158 posts
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Post by broadwaylover99 on Aug 1, 2016 10:40:23 GMT
To people who saw it last year at the Arts and on tour or in this new engagement, what have been your thoughts on Aaron and Newton? Similarities, differences, your preference, anything?
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193 posts
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Post by Rozzi Rainbow on Aug 1, 2016 18:26:09 GMT
I saw this last week and am not really sure what to make of it. It's very loud, and quite strange, and felt long with no interval. It didn't seem to have much of a story line. I loved the music - I only knew three of the songs beforehand but like the style. I thought it was nice when they played the guitars, and thought "September" was brilliant. I also liked the dream sequence. By the end it was starting to grow on me, there were bits of it I liked. Newton wasn't on, but the lead guy was great - sorry don't know his name.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 18:35:19 GMT
I thought Newton was fantastic. Brilliant vocals, great acting (though the accent at times encompassed several States) and great at the comedic aspects. A brilliant debut on the West End from him!
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1,016 posts
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Post by andrew on Aug 18, 2016 21:55:33 GMT
Against my better judgment I grabbed the rush tickets on todaytix to see this. I thought to myself "but it's a jukebox musical Andrew, you know you don't like those". I reasoned with myself that I was 13 when American idiot (the album) was released, I was a huge fan of it, I know all the songs. This is designed for me. And it'll be fun, I thought.
It'll be fun, I thought.
I have never been more bored in a musical. I have never felt more angry at paying money to see a musical. I have never been more disappointed in theatre in general, for letting someone write such little and incoherent and unoriginal and completely predictable story. I have never before watched moving lights with such relative interest. I have never spent my time during a production considering, slowly, what other things you could put on to great effect in this venue. I have never been more unsurprised when a total of 13 people walked out SIMULTANEOUSLY around 60 minutes in. And I've never been more frustrated that my own internal rules prevented me from following them out.
I hated this. Even Cats is better. And I really hate Cats.
May it disappear and never return.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2016 16:46:23 GMT
Saw this this afternoon. Didn't enjoy it as much as last time. Alexis Gerred is so amazing. Definitely the star of the show for me.
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1,008 posts
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Post by talkstageytome on Sept 4, 2016 18:28:09 GMT
Somehow the cast album has become the soundtrack to my summer. I've been listening to it nonstop (was definitely a Green Day fangirl when I was a kid so it's quite a flashback! 😂) but the show itself was very odd. Needs an actual book. Could do with being half an hour longer with actual scenes to flesh out the little flashes of character development we see in the songs. Came here to get the general consensus on the version at the Arts. May give it a miss.
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4,369 posts
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Post by Michael on Sept 4, 2016 18:35:35 GMT
was definitely a Green Day fangirl when I was a kid so it's quite a flashback! You were? What happened? I for one still am - and I am very looking forward to Revolution Radio.
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1,008 posts
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Post by talkstageytome on Sept 4, 2016 18:51:49 GMT
was definitely a Green Day fangirl when I was a kid so it's quite a flashback! You were? What happened? I for one still am - and I am very looking forward to Revolution Radio. Oh I definitely still am, it's just not been so prominent recently. But I've had the American Idiot cast album on every day of my holiday so far. I don't skip any track!
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Jan 18, 2018 11:36:29 GMT
So it looks like there will be another tour of American Idiot next year - the American Idiot Twitter teased it, and now dates have appeared for next January on the Southampton Mayflower website. I am wondering if they are going to use the original tour set as the Mayflower would absolutely drown the set from the most recent tour?
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267 posts
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Post by stageyninja83 on Jan 18, 2018 11:46:43 GMT
So it looks like there will be another tour of American Idiot next year - the American Idiot Twitter teased it, and now dates have appeared for next January on the Southampton Mayflower website. I am wondering if they are going to use the original tour set as the Mayflower would absolutely drown the set from the most recent tour? It played Manchester Palace and Liverpool Empire on the last tour, is Mayflower that much bigger?
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28 posts
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Post by mrcompanymanager on Jan 18, 2018 13:29:49 GMT
So it looks like there will be another tour of American Idiot next year - the American Idiot Twitter teased it, and now dates have appeared for next January on the Southampton Mayflower website. I am wondering if they are going to use the original tour set as the Mayflower would absolutely drown the set from the most recent tour? It played Manchester Palace and Liverpool Empire on the last tour, is Mayflower that much bigger? No. The stage footprint of the Mayflower is smaller than Manchester Palace & Liverpool Empire.
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Jan 18, 2018 13:43:27 GMT
I guess the reason I thought it would drown it is I saw the original tour with the much bigger set in the Mayflower - I can't imagine the tiny set I saw at the Arts in London filling that big a stage and looking half decent. Anyway, look forward to seeing the rest of the dates and casting for this!
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Post by stagebyte on Apr 1, 2018 22:05:17 GMT
Tour ? Arts after Ruthless?
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1,008 posts
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Post by talkstageytome on Apr 1, 2018 22:26:12 GMT
Whatever it is, I'm thrilled. Love this show! 😂
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614 posts
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Post by jamb0r on Apr 2, 2018 7:59:14 GMT
There’s already a thread for this - they semi-announced a new tour a while ago. It’s currently on the Southampton Mayflower website for January 2019 😀
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18,778 posts
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Apr 2, 2018 9:02:15 GMT
Three threads merged
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2018 12:53:05 GMT
I thought it was fabulous when I saw it with Newton Faulkner! A welcome return if it comes back.
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25 posts
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Post by theatrespy on Apr 3, 2018 10:15:33 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2018 20:57:40 GMT
Casting has been announced for the 10th Anniversary Tour.
Johnny (Tom Miller) St. Jimmy (Luke Friend) Whatsername (Sam Lavery) Theo (Glenn Adamson) Lesley (Laura Marie Benson) Tunny (Joshua Dowen) Extraordinary Girl (Raquel Jones) Gerard (Rory Maguire) Alysha (Shekinah McFarlane) Heather (Siobhan O'Driscoll) Will (Samuel Pope) Libby (Alexandra Robinson) Declan (Christian Tyler-Wood)
Swings (Jennifer Caldwell & Daniel Law)
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2018 21:47:07 GMT
Loved it first time I saw it. Second time was a little disappointing for some reason. Btw is that Luke Baker aka the bully in "...About Jamie" in the pic stagebyte posted a few months ago?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2018 21:52:33 GMT
Loved it first time I saw it. Second time was a little disappointing for some reason. Btw is that Luke Baker aka the bully in "...About Jamie" in the pic stagebyte posted a few months ago? Different Luke. I recognise his name from the X Factor a few years ago.
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688 posts
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Post by sophie92 on Oct 19, 2018 5:46:04 GMT
Loved it first time I saw it. Second time was a little disappointing for some reason. Btw is that Luke Baker aka the bully in "...About Jamie" in the pic stagebyte posted a few months ago? Yes in that picture Luke Baker is 2nd from the left, from when American Idiot was at the Arts
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 11:39:10 GMT
Sam Lavery was also X-Factor, saw her in concert within last year, good to see her getting a prominent stage role.
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134 posts
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Post by spendleb on Oct 19, 2018 12:34:26 GMT
First time I saw this (Manchester) I was blown away by the music, the imagery etc and raved about it to everyone, second time I thought it was terrible, the music was way too loud and you couldn't hear any of the singers which is quite important given the story is progressed via the lyrics, even the staging was cut back.
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4,361 posts
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Post by shady23 on Oct 19, 2018 16:25:10 GMT
Loved it first time I saw it. Second time was a little disappointing for some reason. Btw is that Luke Baker aka the bully in "...About Jamie" in the pic stagebyte posted a few months ago? Different Luke. I recognise his name from the X Factor a few years ago. For fact fans, he was the runner up to Sam Bailey.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 16:44:40 GMT
I saw Tom Milner on The Voice a couple of years ago and I’m not going to lie, he was pretty awful on that, but apparently he was very good in Waterbabies at the Leicester Curve so I’m intrigued to see him in this.
Luke and Sam were never my favourites in their years on X Factor but it will be good to see them in this.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2019 20:43:42 GMT
Saw this at the 5pm showing in Brum tonight.Hands hurting from clapping like a demented seal to support the cast and help cover the fact that the audience numbers were rather limited shall we say.We were sat in row C of the Dress on 2 for 1 tickets and there were only a few people behind us. The show is raucous and delivered with gusto from start to finish.Great energy.The band were on fire(not literally).A simple storyline but the songs are iconic.Feels like a rock opera.Lots of merch.I plumped for the rather nice double-sided fridge magnet.Nice touch with the ushers dressed in post-punk gear.Winderful programme notes.For example,Sam Lavery trained hard for the Great North Run we are told and Davina McCall was one of the other runners...oh and Mo Farrah won the race. Must admit I do admire Selladoor.They seem to know their limits in a good way and we have seen nearly everything they have produced.Amelie and Little Miss Sunshine next!
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3,058 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Apr 12, 2019 22:16:17 GMT
We were sat in row C of the Dress on 2 for 1 tickets and there were only a few people behind us. I would have gone today if they'd been willing to do half price tickets (for people attending on their own), but they were only doing 2 for 1. I am seeing this in Wimbledon in a few weeks though, where they were more realistic with their price offers. This was good when I saw it at the Arts and on the tour last time around, even though it's not really to my taste in music. I expect the 8:30pm show would have been busier. It's a strange choice to run in Birmingham at this time of year in Birmingham aiming a lot of offers at students, when they've gone home for the Easter holidays.
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71 posts
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Post by Dannyboi on Apr 14, 2019 11:10:46 GMT
Saw the 4pm Show in Brum yesterday, front row and had a blast! This is my fourth time seeing this brilliant piece, the cast always give it their all and its got so much life and energy about it, A real kick up the arse that musical theatre often needs. Tom threw what i think was supposed to be a joint to me, which i caught, but on closer inspection turned out to be a twiglet lol! Like someone else posted i also loved the dress code of the ushers here, really set the tone.
Two very small down points to yesterday, I loved it so much more at the Arts theatre played straight through without an interval. I know the last tour had one too but it completely kills all the atmosphere stone dead, plus the structure of the piece was never intended as a two act play in the first place so with an interval wedged in it seems somewhat fractured.
Also this show fits small venues so much better, the energy of the cast should feed into the crowd and vice versa,like an intimate rock gig more than a musical, and all this is lost in a huge barn like the Alexandra. At the Arts theatre, the cast were virtually on top of the audience, and it seemed so much more visceral and kinetic. Plus it doesn't help that a show like this cant hope to sell out these large theatres, so the empty sections(there were quite a few) do not help the atmosphere one bit,and the audience was completely dead yesterday afternoon until the end. A much smaller, gig size crowd always works better with this show.
Other than that I do love this show,had no interest in the band or the album before i saw it, now im a fan of both. Normally don't like this sort of music at all but this show has even led to me seeing the real Green Day a couple of years ago.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2019 12:40:09 GMT
Great review,Sir.I bought the CD after the show and have been playing it ever since.Agree that the show would probs work better in a smaller venue packed full of people.A concert venue like Rock City in Nottingham would have been great.A friend of mine at work knows the guy who plays the wounded soldier character and he says that the cast are having a fab time touring the show.Great camaraderie apparently.
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