So Billie Joe himself is going to jump off the Broadway bridge in his American Idiot for a limited run starting tomorrow. Playbill calls it a "rare" instance of a pop star doing this on Broadway, but honestly I can't think of it ever happening with a rock musical on Broadway. Pete Townshend couldn't have jumped into Tommy to save his life. Could Frankie Valli fill in at Jersey Boys? I'm among the fans of Idiot who's not a huge fan of Green Day, so I don't feel the need to rush out and see this. But if this is a box-office stunt (and of course in showbiz, what isn't?), it's certainly a case of the creator putting himself on the line for his creation.
From what I've read about it (including the rave reviews) there don't seem to be actual characters in American Idiot, so I'm not sure how much acting is really required. I get that many acting-like things are required, like charisma and ability to commit lines and blocking to memory, but even Isherwood's rave makes the show seem essentially like a serious of poses.
ReplyDeleteRob, I hope this doesn't come across as me criticizing you, but I'm curious how one can be a fan of American Idiot but not of Green Day. What do you think of the album American Idiot? I will definitely be trying to see this, even if it is a stunt.
ReplyDeleteIsaac, the character St. Jimmy is a sinister sort of an alter ego for one of the characters, but you're right, there isn't too much acting involved beyond what Billie Joe is used to when he performs in concert.
There may not be a whole lot of acting required per se, and indeed what was best about Tony Vincent's spidery St. Jimmy is how like a "true" rock performance it is in its energy and attitude. I wonder if even Billie Joe can top it. And Linda, I'm just not a huge fan of Green Day, and hadn't really tuned in to them until this musical came along. Now I'm a won't-change-the-station-if-they're-on kind of Green Day fan.
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