National Tour of "American Idiot"
Plays Opera House
January 24 - 29, 2012

The national tour of the explosive Broadway hit "American Idiot," dubbed “wonderfully raucous” and “emotionally charged” by The New York Times, will play the Boston Opera House for a limited engagement, January 24 - 29, 2012. "American Idiot" is part of the Lexus Boston Area Dealers Broadway Across America – Boston Series.

Nominated for the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical and winner of the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, "American Idiot" tells the story of three boyhood friends, Johnny, Will and Tunny. Unhappily living in suburbia, each of the three is searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world.

The production is based on the Green Day album of the same name with lyrics by its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The book is by Armstrong and Michael Mayer with direction by the Tony Award winner Mayer (“Spring Awakening”).

The company will include original Broadway cast member Van Hughes starring as Johnny (the role in which he concluded "American Idiot's" Broadway run), along with Jake Epstein as Will, Scott J. Campbell as Tunny, original Broadway cast member Leslie McDonel as Heather, Gabrielle McClinton as Whatsername and Nicci Claspell as The Extraordinary Girl.

Ensemble members include Talia Aaron, Krystina Alabado, Gabriel Antonacci, Larkin Bogan, Matt DeAngelis, Dan Gleason, Kelvin Moon Loh, Tommy McDowell, Jillian Mueller, Vince Oddo, Okieriete Onaodowan and Kaitlyn Terrill.

Michael Mayer commented, "The creative team and I couldn't be happier with the stellar group of actors we've assembled which includes original Broadway cast members Van Hughes and Leslie McDonel along with many wonderful and talented new additions to the 'American Idiot' family."

The musical features the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the blockbuster title track “American Idiot” from Green Day’s 2004 Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album. Also included in the score are several songs from Green Day’s 2009 release “21st Century Breakdown,” and an unreleased love song, “When It’s Time.”

Producer Tom Hulce commented, “Since its inception, audiences have been surprised by the emotional journey the show takes them on, told almost exclusively through Green Day’s songs, including many they are already familiar with and love. This is such a potent time for our country; the search of our characters for what to believe in is gorgeously celebrated through Billie Joe and Green Day’s wonderfully lush score."

The show's acclaimed creative team includes choreography by Olivier Award-winner Steven Hoggett (“Black Watch”), and music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Kitt (“Next to Normal”). The Tony Award-winning scenic design by Christine Jones and the Tony Award-winning lighting design by Kevin Adams will also be featured in the tour.

"American Idiot" premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2009 and played through November of that year. In April of 2010, the musical opened at Broadway's St. James Theatre where reviews were unanimously positive, with Charles Isherwood of the New York Times calling the show “the most adventurous musical to brave Broadway in the past decade.” The Toronto Star named it “the first great musical of the 21st century!”

For tickets and information, call Ticketmaster at 1-800-982-2787 or visit www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com/Boston.