American Idiot

Last night I was photographing  the opening of American Idiot in Toronto.  It’s very rare that I come out of a show speechless, but in this case, I did. 

One of my fellow UrbanMoms asked if that was a good thing.  In my 140 character tweet, I answered “it’s exuberant, energetic, thought-provoking & really loud with a very talented cast.”

I do know some of the cast, but bias aside, I actually went in thinking I wasn’t a Green Day fan.  I quickly realsed I knew most of the songs, and the ones I didn’t were so engaging, it didn’t matter. Watching the show is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle: at first it seems fragmented and overwhelming, but when you have your “aha!” moment, you realise it all fits together in a tight package.

It’s not a show for everyone, and I truly question the parents who brought children under the age of 14.  The subject matter is extremely mature, from sexual content to violence to drug usage.  This does not have the subtlties and love-in attutude of Hair; rather, it’s brash, angry and in your face.

And once again, I left the theatre thinking about it, not to mention singing Good Riddance (Time of Your Life). 

 American Idiot plays in Toronto till January 15th before heading off on a North American tour.