Yes, it sounds like a bad April Fool’s Day joke, but apparently it’s legit. The production is being staged at the Berkley Repertory Theatre in California and if that goes okay, there’s talk of bringing it to Broadway.
The director of Broadways Spring Awakening, and Tony Award winner Michael Meyer will take on the 2004 punk epic along with the Earl of Eyeliner and front man Billie Joe Armstrong.
According to RockDaily.com Meyer and his co-producer Tom Hulce used Green Day’s album as the inspirational piece for their award winning play 'Spring Awakening'. From this, Myers approached Green Day offering them a Broadway deal and it seems the punk/rock act has accepted with three cheers. Apparently Armstrong has been highly involved with the production and has written the majority of the orchestra music as well.
The Broadway production will focus on the coming of age in the United States post 9/11 paranoia, and the whole horror of the Afghanistan/ American invasion shabarkle. The album follows the ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ as he morphs into a violent, drug dealing alter ego known as’ St. Jimmy’ and falls for his rebellious girlfriend ‘Whatsername’.
Armstrong says, “It’s not the most linear story in the world.”
The album ‘American Idiot’ produced by Rob Cavallo sold more than 12 million copies and topped charts in over 26 countries.
Top-rated tracks such as ‘ Boulevard of Broken Dreams’and ‘ Wake me Up When September Ends,’which will also feature in the play.
According to the New York Times, The American Idiot musical was inaudibly constructed twice in 2008 in New York City to work out the orchestration and choreography.
Green Day finally gave the play big the green lights and the play is set to open later this year.
Billie-Joe told the NYT, ‘It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s what I love about it. When people see it, it’s going to be my wildest dream.’
They aren’t the only bands to be taking their music to the centre stage - U2 are working on music for a 'Spider-Man' stage play, and Michael Jackson’s 'Thriller'will hit Broadway as a full-on musical.
Green Day is also releasing their eighth studio album entitled ‘21st Century Breakdown’, which will be released on May 15th. The band will also begin their world tour at the debut of their play.
And we can't waits!!!! Speaking with the New York Times about the musical, Armstrong was upbeat. "It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s what I love about it. When people see it, it’s going to be my wildest dream". ‘American Idiot’ revitalised the punk band’s career when it was released in 2004 and has since gone on to sell something like 13 million copies.
Copyright : MTV Australia
