Welcome To A New Kind of Tension
A review of the Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation’s production of Green Day’s American Idiot
From the moment the electric guitar filled the stage and the first cymbal crashed, the Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation’s production of American Idiot exploded into life. Flashing lights, slamming drums, and actors pouring onto the stage with a headbanging intensity you’d expect from the kind of rock concert that would leave you deaf the next morning. And these are just the first minutes of the show. The set — designed by Jacob Zeigler — is filled with graffiti and grit, a punk rock playground setting the scene for American Idiot’s story of fear, confusion, and anger at a broken system in a post-9/11 America. The musical — based on the 2004 Green Day album of the same name — holds particular relevance to the chaos and turmoil of society today. As IMTF’s Executive Artistic Director Andrew Sherman states, “Political unrest, non-conformity, social anxieties, and insurrectionary behavior are just some of the themes these characters represent.” And despite hitting Broadway well over a decade ago, the show feels timely. While some may shy away from a production that features sex, drugs, and abuse, IMTF takes it and runs with it, facing the heaviness head on and providing a stark look at the disparaging lives of three young nobodies named Johnny, Will, and Tunny as they try their best to escape their boring suburban existence.
IMTF partnered with the Arena Dinner Theater to host this production and made full use of the space with immersive staging that puts you right into the fire of American Idiot. The use of a live band was a burst of adrenaline in an already high-octane production; as many theaters have moved to pre-recorded musical tracks for budgetary reasons, hearing live music on stage again was refreshing. The band — made up of Orchestra Director Peter Klopfenstein on keyboard, Ron Record on drums, Jacob Kitchen and Adam Robison on guitar, and Dylan Record on bass — never missed a beat and added a kickass edge to the rock opera.
The physical and emotional demands of American Idiot put IMTF’s trademark excellence in ensemble work on full display, featuring a cast of 20 that brought their all to every one of the show’s 20+ songs. From loud and rowdy group numbers to emotive punk rock ballads, there wasn’t a weak performance to be found. Lee Martin is powerful and dreamy as Whatsername, and Chrissy Weadick brings a wickedly fun edge to a woman scorned as Heather. Cassie Rentfrow’s vocal stylings are simply masterful as Extraordinary Girl, while Aaron Mann’s villainous St. Jimmy is despicable in the best of ways. Jayden Cano brings nuance and authenticity to the highs and lows of Tunny, wearing his heart on his sleeve and taking us on a journey filled with excellent comedic delivery and heart-stopping emotional investment through one of the show’s darker arcs. Caleb Curtis as Will faces the unique challenge of being on stage for the majority of the show and he never drops the ball for a second, staying engaging and magnetic even when he’s asleep.
As for the show’s leading man, you would never guess that this is star Adam Cesarz’s first role in 14 years. His natural charisma and commanding presence drive the story forward with the momentum of a seasoned veteran of the stage. His thoughtful performance adds an important depth to Johnny that endears him to us even as his downward spiral becomes destructive. At his worst, we’re still rooting for him, and that is a testament to Cesarz’s character work. I hope we see more of him on the Fort Wayne stage. The leading trio of Cesarz, Curtis, and Cano have the same wonderful chemistry you’d expect of lifelong friends, and their vocal prowess was equally impressive.
I’d like to congratulate IMTF for launching their adults-only production series with a bang. American Idiot is a show you must see. And I hope you have the time of your life when you do.
American Idiot runs September 22nd — October 1st. Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.imtfinc.com. Follow Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation on Facebook for upcoming production news.
