern dance and movement to create a cross-country bus ride and the illusion of flying; the rental and programming of moving lights to enhance the rock ambiance; and a killer sound engineer to reinforce the voices. And our students could never have sung this score for the last five weeks without the support and efforts of a brilliant team of voice teachers and some special guest artists as well. I cannot thank all of the people involved enough to ever express the gratitude I feel for this vision being brought to life. It was truly a dream show, and I only hope that you, the audience, have half as much fun experiencing this show as we did putting it together for you.
“Rage and Love.”
