“What sets American Idiot apart from other ‘jukebox musicals’–Mamma Mia! and its progeny–is that Green Day’s 2004 concept album was born as a musical. Rather than grafting a plot onto an arbitrary collection of songs, the show’s creators merely added a few more Green Day songs and a sprinkling of dialogue to the album’s tale of three disaffected, alienated friends: Johnny (Van Hughes,in the touring production which plays the Paramount this week) goes to New York City and finds drugs, sex, and rock ‘n’ roll; Will (Jake Epstein) stays home after getting his girlfriend pregnant; and Tunny (Scott J. Campbell) joins the army. (Iraq and Afghanistan now have their Hair.) The young cast works hard not to be outshone by Christine Jones’ Tony-winning industrial-chic set (creepily covered with TV screens which seem to be surveilling us as much as we’re watching them) and succeeds. Best of all is the music, which mood-swings from raw rage to aching neo-glam lyricism, a lesson learned from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” – Gavin BorchertPhotos by Charitie Myers.Published on June 6, 2012