Full casting the for March 24 Broadway launch (at the St. James Theatre) was revealed, as was news that the troupe would appear (with Green Day) at the Jan. 31 Grammy Awards ceremony, singing a version of the Grammy-nominated song "21 Guns." (The Grammys will air on CBS-TV 8-11:30 AM).
American Idiot, a 95-minute pulse-taking of American young adults, inspired by the rock album of the same name, will open on Broadway April 20.
Director Michael Mayer co-wrote the book with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. Music and lyrics are by Green Day.
Gallagher Jr. (Spring Awakening) will star as Johnny with Sands (Journey's End) as Tunny, Esper (A Man For All Seasons) as Will, Rebecca Naomi Jones (Passing Strange) as Whatshername, Christina Sajous (The Wild Party) as The Extraordinary Girl, Mary Faber (Avenue Q) as Heather and Tony Vincent (Jesus Christ Superstar) as St. Jimmy.
The cast also features Declan Bennett (Rent), Andrew Call (Cry-Baby), Gerard Canonico (Spring Awakening), Miguel Cervantes (…Spelling Bee), Joshua Henry (In the Heights), Van Hughes (Hairspray), Brian Charles Johnson (Spring Awakening), Joshua Kobak (Rent), Lorin Latarro (Movin' Out), Omar Lopez-Cepero (North American tour of Evita), Leslie McDonel (Hairspray), Chase Peacock (High School Musical), Theo Stockman (Hair), Ben Thompson (Cyrano with Placido Domingo), Alysha Umphress (bare), Aspen Vincent (Dirty Dancing) and Libby Winters (White Noise). Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California staged the world premiere of American Idiot in fall 2009. Much of that cast continues with the Broadway transfer. Sands, who recently played Clyde in the Frank Wildhorn musical Bonnie and Clyde at La Jolla Playhouse, is a notable newcomer to the project.
Here's how the producers describe the experience: "American Idiot follows the exhilarating journey of a new generation of young Americans as they struggle to find meaning in a post 9/11 world, borne along by Green Day's electrifying score. This high-octane show includes every song from the acclaimed album 'American Idiot,' as well as several songs from the band's three-time Grammy- nominated new release, '21st Century Breakdown.'"
The latter album has been nominated in the Grammy categories of Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album. Green Day won two Grammy Awards for the groundbreaking rock-opera album "American Idiot," which has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.
Mayer, Tony Award-winning director of Spring Awakening, leads a creative team that includes two-time Tony Award-winning composer and orchestrator Tom Kitt, and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Steven Hoggett.
The show features scenic design by Tony nominee Christine Jones (Spring Awakening), costume design by Baryshnikov fellow Andrea Lauer (The Butcher of Baraboo), lighting design by two time Tony winner Kevin Adams (Hair), sound design by Obie Award winner Brian Ronan (Cabaret), as well as video design by Darrel Maloney. The music director is Carmel Dean.
The show will be produced on Broadway in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Visit www.AmericanIdiotOnBroadway.com.
