By Mary Ann Bourbeau
ASBURY PARK – The board members of the newly-formed Asbury Park Theater Company were looking for the ideal show to kick off their inaugural season – something that represented what the city was all about. They found the perfect show in the punk rock musical “American Idiot,” based on Green Day’s album of the same name.
“Asbury Park is a unique city with a great rock ‘n’ roll history,” said artistic director William Whitefield, who formerly served as executive director of Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan. “We wanted to start off with a bang and do something that hasn’t been done much in local theaters. When Green Day announced they were appearing in Asbury Park at the Sea.Hear.Now festival in September, it just felt right.”
The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical will take place at the Kingsley Theater inside the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel for six performances July 1-3 and 8-10. The show is a big undertaking, but one that is worth the effort, said Bob Angelini, managing director of Asbury Park Theater Company.
“We were a bit concerned about the size of the show but knew that we could find the talent in this area to pull it off,” he said.
They sought help from singer/producer Anthony D’Amato, known professionally as Remember Jones, who is acting as the show’s production supervisor.
“When they asked me to help out, I took no time in deciding that I wanted to be a part of this,” he said. “I have been doing theater my entire life and being an Asbury Park resident, I wanted to be involved in this production. And who doesn’t love Green Day?”
The Grammy Award-winning album, “American Idiot,” tells the story of three young men, Johnny, Will and Tunny, as they attempt to break out of their mind-numbing, aimless, suburban existence. Whitefield and Angelini hope that by staging a musical aimed at a younger audience, it will instill in them a future love of theater.
Many of the cast and crew are local but come with impressive backgrounds. Choreographer Serena Soffer, an Asbury Park resident, has worked as choreographer for the rock band Panic! At The Disco and was assistant choreographer for the 2012 movie “Rock of Ages,” starring Tom Cruise. Asbury Park artist and art teacher Jason Sisino is the show’s set designer, and city resident Antonio Johnson is production stage manager. Jeremy Rotolo of Barnegat takes on the lead role of Johnny.
“Jeremy has played the role before,” said Whitefield. “He’s an excellent musician and actor. He came in and nailed the audition.”
Luke Surretsky of Nutley and Connor Closs of Middletown play Will and Tunny, respectively. Halle Ryan Lipton, Avery Gallagher, Janie Hornstein and Kim Trachtenberg are also featured in the 21-member cast.
“It’s important to us to hire as many local professionals for these positions as possible,” said Whitefield, who is also directing the show. “It is truly amazing the talent that exists right in our own backyard.”
Angelini and Whitefield, co-founders of the Asbury Park Theater Company, were set to launch their inaugural season in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that plan. The season continues in December with “Million Dollar Quartet,” based on the night Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins got together in a recording studio Dec. 4, 1956. The final production of the season will be in May 2023 with the play “American Son,” the story of an estranged bi-racial couple who confront their feelings about race and bias after their son is detained by the local police.
“We are convinced these shows will be a great fit for Asbury Park,” said Whitefield. “We’re very excited. This has been three years in the making.”
The Kingsley Ballroom in the Berkeley Hotel has been transformed into a 149-seat theater space that will be used as the company raises money to find a permanent home of its own.
“It’s very expensive to run a professional theater, and Asbury Park real estate is at a premium,” said Angelini, the former artistic director of ReVisionTheater in Asbury Park.
The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel is located at 1401 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park. Tickets are $40; a season pass for all three shows is $99. For more information, visit asburyparktheatercompany.org.
This article originally appeared in the June 30 – July 6, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
