After a record-breaking run at the Berkley Rep, Green Day's rock opera American Idiot made its Broadway debut on Tuesday night, and to mark the occasion the show's producers staged a rock 'n' roll-style shindig. Strewn with slushie machines, paper-covered tables, and what one guest referred to as "stoner food," the intentionally downscale affair packed nearly 1,500 people—including Rosie O'Donnell, the three members of the band, and the musical's cast and crew—into Roseland Ballroom following the show at the St. James Theatre.
With a story told mostly through songs from the Green Day album of the same name, the 95-minute American Idiot—which earned a rave from The New York Times the next day—depicts the frustration and disillusionment of three suburban youths. To style the vintage concert hall as an extension of this, lead producers Tom Hulce and Ira Pittleman tapped veteran Broadway event producer Suzanne Tobak.
Making the most of Roseland's open layout and somewhat threadbare look, Tobak took some basic elements from the show's scenic design and fleshed out the rest of the event with a smattering of activities and entertainment. American Idiot's backdrop of faded rock posters and news clippings served as appropriately scrappy paper coverings for the tables, while Matthew Litwack added to the anti-establishment vibe by spray-painting a wall. To allow attendees to join in, makeup artists from Temptu provided temporary tattoos and photographer Carlos Andrés Varela set up a photo booth where guests could snap (and print) photos of themselves in front of a graffiti backdrop.
Canard's menu consisted of the kind of snacks that would satisfy the late-night cravings of rock bands and disaffected teens. Dressed like Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong, servers passed sloppy joes, miniature tacos, and cones filled with Guinness-, bourbon pecan-, and chocolate-Kahlua-flavored ice cream. More staffed hot-dog carts, slushie machines churning out drinks spiked with vodka, and buffet stations for Frito pies, Pop Tarts, and made-to-order deli sandwiches. As a whimsical touch, the event's producers created 10,000 plastic cups adorned with the date, "4/20," in imitation of 7-Eleven's red, green, and orange logo.
