Give Me Novacaine | "American Idiot" @ CTG/Mark Taper Forum

Time, and the perspective that it gives.

On two-show days, I like to think if there is any theme connecting the shows. For yesterday, the theme turned out to be the perspective of time. As I said: We had two shows yesterday (something I like to avoid), due to the poor subscriber service at CTG, which didn’t tell us the Taper dates until 3 weeks before the show. As a result, we had a 2:30pm Matinee of American Idiot at the Mark Taper Forum (on the same day the Wicked movie was having its 7:00pm premiere at the Dorothy Chandler), and an 8:00pm performance of Back to the Future: The Musical at Broadway in Hollywood (Pantages).

What connect American Idiot and BTTF? The answer is time.

We’ll delve into the perspective of time for BTTF in the next writeup. But for American Idiot the perspective of time really leads to a different interpretation of the piece. The original album was written in 2004, at the height of the Iraq war, with the Bush administration in office. As Wikipedia notes: “The album expresses the disillusionment and dissent of a generation that came of age in a period shaped by tumultuous events such as 9/11 and the Iraq War.”. It was turned into a musical that hit Broadway during the Obama administration. We saw it in a traditional tour presentation at the Ahmanson in 2012. It was hard to fathom the plot from that presentation, other than “Alienation. Anti-war. Love. Perils of war. Perils of drugs. Perils of relationships.”

But time changes perspective. Seeing American Idiot just a few days after the election of Donald Trump to a second, discontinguous term, brings new meaning to the piece. Suddenly the words about a hateful America, an America where the media is lying to us, an America that creates disillusionist view hits home.  The nihilism. The rage. It captured the anger from both sides.

The new presentation aided this view distinctly. The Deaf West approach had the lead performers signing, with “voice of” performers parallel to them singing the words, and (most importantly) all lyrics projected. You could actually understand the words, and see the poetry of Billy Joel Armstrong shine through.

You want a clear example. Just look at the opening number, and think about it in the context of Trump, how the media seemed so numb to Trump’s lies and incoherence:

Don’t wanna be an American idiot
Don’t want a nation under the new media
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mindfuck America

Welcome to a new kind of tension
All across the alien nation
Where everything isn’t meant to be okay
In television dreams of tomorrow

We’re not the ones who’re meant to follow
For that’s enough to argue
Well, maybe I’m the faggot, America
I’m not a part of a redneck agenda
Now everybody, do the propaganda
And sing along to the age of paranoia

Although this was written in the era Bush, anti-Al Quaida sentiment, It truly takes on a different perspective in this era of Trump, this era of hatred, this era of paranoia about immigrants. Time changes our perspective of musical theatre pieces. Some become less relevant and dated. Some find new meaning. There was a reason that Chicago failed when it first opened, and then hit it big in the era of OJ and the celebrity killer. American Idiot is written for the anger and the era of Donald Trump

(Oh, and Back to the Future? Think about how the time change impacts Marty’s perception of his parents. More on that in the next writeup)

It is clear that the impact of Green Day’s album has grown, and is more relevant now than in 2004 when it was first released. I also tend to love the music from it. Instead of being the angry dissonance I expect from punk rock, Green Day brings wonderful melodies beneath the loud; melodies that stick in your head and drive you.

The staging here is also unique. As I noted above, this is a co-production between Deaf-West and CTG.  Deaf/signing actors are the leads, with “voice of” actors trailing behind them. Words are projected on stage, making it easy to understand what is being said. There is poetry of movement, poetry of hands, that go together with the poetry of the words.

Is American Idiot perfect? No. As is pretty much true for any rock album turned into a stage show, there is little connective tissue. There is little expository dialogue. As such, the characters never quite jell as distinct people. They never acquire personalities. You lose the story in the music; the music evokes feelings much more than the performances. As a result, you sit back and let the music wash over you; you read the lyrics, and let the performance supplement all that is evoked by the music and lyrics. This isn’t traditional theatre.

There are remarkable performances from the leads (and we had a number of folks swinging in at our performance). There are remarkable performances from the band, and not just musical ones (watch the folks on the violins).

One other discordant note — not performance related. CTG has gone to a new ticketing system, and it is problematic. The old system allowed you to download your tickets to Apple Wallet, or text them to your phone. The new system supposedly allows download to Apple Wallet (although it never gave me the option on an Android phone). But there is no text option anymore, nor the ability to use Google Wallet. Ticketmaster (which BIH uses) has its flaws, but it at least understands that folks use both Android and Apple. If you are an Android user, you’re stuck using data to go to the CTG website. Poor form. On the plus side, CTG excelled where it always excels: accessibility and parking. The new subscriber parking vouchers worked great, and the Taper was able to accommodate a last-minute need for a seat with legroom so my wife could stretch her leg.

The CTG/Deaf West production of American Idiot is well worth seeing. Alas, by the time you read this it may be too late: the last performances were to be today, but it has been extended one week, now closing on November 16. You can get tickets here. More information on the show here.

Finally: Nobody Likes You / Everyone Left You / They’re All Out Without You / Having Fun

———

Green Day’s American Idiot. Music by Green Day. Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong. Book by Billie Joe Amstrong and Michael Mayer. Directed by Snehal Desai. Choreography by Jennifer Weber.

Cast (All performers are ӕ Actors Equity; underscored performers indicate performers at our performance): Daniel Durant / Giovanni Maucere Johnny; Milo Manheim Voice of Johnny; Otis Jones IV Will; James Olivas Voice of Will; Landen Gonzales Tunny; Brady Fritz / Patrick Ortiz Voice of Tunny; Ali Fumiko Whitney Heather; Mars Storm Ruckner Whatsername; Ty Taylor St Jimmy; Kaia T. Fitzgerald Extraordinary Girl; Jerusha Cavazos / Monika Peña Voice of Extraordinary Girl; Will Branner Favorite Son; Monika Peña / Mia Sempertegui Alysha; Steven-Adam Agdeppa Ensemble, Lark Detweiler Ensemble, Josué Martinez Ensemble, Angel Theory Ensemble; Patrick Ortiz Ensemble/Swing, Mia Sempertegui Ensemble/Swing; Giovanni Maucere Swing.

Music Departments: Tom Kitt Music Arrangements and Orchestrations; David O Music Supervisor, Conductor, Keyboard, Accordion; Justin Smith Guitar 1; Ben Covello Guitar 2, Assoc. Conductor; Carlos Rivera Bass; Alex Bailey Drums; Nicole Garcia Violin; Nikki Shorts Viola; Michelle Rearick Cello; Robert Payne Music Contractor.

Production and Creatives: Takeshi Kata Scenic Design; Lena Sands Costume Design; Karyn D. Lawrence Lighting Design; David Murakami Projection Design; Sheila Dorn Wig, Hair, and Makeup Design; Beth Lipari Casting Director; DJ Kurs Deaf West Theatre Artistic Director; Jeff Perri Deaf West Theatre Managing Director; Colin Analco ASL Choreographer; Amelia Hensley Assoc ASL Choreographer; David S. Franklin Production Stage Manager; Michelle Blair Stage Manager; Sue Karutz Stage Manager; Coproduction of Deaf West Theatre and Center Theatre Group.

Favorite Minor Credit: TBD Loctition. Loctition is the maintenance of dreadlocks. Learn something new every day.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending). We’re a bit light on theatre while my wife is recuperating from her knee replacement.

• November: ♦ Back to the Future: The Musical at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ La Cage Aux Folles at Pasadena Playhouse; possibly Santa Claus Conquers the Martians ⊕ at Maverick Theatre
• December: ♦ Wicked at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ Once Upon a Mattress at CTG/Ahmanson;
• January: ♦ Anything Goes (Concert) at Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena Civic);

 

 

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Give Me Novacaine | "American Idiot" @ CTG/Mark Taper Forum by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

Time Games | "Back to the Future: The Musical" @ BIH/Pantages

As I mentioned in my writeup of American Idiot at CTG, yesterday was a two-show day. After leaving the Music Center, we had a wonderful dinner at the all-gluten-free Lebanese restaurant Levant, shopped briefly at Gelsons on Franklin, and then dropped down to the Pantages to see Back to the Future: The Musical.

By now, everyone should know Back to the Future. It is repeated endlessly on TV, and if you don’t know the story, I’m sure you can turn on your TV and find it somewhere, together with Casino, the Men in Black series, and The Godfather. TV is endless rotation hell; when was the last time you saw The Sterile Cuckoo or Murder by Death?

So before we go into the production itself, lets talk about the connective tissue of the day: The perspective of Time. I noted that, for American Idiot, the recent campaign and the election of Donald Trump gave a different perspective to the lyrics of Billie Joe Armstrong and Green Day. The anger and the pain take on new meaning in the Trump era of hate, and the anger against the media and their bias rings ever more true.

But what about Back to the Future: The Musical. There is also perspective there: Marty gains a new perspective on his parents. He learns to see them as people. His mom was a normal horny teenager. His dad was a typical teenage boy, peeping at girls, trying to be popular (and failing). This is a useful perspective to have. Again, I’ll tie it to this weeks election. As I look at people, I try to see them with that perspective. We were all little kids once. Imagine people as those little kids, working their way through elementary school, middle school, and high school. They weren’t always the haters and grumpy cats they are today. Alas, some of the them never grew out of being the hurt bullies seeking attention. But for many, the perspective of seeing them in the past may at least help us in these trying times.

The perspective of time. The notion that ties together these shows.

But beyond that, what about the musical itself? Truthfully, there isn’t much to say. It is a trifle. A light dessert that really doesn’t fill you up. It’s not bad, but it isn’t memorable. There are no songs (save those from the movie) that are earworms or significant. There are some changes from the movie due to the changes in the perspective of time (Libyan terrorists become stolen Plutonium; the carload of manure becomes a laundry basket). Actors are limited by the movie and the expectations of the audience to caricature the performances of the movie actors. They come close.

The musical also does not have legs nor will it likely have a long production life after the tour. It is very dependent on the magic of production, especially the magic of projections and the Delorian. It is unlikely you’ll see this at the regional or community theatre level.  Put it in the same class with Pretty Woman, Tootsie, and Mrs. Doubtfire (and possibly even Beetlejuice). The only reasons these were made into musicals was the chasing of profit. The stories themselves didn’t cry out for musicalization. Note to the studios: Not every property belongs on stage.

This is not to say that Back to the Future was bad. It wasn’t. It was entertaining, and very funny at points. It just wasn’t memorable. Contrast this with Hamilton or Wicked or Come From Away or even American Idiot. There are things in those show that make them worth a return visit. BTTF? Once is plenty. About the only thing original and memorable is the song “Something About That Boy“.

The recent Kimberly Akimbo had similar problems, but was redeemed by the fact that (a) it actually had a point to make; (b) was more of a unique story, being based on a play vs. a movie. But the bulk of the songs weren’t all that memorable.

One additional note: This time dealing with BIH Subscriber Services (although it is out of their control): Parking lots in the area (especially when you pre-book with Parkwhiz) have reduced their time blocks to start at 7:00pm, making it hard to get dinner before the show. The El Centro garage has changed their system to use QRs codes and stored license plates. I’m going to guess that Eastown garage did the same, as they have the same time limitations. Parking is also overpriced in the area (contrast $25-$40 to the $10 at the Ahmanson). I’m looking forward to the day that my wife’s leg is well enough that we can take Metro again and not have to worry about parking. On the plus side, the Pantages was easily able to change our seat to one with the necessary legroom (platform on the right), although it did limit our view of the stage slightly.

Back to the Future: The Musical continues through December 1 at the Pantages. Is it worth seeing? Did you like the movie? If so, you’ll probably enjoy this. It’s not a stinker like Girl from the North Country or The Bodyguard, but it is also not particularly memorable. Things should be better with Shucked or Some Like It Hot. Tickets are available through the Pantages.

———

Back to the Future: The Musical. Book by Bob Gale. Music & Lyrics by Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard. Based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment fil, written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale. Directed by John Rando. Choreography by Chris Bailey.

Cast (All performers are ӕ Actors Equity; underscored performers indicate performers at our performance): Don Stephenson Doc Brown; Caden Brauch / Fisher Lane Stewart Marty McFly; Burke Swanson George McFly; Zan Berube Lorraine Baines; Cartreze Tucker / Joshua Blackswan Abbott Goldie WIlson / Marvin Berry; Ethan Rogers Biff; Luke Anthony Neville Strickland / Lou Carruthers / Mayor Red Thomas / Sam Baines; Kiara Lee Jennifer Parker, Ensemble; Joshua Blackswan Abbott / Luther Brooks IV Reginald (Starlighter #1), Ensemble; Tade Biesinger Ensemble; Ina Black Ensemble; Luther Brooks IV / Lucas Hallauer Ensemble; Alyssa Carol Babs, Ensemble; Jenny Dalrymple Clocktower Woman, Ensemble; Laura Sky Herman Linda McFly, Stella Baines, Ensemble; Dan Horn Ensemble, Swing; Will Jewett 3D, Ensemble; Dwayne P. Mitchell Starlighter #2, Fight Captain, Asst. Dance Captain, Swing; Zoe Brooke Reed Betty, Ensemble; Fisher Lane Stewart / Ross Thompson Dave McFly / Slick; Emily Applebaum Swing; Brittany Bohn Swing, Dance Captain; Lucas Hallauer Swing; Ross Thompson Swing.

Music Department (Ł indicates local): Nick Finlow Music Supervision, Vocal and Additional Arrangements; Ethan Popp Orchestrations; Bryan Crook Orchestrations; David Chase Dance Arrangements; Matt Doebler Music Director, Keys 1; Ted Arthur Assoc. Music Supervisor; Kristy Norter Music Coordinator; Emily Orr Assoc. Music Director / Keys 2; Jaren Angud Drums; William Leary Reed 1; Sean Franz [Ł] Reed 2 (Flute / Clarinet / Tenor Sax / Bari Sax); Aaron Smith [Ł] Trumpet/Flugelhorn; Nick Daley [Ł]Tenor / Bass Trombone;  Brian LaFontaine [Ł] Guitar (Electric / Acoustic Steel String); Dan Lutz [Ł] Bass (Acoustic / 5-String Electric); Eric Heinly [Ł] Orchestra Contractor.

Creatives and Production: Tim Hatley Scenic and Costume Design; Tim Lutkin Lighting Design; Hugh Vanstone Lighting Design; Finn Ross Video Design; Gareth Owen Sound Design; Chris Fisher Illusions; Tara Rubin Casting; Maurice Chan Fight Director; Campbell Young Associates Wig, Hair, and Makeup Design; Taylor Haven Holt Assoc Director; Beth Crandall Assoc Choreographer; Aurora Productions Production Management; Eric Sprosty Production Stage Manager; Caitlin Kellermeyer Stage Manager; Malashia Carter Asst. Stage Manager; Domingo Mancuello Asst Stage Manager; Jack Stephens Company Manager; Bespoke Theatricals General Manager.

Favorite Minor Credit; Gabriel Reis Hoverboard Coach.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; and 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending). We’re a bit light on theatre while my wife is recuperating from her knee replacement.

• November: La Cage Aux Folles at Pasadena Playhouse; possibly Santa Claus Conquers the Martians ⊕ at Maverick Theatre
• December: ♦ Wicked at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; ♦ Once Upon a Mattress at CTG/Ahmanson;
• January: ♦ Anything Goes (Concert) at Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena Civic);

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Time Games | "Back to the Future: The Musical" @ BIH/Pantages by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.