Wilbury Theater Group kicked off summer with Green Day’s “American Idiot” rock opera, a musical that takes place in the cultural crucible that was America just after 9/11, and there couldn’t be a better theater to take an already powerful piece of art and make it something even more compelling.
I graduated high school in 2001, and the only thing I knew was that I needed to get out of my small town. (I made it all the way from central Connecticut to Rhode Island, and if that’s not enough of a joke, the punchline is, of course, that I couldn’t afford to move back there if I wanted to.) There’s a sort of impotent rage that comes from knowing there’s more out there, but having no idea how to get it, and “American Idiot” homes in on that angst, grabs the audience, and doesn’t let go for an hour and a half. Capturing the tension of a generation that was sold a future that didn’t exist, by people who couldn’t have cared less, is no easy task, especially in 90 minutes, but the cast at Wilbury more than manages.
The show focuses on three friends who don’t have much in the way of goals, besides remembering to shower (this is achieved unreliably). Johnny and Tunny take off for the city. Will, whose girlfriend Heather has just announced her pregnancy, is stuck at home, spinning his wheels. Tunny ends up enlisting in the army; Johnny ends up in love with a girl and hard drugs. No one comes out unscathed.
While our anti-heroes navigate a life unexpected, a highly energetic cast of characters are there to keep them on their toes, for better or worse. Director Josh Short does an excellent job with both interpreting the script and guiding his cast, creating a fully immersive experience that is in your face but never completely overwhelming. Choreographer Ali Kenner Brodsky gives all that pent-up anger somewhere to go, particularly with the ensemble, who, between singing, dancing, and occasionally picking up their own instruments, never seem to rest.
Michael Eckenreiter is Johnny, with a look every punk in the late 90s would have coveted, and stellar acting skills. His acoustic “Wake Me Up When September Ends” is especially haunting. Johnny isn’t terribly high-energy by nature, but the people he surrounds himself with are, including his brief love interest, aptly called Whatshername and played by vocal powerhouse Jenna Benzinger, an actor with incredible stage presence and charisma to go with that voice. Unfortunately for Whatshername, Johnny is easily lured away by Saint Jimmy, a manic pixie personification of the allure of substance abuse, perfectly and chaotically played by Paige O’Conner. A fearless videographer, played by Justin Alice Voena in a black vinyl skirt at least one of my friends would have shoplifted from Hot Topic back in the day, trails Saint Jimmy, capturing her destructive tendencies at only the best angles.
Alexander Boyle is Tunny, a class-clown sort of slacker who ends up enlisting and becoming jaded and scarred by war. Henry Stanton is Will, a tragically depressed character who doesn’t know how to focus his life, even after the baby arrives. Both Boyle and Tunny are strong singers and actors who never miss a beat. Annabelle Iredale as Will’s girlfriend Heather is blessed with a lovely, ethereal voice that perfectly encompasses the character’s vulnerability.
The band also takes the stage from time to time, a conceit that serves the rock opera well. Notable performances here include Christine Perkins on the cello and high school student Chloe Cordeiro whose drum skills far outpace her age.
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is responsible for the show’s book and lyrics. Anyone who remembers the 90s knows the impact Green Day had on the millennial music scene. The 2004 “American Idiot” album and 2010 musical only serve as reminders that there’s still plenty of youthful rage to go around. It’s a feeling that is not only relevant, but incredibly essential, in today’s political landscape, and Wilbury knocks it out of the park. It’s been extended once, and unfortunately, the rest of the run may be sold out, but it’s worth it to see if you can get tickets. This is the Providence theater scene like you’ve never seen it before.
“American Idiot” runs through June 22, 2025, at The Wilbury Theatre Group, 475 Valley St., Providence (inside the WaterFire Arts Center). For ticketing information and availability, visit thewilburygroup.org.
