ECC Musical Theatre presents Green Day's 'American Idiot' this summer
Elgin Community College Musical Theatre will present its summer production of Green Day's Tony Award-winning electric-rock musical "American Idiot" on Friday, July 28, through Sunday, Aug. 6.
Based on Green Day's multiplatinum selling album of the same name, "American Idiot" has music by Green Day, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, and a book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer. ECC Musical Theatre's production is directed by Cale Haupert with musical direction by Marc Beth, ECC music instructor and program coordinator, and choreography by Jennifer Cupani.
Performances take place in the SecondSpace Theatre, located in the ECC Arts Center in Building H at the college, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
The production starts at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays to Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays.
This high-octane, energy-fueled rock opera centers on three lifelong friends' struggle to find meaning in an increasingly disillusioning world. The musical follows young adults Johnny, Tunny and Will as they flee the constraints of their hometown for the thrills of city life. The friends' life paths quickly diverge when Tunny enters the armed forces, Will is called back home to attend to family responsibilities, and Johnny's attention becomes divided between a new love and a hazardous new friendship. "American Idiot" features little dialogue and instead relies on the lyrics from Green Day's groundbreaking album to execute the storyline.
"I've been a big fan of the album 'American Idiot' since it came out and I was excited to see how it transferred to the stage," says Beth. "Even though the show is about 90 minutes long, there are only about five minutes without music. With so much music and choreography to learn the cast has worked extremely hard and met the challenges of the show quite well." Haupert echoes Beth: "The cast has held nothing back. Their voices are excellent, the movement is totally rocking, and they are eager to tell this story."
Haupert and Beth also both emphasize the theme of the difficulties of navigating adulthood that is prevalent within the show. "The cast seems to relate to the challenges of being a young adult in America," says Beth. Haupert adds: "(The show) is really about people finding their way in life, growing up, and learning to live with consequences even when those choices are painful. It's a powerful story about finding who you are and what is most important in life."
Tickets are $20 or $18 for seniors and students. Note: "American Idiot" is rated R due to strong adult content and language.
Tickets for all performances in the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC Arts Center box office.
Box office hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. To purchase tickets by phone, call (847) 622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted. The ECC Arts Center can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eccartscenter and on Twitter @eccartscenter.
"American Idiot" is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.MTIShows.com.