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Regional Reviews: St. Louis American Idiot Also see Richard's review of Blues in the Night
And in a way, this new revival seems more connected to the "forgotten America," or "fly-over country," than the 2016 staging: here, boasting the remarkable Clayton Humburg as Johnny, a carefree boy who escapes rural life for the big city but is enslaved in a horrifying addiction. Rafael Da Costa is equally great as his friend, seeming like a trapped animal as Tunny. In his case, he escapes "Jingletown USA" by joining the army, only to be severely injured in Iraq circa 2003-04. And DeAnté Bryant is very fine as the third member of their group, Will, though he seems to spend most of the show on a couch back home, simmering in a kind of suspended animation. "There's nothing else to do," the lady who cuts my hair shrugged, "besides drugs and sex." She was explaining (years ago) why she had to get her brother out of rural Missouri, before his own life could be ruined just like the characters in this show. But in American Idiot, the escape from small town life seems even worse than Jingletown itself. Either way, it's fascinating to watch as the characters on stage struggle to understand the weird pacifiers so blithely handed out to them, physically and psychologically, by modern culture. And the inevitable human obligations that run so counter to drugs and sex. Bee Mecey is super creepy as St. Jimmy, a drug dealer in New York who takes over every aspect of Johnny's life, after sizing him up from afar. Rachel Parker and Lauren Tenenbaum are 100% on point as the neglected women in the young men's lives. But still, the show manages to arrive at a very plausible "happy ending." And there are a couple of lovely ballads in the show, so please forgive me if I've left a totally bleak impression. The action is dynamic and highly compelling under the direction of Miller and Moore, with choreography by Chelsie Johnston. And the singing is often beautiful, arrestingly so, on at least three occasions in the play. The music direction is by John Gerdes, with lovely vocalese by Adrienne Spann in a dream sequence with Mr. Da Costa. In the 2016 New Line production, I had a lot of trouble understanding the shouted lyrics, so this time I prepared by reading most of those sections of text in advance. Turns out I didn't really need to, thanks to the vastly enhanced clarity of the whole endeavor in 2024. Now the lyrics seem almost like glaciers–not so much to see "on the surface," but with the great mass of their meaning lying deep within the characters brought on to the stage this time. This is New Line's 98th production and, in the post-COVID era, Scott Miller has been quietly experimenting with his company's DNA, bringing in various talented new co-directors and choreographers. Each time it's looked like a great collaboration. And it's shocking, to a critic, to watch a venerable St. Louis company like this step boldly into a new era of dynamic clarity and artistic expression. American Idiot, produced by New Line Theatre, runs through October 5, 2024 at the Marcelle Theatre, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, St Louis MO. For tickets and information, please visit www.newlinetheatre.com Cast: New Line Band: Production Staff: |
