I was very much like an outsider looking in as I walked into Bagnani Hall at Traill College to sit in on a rehearsal of Cordwainer Productions’ upcoming production of American Idiot: The Musical. Outnumbered by a talented group of singers, dancers, and actors performing the music of American punk band Green Day, I could feel their youthful energy as they worked through numbers such as “Jesus of Suburbia”, “Homecoming” and “Holiday”.
Among the performers I could recognize were some of my favourite actors from the Peterborough stage, not only from past Cordwainer Productions but also The Motley Collective and The Anne Shirley Theatre Company. As director Dane Shumak gave a talk about how hard he and co-director Jaime Schaffel were going to push the company in the weeks to come to prepare them for their December opening, I couldn’t help but feel that this production is the culmination of a vibrant era of theatre in Peterborough.
With many members of the company either having left or preparing to leave Peterborough, American Idiot: The Musical may be the final time that many members of this talented group of performers are all together on a Peterborough stage.
Based on Green Day’s 2004 concept album of the same name, American Idiot was front man Billy Joe Armstrong’s commentary on post-9/11 America. Written during a time of uncertainty for the band, the album gave Green Day resurgence upon its release and became their most critically acclaimed album. It was Green Day’s first number one record in the United States, won Best Rock Album at the 2005 Grammy Awards, and went platinum six times over.
In 2008, director Michael Mayer — fresh off his Tony-winning production of Spring Awakening — approached Green Day about turning the album into a musical, and a collaboration between Mayer and Green Day was formed. American Idiot: The Musical made its debut in September 2009 at the Berkley Repertory Theater in Berkley, California, before moving to Broadway in March 2010 where it was nominated for a Tony for Best Musical and won two Tonys for technical achievement.
“I think that Green Day is cool because they capture the cultural psyches of two eras,” Dane says. “When the album American Idiot came out, it was just after the war in Afghanistan and just after 9-11, and it preceded the Invasion of Iraq. What was amazing about American Idiot was that Green Day was the last great punk band to comment on everything that was happening.”
“All the great ’80s punk bands were anti-Reagan and anti-Thatcher,” he continues. “Green Day was the only great punk band that was able to popularize anarchism and what it was to be against the American establishment during their era. American Idiot brought back the punk response to what was going on in the Bush administration at the time.”
“It was one of the only albums that was critical of anything that was going on in society in the early 2000s,” Jaime adds. “Pop music in America at that time was Britney Spears and S Club 7. But American Idiot was smart. It was saying something. It still says something.”
“American Idiot speaks to different generations,” Dane says. “It’s very much about Generation Xers, who are now between the ages of 28 and 45. But then there are a lot of members of the cast where American Idiot was the first album they bought with their allowance.”
American Idiot: The Musical follows the individual paths of three friends: Will (Andrew Little), Johnny (Ryan Hancock), and Tunny (Taylor Beatty). Trapped in the suburbs of small-town America, the three plan to move to the big city. About to leave, Will discovers that he has gotten his girlfriend Heather (Bronte Germain) pregnant and, unable emotionally to deal with the responsibility, is forced to stay home. Upon arriving in the city, Johnny is enchanted by capitalism and drugs and becomes addicted to heroin and sex. Tunny, who quickly becoming disenchanted with the city, enters the military and goes to war.
“American Idiot has so many themes,” Dane says. “It’s about friendship. It’s about falling in love. It’s about learning what love is — and realizing you’re not in it. It’s about sex. It’s about drugs. It’s about rock n’ roll music. The show shatters the American dream and steps all over the pieces.”
Although Dane says that he has always wanted to do American Idiot, it was Jamie who continued throwing the idea of American Idiot into the ring as Cordwainer’s next production.
“I wanted to do the show before I even knew more about the plot,” Jaime says. “I was a kid who grew up in the suburbs and thought I had teen angst and I grew up listening to Green Day. So it was a show I wanted to do for the nostalgia.”
Dane stresses it was important to do American Idiot here and now, while he has this talented group of people with him.
“I wanted to do it with the group of people in this show,” Dane explains. “This is sort of the last hurrah because we are now all in separate places. There are amazing and talented people who are around 25 right now, all graduating from university. So I wanted to do this show before I left.”
For years, I’ve been following Dane Shumak and the people he has assembled for American Idiot. Many of them among my favourite performers in the Peterborough community. Despite only seeing the bare bones of what will become the final production, I can tell you that this is going to be a tremendously special show featuring the best young talent of Peterborough. I can’t begin to express my personal anticipation for American Idiot: The Musical.
American Idiot runs for six performances only, from December 4th to 10th at Market Hall in Peterborough. Tickets are $23 general admission ($18 for students). For more information about the show, visit Cordwainer Productions’ website at www.cordwainerproductions.com.
Exclusive promo photos for American Idiot
All images courtesy of Cordwainer Productions except where noted.
