Green Day musical American Idiot to make Australian premiere in Brisbane

News landed today that American Idiot, the award-winning Broadway musical based on the 2004 Green Day concept album, will make its Australian debut at Brisbane’s QPAC in February 2017.  Craig Ilott (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Smoke and Mirrors) will direct and Lucas Newland (Velvet) is set to choreograph.

American Idiot is a scorching look at post-9/11 America. Entirely sung through and with surprisingly thrilling new orchestrations by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), the show follows three friends as they try to strike out on their own into “a world of make believe/that don’t believe in me.”  It features every track on American Idiot and a couple of extras, largely pulled from 21st Century Breakdown.

The production is timed to Green Day’s upcoming tour. The band has always been deeply involved in the musical’s development from its first iteration at the Berkeley Rep and to Broadway and beyond – Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong also stepped the critical role of St. Jimmy on Broadway a few times during its run (the role was also played by AFI frontman Davey Havok,  and recording artists Melissa Etheridge, as well as music theatre performer Tony Vincent).

The show’s creation and evolution has been captured in the documentary Broadway Idiot and it’s well worth a look.

American Idiot won two Tony Awards and its cast recording won a Grammy, so expectations for its sound are high. The QPAC production will feature a full cast and a live on-stage band that are yet to be announced.

“It’s so rare to come across a piece as rich, stimulating and challenging as this,” said director Craig Ilott. “Ultimately it’s a rallying cry from the heart by one of the world’s best bands.”

The production is exclusive to Brisbane. A waitlist for American Idiot tickets is now open, and tickets go on sale Friday 28 October 2016. Get all the booking information you need here:  www.americanidiotlive.com.au.