Berkeley Rep Blog
Critics have a crush on our Girlfriend!
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, Apr 16, 2010
in At the theatre
Here at the Theatre, we've been crushing on Girlfriend for weeks. Now that the show has officially had its world premiere, we're sharing the love -- and so are the critics!
Here's a sampling of what they had to say. Click on the links to read the full reviews.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
"Beguiling... Love is in the air at Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage. Throbbing teen hormones burst through the power-guitar chords and yearning anticipation trembles in the lyrics of Matthew Sweet's songs. The flayed-skin raw nerves of adolescent insecurity and the awkwardness of first romance inform every glance, gesture and warbled note in the performances of Ryder Bach and Jason Hite... It's a very different, much more intimate musical than the Rep's previous two, Stew's dynamic, art-rock Passing Strange and the extra-high-powered American Idiot, both of which moved to Broadway. Author, vocal arranger and co-orchestrator Todd Almond uses the melodic rock ballads and mood of Sweet's 1991 album, Girlfriend, to craft a gentle, heartfelt, two-character chamber musical that celebrates the pain and joy of first love between gay teens in early '90s small-town Nebraska... The music, two attractive actors, and music director, keyboard player and vocalist Julie Wolf's electrifying four-woman band make it an exhilarating joy."
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Bid online for American Idiot items!
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, Apr 14, 2010
in Events , News
Today, as Green Day’s American Idiot takes Broadway by storm, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre announces a rare opportunity for fans to bid on exclusive items from the show’s world-premiere run in California. Four collectors’ items — including a guitar autographed by Green Day and the Berkeley Rep cast — will be available for 10 days on eBay beginning today, Wednesday, April 14. All proceeds from the auction benefit Berkeley Rep, a nonprofit theatre company dedicated to developing exhilarating new plays like American Idiot, Girlfriend, and Passing Strange.
The auction — which can be accessed at www.berkeleyrep.org/IdiotAuction — begins at 7pm PT today (Wednesday, April 14) and concludes at 7pm PT on Saturday, April 24. Berkeley Rep will receive 100 percent of the auction’s proceeds.
The auction includes the following hot items:
- A brand-new Epiphone LP Jr guitar autographed by all three members of Green Day and the Berkeley cast of American Idiot as they recorded a new version of “21 Guns” at the band’s Jingletown Studios in November 2009.
- A framed 20" x 30” photo of the original rendering for the show’s four-story set — with its sky-high walls, rolling stairs, punk posters, television monitors, and dangling car — created by Scenic Designer Christine Jones, who earned a Tony Award nomination for her work on Spring Awakening.
- A mixed-media collage of fabric swatches, photos, and sketches created by Costume Designer Andrea Lauer as she invented the outrageous outfit — including striped armband and pink combat boots – worn by Obie Award-winning actress Rebecca Naomi Jones, who portrays Whatsername (the collage is signed by Ms. Lauer and framed alongside a photo of Ms. Jones from the Berkeley run taken by renowned theatre photographer Kevin Berne).
- A similar collage by Ms. Lauer that features photos, drawings, and images of Whatsername alongside other characters from the show portrayed by Tony Vincent (St. Jimmy), Joshua Henry (The Favorite Son), and Libby Winters (ensemble).
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Playing for Team Girlfriend
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, Apr 14, 2010
in At the theatre
The new musical Girlfriend has its official world premiere tonight, and here's something we know to be true about great musical experiences: people desire a souvenir.
We are happy to oblige with a full line of Girlfriend gear that includes Matthew Sweet CDs and the debut album from singer/songwriter Todd Almond (whose brilliant idea it was to turn Matthew's classic album into a show).
We also have T-shirts. Oh, how we love the T-shirts.
In honor of the baseball theme running through the show, we offer a baseball jersey-style tee with tan 3/4 sleeves and "Girlfriend" across the chest (complete with a swoopy G) and the Berkeley Rep logo on the left sleeve.
A second baseball-style tee features navy blue 3/4 sleeves and one of Matthew's greatest lyrics: "I didn't think I'd find you perfect in so many ways" from the song "I've Been Waiting" (which happens to be the first song in the show). The Girlfriend and Berkeley Rep logos are on the back.
But wait! There's more!
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American Idiot cast album now streaming!
posted by Chad Jones on Tue, Apr 13, 2010
in News , Our shows
The American Idiot original Broadway cast recording will be released on Tuesday, April 20 — the same day of the show's official opening at the St. James Theatre. The album, on the Reprise Records label, will be available at all the usual digital download locations as well as in old-fashioned stores.
You can listen to the album in its entirety on the MTV website (where the album is being sold for $16.99 pre-order). You can also listen to 30-second samples at Amazon, where the downloaded album is listed at $13.99.
Promotional material for the album reports that the cast of American Idiot is accompanied by Green Day.
And don't forget: MTV airs an American Idiot special beginning this Thursday, April 16, at 7pm. Find out more.
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Idiot's Tom Kitt nabs a Pulitzer
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, Apr 12, 2010
in News , Our shows
When the Pulitzer Prizes were announced this morning, a name familiar to Berkeley Rep audiences topped the list in the drama category.
Tom Kitt, who provided orchestrations, arrangements, and musical supervision for the world premiere of American Idiot last fall, shared the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Next to Normal with his collaborator, Brian Yorkey, who wrote the book and lyrics. Next to Normal, which is still running on Broadway, is a rock musical about a woman dealing with bipolar disorder. Alice Ripley, who stars as the troubled suburban mom, won a 2009 Tony Award for her performance. Tom and Brian won a Tony for their score, and Tom also won in the orchestrations category.
Among the finalists recognized by the Pulitzer committee for the dramatic prize were Sarah Ruhl for In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), which was commissioned and premiered by Berkeley Rep before it headed to Broadway; The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph.
Next to Normal is only the eighth musical to win the Pulitzer for Drama since the award was established in 1916. Here are the others.
Of Thee I Sing (1931-32)
South Pacific (1949-50)
Fiorello (1959-60)
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961-62)
A Chorus Line (1975-76)
Sunday in the Park with George (1986-85)
Rent (1995-96)
Huge congratulations to Tom and the entire Next to Normal team.
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The hum of the Idiot machine
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, Apr 9, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Our shows
Now that Green Day's American Idiot is in previews on Broadway, all kinds of news is pouring out of the St. James Theatre.
To say that there's a lot of buzz surrounding the official opening on April 20 would be a severe understatement. Below you'll find links to a contest and some of the major stories about the show as well as a couple of videos.
Time is running out on MTV's contest to give 300 of Green Day's biggest fans a chance to win tickets to American Idiot on April 22. Visit the MTV site for details and to fill out an entry form. Your deadline is this Sunday, April 11.
Here's Green Day interviewed in New York magazine.
Here's a piece on the show from the New York Times.
And finally, if you have HBO, set your DVRs: Billie Joe Armstrong will be on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher at 10pm tonight (Friday, April 9) along with Alice Waters and Chris Rock.
And now for some videos.
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Love, music, and Girlfriend cocktails!
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, Apr 8, 2010
in
Raise a glass to young love in honor of Girlfriend,
the small-town love story set to classic songs by Matthew Sweet. Our
creative mixologists, inspired by the music and romance filling the
stage, invite you to flirt with these sweet libations.
- The Varsity Slugger
Our spin on the Hurricane is a home run. Light and dark Bacardi rums pitch in with passionfruit syrup, orange juice, and a splash of grenadine for a cocktail that really packs a punch! - The First Love
We can't bottle the first blush of love, but we can pour a pretty close approximation. Skyy vodka provides the spark, while lemonade and raspberry liqueur take care of the sweet talk in this berry refreshing liquid romance. - The Nebraska Plains
The beauty of a wheat field meets that cool Midwestern sensibility in our Nebraska-style shandy: mix it up with wheat-based Pyramid hefeweizen and bubbly lemon-lime soda.
Click here for a list of all the delectable treats you'll find at the lobby cafe.
Love in the lobby
While attending a Berkeley Rep show, we aim to entertain our patrons even before they head into the Theatre to watch the show.
With that in mind, you can share your memories of first love and the music you associate with that love and become part of our lobby display!
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Grizzly beginnings... and happy endings
posted by Terence Keane on Wed, Apr 7, 2010
in Our shows
In my last post, I wrote about our plans to create an iconic image of a couple in a convertible up on lovers' lane to promote our production of Girlfriend. So many people offered to loan us classic cars for the shoot, that we actually could afford to be picky. We selected a Chrysler letter car, the perfect red convertible from the '50s with a smooth creamy interior, owned by a generous gent from Richmond named Henry.
After all the work we did running around town to find that ideal car, we had to find the right location as well. This is one of the fun parts of my job: trying to track down places within a few miles of the theatre that can pass for France, England, Pennsylvania, Japan, or (in this case) Nebraska.
I drove around with Kevin, our photographer, making him car-sick on windy roads while we looked for lovers' lane. Eventually we found a pull-out up on Grizzly Peak Boulevard that was just perfect. It had a clear view which, under the right weather conditions, would offer up nothin' but blue sky and sunset. And it had a sweet tree that reached romantically into the frame. We had our car. We had our location. All systems were go.
The day arrived and the weather was gorgeous. As the actors got into their clothes at the costume shop, Kevin and I were up on Grizzly Peak setting up for the shoot. But five minutes before he was supposed to arrive with our precious convertible, Richard called to say that the darn thing wouldn't start! He apologized profusely and promised to be there as soon as possible with one of his other cars. But that would take 40 minutes at least, and by then the sun might be down...
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Girlfriend gets Goode
posted by Chad Jones on Tue, Apr 6, 2010
in At the theatre , Backstage buzz
During the last few weeks, one of the great pleasures of being at Berkeley Rep is the catchy Matthew Sweet music pouring out of the rehearsal hall. Singing along to the strains of "Evangeline" or "I've Been Waiting" has been embraced as part of the daily routine here as the actors, musicians, and creative team build Girlfriend, Todd Almond's take on the Matthew Sweet album of the same name.
Watching director Les Waters work with actors Jason Hite and Ryder Bach has been fascinating. With only two actors in the show, a tremendous amount of attention is paid to every minute detail (yet another reason why it's so great this show is on the intimate Thrust Stage). Add in the wonderful work of choreographer Joe Goode, and you've got an even more fascinating creative process.
Girlfriend, which begins previews this Friday (April 9) and opens Wednesday, April 14, is like American Idiot in that it's a world-premiere rock musical based on a beloved album full of great songs. But that's really where the comparisons end. Girlfriend is small-scale and romantic and features a phenomenal, all-girl band. This is a musical, but it's not a traditional musical, and the choreography is a long way from high kicks and jazz hands.
Les says Joe is the perfect choreographer for Girlfriend because, "his style always uses movement in service of storytelling and character. This touching and genuine story about two teenage boys falling in love needs a light touch, and he knows how to combine dance and narrative in ways that no one else can. Having him in the rehearsal hall has been a delight."
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Can my Girlfriend borrow your car?
posted by Terence Keane on Mon, Apr 5, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Our shows
Guillermo’s 1975 Chevrolet
Our next show, Girlfriend, is a boy-meets-boy love story. The guys in the play — like many teenagers — spend most of their time just driving around. They go to the drive-in. They park out under the stars. They sing along to the radio while speeding down lonely roads. They "cruise the Butte."
So when it came time to take a publicity photo for the show, we knew we needed just one prop: a car. We wanted to create an iconic image of young love — a couple sitting in a convertible up on lovers' lane — and make people do a double take when they realized it was queer. Wait, is that two guys?
The director, Les Waters, agreed it was a great idea. But that brought me back to a little problem: where was I going to get a classic convertible to use for the picture? It's not like we have one lying around with the other props in our warehouse.