American Idiot . . . in Boise?

Until a few weeks ago, this blog post was originally going to be about how American Idiot would never come to Boise. This idea started to formulate after I saw the show on tour in Seattle last June. Dan and I had already seen it while it was still on Broadway in New York. We figured it would never come to Boise, so when we saw it was going to be in Seattle last summer, we decided to head west.

Then I saw Rock of Ages in Boise earlier this year, and I started thinking about my blog post again.

"That was kind of edgy for Boise," I said. "Do you think that bodes well for American Idiot or Spring Awakening coming here on tour sometime?"

"It was edgy in a thirteen-year-old bathroom sex humor way," Dan pointed out. "I think Boise's okay with that."

So I had resigned myself to the fact that edginess with mullets (Rock of Ages) was more acceptable to Boise audiences than a commentary on the lack of sex education in the lives of our youth (Spring Awakening) or religious satire (Book of Mormon) or post-9/11 criticism of George W. Bush and the Iraq War (American Idiot). Yes, Avenue Q had come to Boise a few years ago, and it had a simulated sex scene . . . but with puppets.

After Avenue Q, it seemed like we started getting a lot of My Fair Lady and Fiddler on the Roof. It was like Boise was scared back into wearing the chastity belt again. Don't get me wrong. I still love the classics. I'm a musical theater nut. But I think my husband said it best when he commented on a middle-aged couple in front of us who stayed seated during the American Idiot curtain call in Seattle.

"People should like American Idiot," Dan said. "At least it has something to say. Most musicals don't have anything to say."

Then, just as I was getting ready to write this post, I heard that American Idiot was, in fact, coming to Boise - as a season extra - for only one night.

"Maybe it's start!" I said to Dan after jumping around the living room. "Maybe there's still hope for the Spring Awakenings and Book of Mormons and Next to Normals in Boise, Idaho!"

"I don't know . . ." Dan said.

"We said that about American Idiot four weeks ago."

"Green Day's pretty popular though," he said.

I paused.

"Are you sure you want to see it a third time?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said without hesitation. "We need to buy tickets so they will know there is support in Boise for edgier shows."

You know, those shows that have something to say.

St. James Theater in New York, our first American Idiot experience with the original Broadway cast

After seeing American Idiot, for the second time, on tour in Seattle

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