Melissa Etheridge will be taking Billie Joe Armstrong’s place as “St. Jimmy” in the show while the Green Day singer is off taking care of other business.
Armstrong had signed on to do 50 performances in the show, starting January 1 through to February 27, with some down time in that window.
The New York Times reports Etheridge will take over the role for one week, Feb. 1 to 6, in between Armstrong’s appearances running Tuesday to Jan. 30 and Feb. 10 to 27.
The director, Michael Mayer, who also wrote the book of the show with Mr. Armstrong, said in a statement: “Billie Joe and I always believed that it would be incredible to have a woman take on the role of St. Jimmy. This character is seductive, thrilling and dangerous. Melissa Etheridge is all that and so much more.”
As St. Jimmy, Etheridge will add her vocals to such Green Day songs as “Last of the American Girls,” “Last Night on Earth” and “Know Your Enemy.”
Mr. Armstrong has proved box-office gold every week that he has played St. Jimmy; he did not perform in the musical last week, for instance, and its grosses dipped by about one-third — or $332,598 — compared to the week before when he was performing in the role.
In June, Etheridge joined the cast of the musical “Million Dollar Quartet” for a special jam session at the finale of the show; the “American Idiot” role calls for a much fuller performance, as St. Jimmy is a featured character in the show whose numbers include some extensive choreography.
American Idiot (The Original Broadway Cast Recording) - Green Day Billie Joe Armstrong & Cast – St. Jimmy
American Idiot on Broadway
St. James Theatre, NYC – September 29, 2010
See also:
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VIDEO: Green Day release trailer for live album package
Green Day to release live album in March
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Green Day: Billie Joe returns to Broadway in January
