If you are a Green Day music fan or a punk rock fan in general, here is a show you will not want to miss. Coming to Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), March 5 - 7 is the stage musical "American Idiot", an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day's concept album, titled the same.
The story, chock full of energy, raw emotion and the message that friends are everything, centers around three disaffected young men; Johnny, Will and Tunny, who plan to escape suburbia – and the limitations they feel their parents set on them - to find freedom, excitement, and themselves, in the big city.
Filled with Green Day music, contemporary & energetic choreography and some very talented singers and musicians, this is a production guaranteed to keep you wide awake during the entire ninety minute production (which has no intermission.)
Casey O'Farrell , who plays Will, took some time to speak about the production and his career.
How did the son of a Nashville chiropractor end up playing Will in "American Idiot"?
You know I'm not really sure. My parents were into the arts and my mother was a singer and pianist so they encouraged me exploring my creative side, and then it just kind of worked out; moving to New York for school at AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy), getting cast in regional shows and continuing to get more work. I think it started when I found Jim Carrey. He was one of my favorite actors growing up! I like comedy and started doing impressions. That was when I was really young and then around high school I got placed into a theater course, started playing improv games and then that stuck. I haven't really done any acting in Nashville outside of high school school productions.
I read a review of American Idiot that points you out as having a particularly fine singing voice. Have you studied voice? Do you want to keep your feet planted on both sides of the entertainment spectrum?
I did start studying voice in Nashville with that man named Tracy Printice for a year before I moved to New York and my school had voice teachers that we worked with through the two-year program at AMDA, then after college it's just been kind of a trial and error process. I absolutely want to keep my feet on both sides of the spectrum. I love acting and I love singing. I mostly enjoy working in the entertainment industry in whichever facet.
If you wanted to star in a production that most represents the real you, what would it be?
I don't know if this necessarily represents me the most but I would love to play Lonnie in Rock of Ages. I think he captures the best part of my comedic side. I also really love the 80’s music. I think that would be my choice as a fun role.