Two-time Tony Award-winning musical “American Idiot” arrives on April 5 at the the Haugh Performing Arts Center. The hit performance is based on Green Day’s Grammy Award-winning album “American Idiot” released in 2004.
Citrus dance instructor Renee Liskey is the stage director and choreographer for American Idiot and Citrus instructor Sean Fitzpatrick directs music.
Liskey emphasized how this musical will be a different experience for Citrus compared to previous musicals from the past.
“This is an experiment for us over here, we haven’t done anything this edgy in quite a while,” Liskey said. “It’s going to be something new for our patrons that have been coming to our shows in prior years.”
The stage presentation for this musical will allow the audience to be a part of the show, up close and personal to all the action.
“We’re doing this in the round, the audience is actually on stage with the cast members, as supposed to them sitting in the house seats in the theatre,” Liskey said. “The entire set is built on the stage kind of backwards and the audience will be sitting in a circle on the stage with the actors.
“It’s going to be a new interesting thing for people that have been coming to the professional shows here for a long time.”
Those who are familiar or unfamiliar with Green Day will witness the songs from their American Idiot album and experience the vivid story through the unity of dancers, actors and instrumental students at Citrus College.
“Our division is really integrative as we work together, so it’s fun to watch the actors and the dancers work with instrumentalists… They work together and it’s really fun to see them come up with new ideas,” Liskey said.
Liskey said she hopes the performance will motivate people of all ages to get more out of the music emotionally and to connect with the story’s depth.
“It’s going to be a new experience for maybe a lot of our older patrons,” Liskey said. “I’m hoping that it brings in some new blood to the theatre. It’s always fun to see new people come in and start to enjoy theatre that didn’t enjoy it before.”
Liskey said her overall goal toward the performance is to allow people to open their mind to things they didn’t know about, especially towards Citrus’ Performing Arts.
“I’m hoping to bring in a new cycle of people to start enjoying the musical theatre that we offer here at Citrus,” Liskey said.
“American Idiot” will play at 7 p.m. on April 5 and 6 and 2 p.m. on April 6, with a potential fourth show to be added, if those first three shows sell out. General admission tickets are $26, Citrus students, faculty and staff may purchase two tickets for $13 each. Seniors may purchase tickets for $22. Tickets at the door cost $30 for everyone.
