Pay for a Broadway show and get a Green Day set as an added bonus. That is, at least, what the capacity crowd at the April 22 performance of American Idiot got.Following the full guitar-equipped cast's bow and encore, the curtain rose once more, and a "roadie" (on Broadway: union stagehand) brought out two microphone stands. The decibel level rose even higher as Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool — aka Green Day — took to the stage. (Their presence in the house was no secret as those seated in the orchestra section of the St. James Theatre gave them entrance applause — a tradition that theatregoers usually reserve for the onstage talent.)
Armstrong — who provides the musical with its lyrics and co-penned the book with director Michael Mayer — greeted the screaming fans: "This is my first night on Broadway!" The band then treated both young and old to their version of the show's title song — the cast and audience sang along. Ensemble member (Hair vet) Theo Stockman even attempted crowd-surfing (though only got to about row D. Sorry rockers, theatregoers are a bit unaccustomed to that). Green Day closed out the evening with a special bonus – performing "Basket Case," their 1994 hit from the album "Dookie."
American Idiot opened on Broadway April 20 following previews from March 24. The musical features John Gallagher Jr., Stark Sands, Michael Esper, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Christina Sajous, Mary Faber, Tony Vincent, Declan Bennett, Andrew Call, Gerard Canonico, Miguel Cervantes, Joshua Henry, Van Hughes, Brian Charles Johnson, Joshua Kobak, Lorin Latarro, Omar Lopez-Cepero, Leslie McDonel, Chase Peacock, Theo Stockman, Ben Thompson, Alysha Umphress, Aspen Vincent and Libby Winters.
For more information, visit AmericanIdiotOnBroadway.com
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