Young adults decked out in Vans sneakers, belting rock music in front of an unapologetic backdrop of political headlines is not the first thing someone always imagines for a college musical, but for “American Idiot” it works.
Citrus students performed “American Idiot” at Haugh Performing Arts Center on Thursday night, and while the choice of the show was daring for the department in its unapologetic content of sex, drugs and rock and roll, the show was a success.
“American Idiot” is one of the more contemporary shows HPAC have done in recent years, and this show proves the department should continue making more daring choices. Between the powerhouse vocalists or the complex set design, HPAC made it clear they are not only prone to doing cliche musicals.
What really stood out among the frenzy of the head-bashing cast were the women of “American Idiot”.
Amaris Griggs as Whatsername, Domenique Dominguez as St. Jimmy and Nayoko Edwards as Heather brought the show to its full potential whenever they were on stage.
Dominguez’s character St. Jimmy played a figment of Johnny’s, played by Richard Bermudez, imagination. Dominguez darkened the once light and comical show by courting Johnny with the compelling use of drugs, and in general, dragging him down the wrong path. She was playing devil’s advocate, but as one of the highlights of the show with her confident aura and intense belting, one can find themselves rooting for St. Jimmy.
Griggs and Edwards brought out the softer side of the show, but when it needed it the most. Griggs and Edwards led songs “Last Night on Earth” and “21 Guns”; both performers sought out a more vulnerable light to the show which made it more memorable than other performances.
Griggs as Whatsername plays the love interest of Johnny; she is nameless in the show despite offering one of the best performances throughout the production. Griggs’s voice is booming but charismatic and seeks the audience’s admiration. The audience watches the peak of their relationship along with their downfall when the two get trapped in a whirlwind of drugs and the implications of St. Jimmy.
The chemistry between Griggs and Bermudez flourishes, but at the point when the couple is inevitably at a point of doom, watching Griggs devastatingly sing during “21 Guns” is translated as a true heartbreak.
John Patrick’s set design was one of the most memorable parts of “American Idiot”. His design was based on making the set as alive as the cast was. Sometimes pieces would be moving in and out of the audience view, or sometimes dead center in the middle of the stage, and constantly switching up on the audience. Since the content of the show itself was so chaotic, making the set equally disruptive was a key element of the show.
“American Idiot” is only at HPAC for one weekend, but with its fanatical arrangement of rock music, dark themes and solid performers, it confirms Citrus could continue down the path of performing more contemporary shows.
