Review: 'Green Day's American Idiot' by Landmark Student Theatre

Thomaston, CT - The teen involved in the Landmark Student Theatre at the Thomaston Opera House are presenting the program’s seventh production since the student group began in 2013. This year’s musical, the sung through GREEN DAY’S AMERICAN IDIOT, opened on Thursday evening to a full house and runs this weekend only through Aug. 10. Production manager Andrea Bingham announced during her curtain speech that the show was entirely student run and the hard work that all of the young performers and crew had put in was evident.

The musical predictably features the music of Green Day with a book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer with lyrics by Billie Armstrong. Some may say that the show is nothing more than an excuse to string together the iconic songs on the Green Day album, and that is perfectly fine with me.

“According to a recent report by the National Endowment for the Arts, ‘students who have access to the arts in or out of school also tend to have better academic results, better workforce opportunities, and more civic engagement.’ Our Student Theatre production provides opportunities for students to engage with others in their peer group, as they acquire skills in movement, voice, acting, and stage craft under the direction of local artists and professionals.” - Gary Kingsbury Chairman, Landmark Community Theatre, Inc. in the printed program

The student production is directed and choreographed by a student, the lovely and talented Rhiannon Carta. Ms. Carta (BAT BOY) did an amazing job in her directorial debut, and is a founding member of LCT Student Theatre and an educator with the program. Past choreography credits include [title of show] in Goshen, ELF, THE WHO’S TOMMY, and THE 1940’s RADIO HOUR, but this time she has outdone herself with the rocking choreography. I could not stop watching the stage full of dancers that had mastered the challenging steps and head banging that Ms. Carta had designed.

I was struck by how few of the names of the students in the cast that I recognized, meaning that many of them bravely came out to audition with little community theatre experience. Some of them listed credits in local high school productions that I have not had the good fortune to be invited to review.

The strong opening number of the title song was made even stronger by a row of only young men singing and dancing at the beginning. This musical demands a large number of strong male actor/dancer/singers and Ms. Carta gathered plenty of them.

The name of Justin Torres I definitely know and I was so happy to see him playing the leading role of Johnny, a disaffected 90s youth. Mr. Torres played Cousin Kevin last year in THE WHO’S TOMMY and at Seven Angels, as well as Scarecrow in THE WIZARD OF OZ at Seven Angels and Hunter in [title of show] with Goshen Players. He will soon play the role of Usnavi, the part he played at Torrington HS, on the TOH stage.

Zachary Geiger, who was nominated for a Halo Award for his role as Horton in SEUSSICAL at Northwestern Regional 7 HS, took on the role of Tunny and Tyler Holm (Trinculo in THE TEMPEST at Sherman Playhouse) did well as Will.

Jewell Hearon gave a strong performance in the role of Johnny’s alter ego St. Jimmy. Mr. Hearon (TOMMY, THE MIRACLE WORKER) took on the role in what will be his final year with LST as an actor. The actor also served a prop master for the show.

Emma Denihan (TOMMY) was convincing in the role of Heather, a young woman who finds herself pregnant with Will’s baby.

Calli White sang beautifully in the role of “Whatshername,” a young woman who catches the eye of Johnny in an upstairs window.

Lillianna McGrath (JOSEPH at the Warner) did very well with the role of Extraordinary Girl, a military nurse that cares for Tunny and dances in his hallucination. Jessica Learson played the role of Favorite Son, as well as appearing in the ensemble.

Kudos to each and every member of the ensemble for their well-rehearsed dancing and singing performances; the director ensured that they were involved in the action as much as possible. They include Makayla Balducci, Dance Captain Zoe Benjamin, Jada Cordero, Olivia Cordero, Sebastian Cordero (TOMMY) as Brian, Elizabeth DeCrisanti, Cayden Descourtures, Caelyn Dorsey, Jordan Elliot (Buddy in WE WILL ROCK YOU at Watertown HS, Pharaoh in JOSEPH with NTT,) Ruth Fomo (WE WILL ROCK YOU,) Morgan Griffin, Isaih Jones, Travis Lavigne, Connor Lincavicks as Theo, Camryn Lopez, Azayda Lynt, Nick Maniccia, Margaret McGuire, Ashley Meira, WAMS student Julia Mehlin (THE KING AND I, THE MUSIC MAN with Blessed Sacrament Children’s Theatre,) Katie Nemergut, Stasia Porter, Colin Quigley, Jojo Rivera, Nick Santovasi WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION with NTT,) Aili Seppa, Kati Seppa (MATILDA by LCT, TOMMY,) Olli Stamm, Samantha Thompson and Catherine Tibbo. Mr. Lincavicks and Ms. Thompson had featured roles in “Too Much, Too Soon.”

The set design made many changes to the MATILDA set and featured scaffolding for climbing. I was glad to see that the white boxes for timely projections were not overused. Instead the amazing lighting design by Tori Campbell enveloped the entire stage with rain, fire, snowfall and much more. Were there parts when everything was a bit too loud? Probably. I personally often had trouble understanding the lyrics of the Green Day pieces that I didn’t know as well. Overall, the sound design by Jared Ali worked well for the space. Tori Campbell was the tech designer, Christine Holmes and Rebekah Holmes designed the decidedly punk rock costumes and Maxwell O’Neill and Sydney Wyatt were the stage managers.

Community theatre actor Meric Martin served as music director and played guitar in the pit with the mostly student musicians. Decan O’Rourke also played guitar, Josh Rodis played bass, Maggie Schnyer and Caran Manolo played violin and Thomas Duffany was on piano. Shout outs to Charley Marenghi on drums and Julie Hasler for her skillful playing of the cello line. I loved the final number with six cast members playing acoustic guitars onstage for "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" when you could hear the lovely harmony of the voices.

Many local community theatre actors came out to support their younger counterparts on opening night. I saw Tony Leone, who played St. Jimmy in the excellent Warner Theatre production of AMERICAN IDIOT and the lovely Michelle Gotay often seen at Seven Angels. Next up by Landmark will be IN THE HEIGHTS with Mr. Torres reprising his role of Usnavi that opens on Sept. 21.

Be forewarned that AMERICAN IDIOT is presented without an intermission, but it runs approximately 90 minutes. There is plenty of foul language and scenes of drug use, making it inappropriate for young children. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for both seniors and students. Box office is 860 283-6250 M-F 1-6pm & Sat. 1-4pm. The Opera House is located at 158 Main St. in Thomaston. www.landmarkcommunitytheatre.org

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.

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