
Casting has been announced for the upcoming national tour of Green Day’s AMERICAN IDIOT, the explosive Broadway hit called “wonderfully raucous” and “emotionally charged” by The New York Times, which will make its Raleigh premiere January 31 – February 5, 2012 at Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
Original Broadway cast member Van Hughes will star as Johnny, a role in which he concluded AMERICAN IDIOT’s Broadway run, along with original Broadway cast member Joshua Kobak as St. Jimmy, 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.
AMERICAN IDIOT will also feature Talia Aaron, Krystina Alabado, Gabriel Antonacci, Larkin Bogan, Matt DeAngelis, Dan Gleason, Kelvin Moon Loh, Tommy McDowell, Jillian Mueller, Jarran Muse, Vince Oddo, Okieriete Onaodowan and Kaitlyn Terrill.
“I am thrilled that we get to share AMERICAN IDIOT with audiences across North America,” said director Michael Mayer. “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, Joshua Kobak and Leslie McDonel along with many wonderful and talented new additions to the AMERICAN IDIOT family.”
AMERICAN IDIOT, a 2010 Tony Award®-nominated Best Musical and 2010 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Show Album, features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The book is by Armstrong and Michael Mayer and direction is by Tony Award®-winner Mayer (“Spring Awakening”).
The show is choreographed by Olivier Award-winner Steven Hoggett (“Black Watch”) with music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Kitt (“Next to Normal”). The tour features Tony Award®-winning scenic design by Christine Jones and Tony Award®-winning lighting design by Kevin Adams.