Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: Our shows
Idiot heaven: opening night on Broadway
posted by Bert Reptile on Thu, Apr 29, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Our shows
Kristin Cato, Berkeley Rep’s bookkeeper, was part of the Theatre’s delegation to New York for the Broadway opening of American Idiot. You can see Kristin in the photo below (courtesy of Mina Morita), her head poking through almost dead center. The group includes, from left, Mary Susskind, Terence Keane, Sally Smith, Amy Potozkin, Kristin, Emika Abe, Maggi Yule, Tom Pearl, Andrew Susskind, Karen Racanelli, Christine Bond, and Susan Medak.
Below are Kristin's observations of this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Ah, the hum and beat of New York. Taxicab blurs and Times Square’s over-sized phantasmagoria of molten corporate psychedelia splatters across skyscraper. It’s the ‘hood where musical theatre still lives large. And it’s an ironically glamorous, frenetic, yet apt setting for American Idiot, a tale of an underbelly youth’s false start in the metropolis of his (broken) dreams. After all, the youth does belt out “One nation controlled by the media/Information age of hysteria” in the opening number.
Being a big fan of the show during its Berkeley run, I had been hankering for months to see the Broadway production, and had contemplated an overdue visit to the Big Apple. So naturally I was thrilled to win a ticket to opening-night festivities in a staff lottery. What a gift and opportunity! Thank you, lottery goddesses!
About a dozen of my fellow Berkeley Rep co-workers also flew in from the Bay Area. We met up at the legendary Sardi’s next door to the St. James Theatre for a pre-show reception, compliments of Board member Sally Smith. I gazed around at caricatures of the famous – past and present – plastering the walls of this dark-wooded restaurant. I easily spotted the hand-drawn faces of Sophia Loren, Tom Brokaw, Rosie O’Donnell, and Kermit the Frog. Many others looked vaguely familiar. I had seen them in something, somewhere. Little did I know, I would be partying with Rosie O’Donnell in a couple of hours, alongside Serena Williams, Michael J. Fox, a host of TV stars, and of course, Green Day and the American Idiot cast. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
It was time to head to the theatre!
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Girlfriend extends through May 16!
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, Apr 23, 2010
in At the theatre , Our shows
Critics and audiences are in love with Berkeley Rep's new Girlfriend, and now this world-premiere musical event is extending for one week, through May 16! Tickets go on sale today!
Added performances are
- Thursday, May 13 at 8pm
- Friday, May 14 at 8pm
- Saturday, May 15 at 5pm & 9pm
- Sunday, May 16 at 7pm
Visit our online box office or call the box office at 510 647-2949 to order your tickets today! Box office hours are noon to 7pm Tuesday-Sunday.
Critics have been writing love notes to Girlfriend, which features music and lyrics by Matthew Sweet and a book by Todd Almond. The San Francisco Chronicle calls the show "an exhilarating joy," while the San Jose Mercury News describes it as "a delicate gem." The San Francisco Examiner raves, "A rare treat—authentic, intimate and romantic, and, as the ‘I’ve Been Waiting’ lyric goes, ‘perfect in so many ways.’"
And the great reviews just keep coming. Here are a few more.
Above photo: Jason Hite (left) and Ryder Bach in the world-premiere musical Girlfriend at Berkeley Rep. Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com.
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American Idiot opens on Broadway to rave reviews!
posted by Chad Jones on Thu, Apr 22, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Our shows
American Idiot nearly blew the lid off the St. James Theatre when it opened in New York Tuesday night. From Berkeley Rep to Broadway, and the reviews are amazing! Here are a few.
"Invigorating, moving, and thrilling! Performed with galvanizing intensity by a terrific cast, the emotional charge is as memorable as the music. A true rock opera!" — Charles Isherwood, New York Times
"A groundbreaking musical event! Told with a soaring theatricality that stretches the boundaries of what's possible on Broadway, American Idiot is a global knockout!" — Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"It will electrify and overwhelm your senses! This adrenalized gut-punch of a musical holds you in its white-knuckle grasp." — David Cote, Time Out New York
"The first great musical of the 21st century!" — Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Times-Star
The cast recording was released Tuesday as well. Green Day appears on the album, and Billie Joe Armstrong sings alongside the actors you saw in Berkeley.
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Video message to the Broadway Idiots
posted by Chad Jones on Tue, Apr 20, 2010
in Backstage buzz , Our shows
The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre's Teen Council created a message to the cast, creative team, and crew of American Idiot, which opens tonight at the St. James Theatre.
To catch you up on all things American Idiot, here are a few good links:
Billboard's cover story, which includes a good video interview
And here's an MTV clip called From Punk Rock to Rock Opera (some of the shots are from Berkeley Rep rehearsals, and if you look sharp, you can catch a glimpse of Artistic Director Tony Taccone — in a red tie):
Watch MTV's half-hour documentary American Idiot on Broadway.
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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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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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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.
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The other Strange Devices cast
posted by Megan Wygant on Thu, Apr 1, 2010
in Our shows
How many of you saw the animated film production of Coraline?
I ask because I very much had a similar experience to the title character yesterday.
Only without the buttons
And with Champagne.
So, in other words, a significantly better experience than Gaiman’s hero ('though I wouldn’t mind having the cat come for a visit).
You see, every production at Berkeley Rep is fully understudied — every actor has a double, charged with learning the lines, memorizing the blocking, and generally taking it upon themselves to prepare so that if a member of the cast falls ill (it happens), the show will still go on. These understudies are actors that you might have seen in local productions elsewhere. They tend to be newer to acting than the people they’re understudying, but they are committed, driven, and talented.
The understudies sit in on early production rehearsals, but their work begins in earnest once the show has opened. They have unlimited privileges to attend the show, and most attend night after night, absorbing nuances and mannerisms, dialect and intonations. They also gather once a week to rehearse the show together, on the stage where they might, someday, perform.
The group for Concerning Strange Devices from the Distant West was quickly dubbed the "wunderstudies" — they arrived for their first rehearsal either completely (or very nearly) off-book, with much of the blocking already memorized. Quite literally from day one, any one of them was ready to go on, should it be required. Luckily, of course, their services weren't required, but all that preparation, we felt, shouldn't go un-used.