American Idiot at Hayfield Secondary School

When you think of American Idiot, the first thing that pops into your head is probably not a Tony, Grammy, and Drama Desk Award-winning Broadway musical. Instead, you probably pictured the immensely popular rock band headed up by Billie Joe Armstrong. However, the Broadway adaptation, which is written by Green Day and based on the album by the same name, is equally thought-provoking and important. Telling the story of three young adults trying to find meaning in a post-9/11 world, the musical uses songs from Green Day -both from the American Idiot album and others- to tell a story of love, loss, and home.

American Idiot is known for being a difficult show, in reference to both technique and subject matter. But pull it off, Hayfield Secondary School does. The Hayfield Dramahawks grab the metaphorical bull by the horns and tackle the controversial subjects of this musical with full force. Realistic stories of teen pregnancy, drug addiction, and struggling to find yourself far away from the world you know are portrayed with a level of professionalism and flair you simply don’t find at every high school. The three leads of the show, Johnny (Corbin Cheng Ferrell), Tunney (Evan Holt), and Will (Max von Kolnitz) each expertly weave their own, vastly different, stories; however, they all deal with the same themes: rage and love.

As someone whose high school has also performed this show, I can whole-heartedly say that American Idiot changes the lives of all those involved with the production, and that is because the characters and story are all so raw, so relatable, and so realistic. This, of course, is brought to life by the talented cast, who absolutely leave their hearts on the stage. Personal favorite moments of mine include St. Jimmy (Brooke Smith)’s entrance in the similarly named song -which turned the whole show to an 11- Whatsername (Rachel Sinniger)’s show-stopping performance of Letterbomb, and the tear-jerking rendition of 21 Guns.

You might notice that each of these highlights were songs, and that’s because this show doesn’t play like a bunch of scenes with songs sprinkled in, but instead like a rock concert featuring a plot. The energy that radiates off the cast -especially when the full 30+ people ensemble is onstage with them- during flashy songs like Jesus of Suburbia or St. Jimmy gets the entire audience ready to rock out in the isles, while the softer and more intimate moments such as Novocain or Boulevard of Broken Dreams beg for all phone flashlights to be out and waving.

Not all credit can be given to the actors and writers, though. One of the most important characters in the whole show was the lighting, designed by Vincent Pilone and Joseph Page, truly heightening any moment happening onstage. Whether it was patriotically-colored lights for Favorite Son or the drab and simple lighting to reflect Johnny’s life in the suburbs, every moment that was good was made better with the help of the lighting crew. The set (designed by Miranda Asbury) also serves as a fun and helpful addition, acting almost like a giant obstacle course for the actors to expertly weave through, hang on, and slide down. With these two tech elements working effortlessly together, the show is taken to a whole new level.

American Idiot’s final show at Hayfield Secondary School is Saturday, November 10th and 7 PM, and tickets can be purchased at http://www.hayfielddrama.com. Trust me when I say that it is not a show you will want to miss.

P.S., while the prospect of ducking out during bows in order to beat traffic may seem enticing, be warned, there is a very sweet, whole-cast rendition of Good Riddance that is not to be missed.