[turl=http://www.greendayauthority.com/Picture_Vault/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=27629][img=021011_musical1.jpg][/turl] GDA's co-owner, J'net, was able to see Billie Joe perform on Broadway and has written this wonderfully detailed review of his performances in the show. This was definitely written for those of you who won't be able to see the show, or maybe for those of you who have and would like to re-live a little bit of it. She shares her reaction (and that of some other fans she was with) of his performances, and how his take on the character paints part of the story a little different. Click the link at the end of the paragraph to read the full thing.
I recently had the opportunity to visit the St. James Theatre in New York City three times in one weekend to see Billie Joe Armstrong perform the role of St. Jimmy, originated by the exceptional Tony Vincent. To avoid confusion and some awkward phrasing, I'll call the two portrayals "St. Billie" and "St. Tony." I've seen the show with Tony Vincent in the role many times (I'm not even sure how many), and I've seen Andrew Call perform it three times. However, I was unable to attend during the week when Billie Joe first took on the part. I was curious, eager, and a bit nervous to see how he would handle it.
Before arriving in New York, I had read very few recaps and reviews from critics or other attendees. I knew that Billie's performance was generally enjoyed. I knew about the "bleeding" lipstick, and I knew about the "screaming" that could be heard from backstage just before his first entrance. But that's about all I knew. I like to be surprised. And I was. I've gone on to write this without reading more than headlines from other reviews and brief comments on the Green Day Community forum, so I may have completely ignored some in-depth analyses that are being discussed elsewhere. But I wanted to put my own thoughts on paper without having them colored by others.
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting Billie Joe to be immediately brilliant as a Broadway actor. I know he can sing like no one else, but there's more to a successful performance in a Broadway musical than just being able to sing. Since I think of Billie as one of my family - kind of like my little brother - I attended the show with some trepidation.
The first show, January 7 matinee, I was in Row A, which is the second or third row, depending on where the seat is. I was two rows from the stage in the center section. Two of my best Green Day buddies (Beth and Omar) were on each side of me, and my son Daniel was a few seats closer to center in the same row. I saw many other Green Day fans I'd met previously, and it felt odd for this Oklahoma girl to be in a theater in New York surrounded by friendly faces. I couldn't have had better companions to share such a momentous (for me) occasion and to discuss it with afterward.
For the second show, later that night, Daniel, Omar and I were seated in the center mezzanine; and the last show I saw (on Sunday), the three of us and our friend Crystal (long lost buddy who knew nothing about the show until she saw it that afternoon with us) were sitting in the center section of the orchestra in Row J (about 10 rows back). It was great to see the (almost) exact same show from three such different perspectives. There's no doubt that each of those locations has its benefits.
I'm going to start by discussing each scene St. Jimmy appears in and my initial impressions on the first night - as well as including insights I gained later from multiple viewings or discussion with my very perceptive companions.
Before the curtain rose, I realized that life had been so hectic lately, I hadn't even been anticipating this show in the way I normally would. However, as I sat chatting with my companions and realized what I was about to see, my excitement rose. Just before the curtain did the same, an announcer's voice came over the intercom and very calmly said, ""Tonight the part of St. Jimmy will be played by Billie Joe Armstrong." That's when the realization hit me. Thankfully, I didn't scream out loud as several young girls in the audience did. There are benefits to no longer being a young girl.
I was prepared to hear screaming from backstage before St. Billie's initial entrance, though I had forgotten about it when the time came. What I was not prepared for was the ROARING that emanated from that direction! This was not high-pitched screaming as in panic - this was SCARY, deep-throated, powerful howling. Even though I knew what it was from reading previous accounts of it, I was somewhat taken aback. I thought it added to the building tension right before St. Jimmy's initial entrance. The drums, the lighting, and Johnny's delivery of his monologue all contribute to the feeling of agitation leading up to that "1, 2, 3, 4!" we all anticipate. The roaring increases it tenfold!
In later discussion, our dear friend Omar (Xoram on the Green Day Community forum) said that he felt the roaring was the sound of St. Jimmy trying to break out of Johnny's brain. What an inspired insight! That's exactly how it felt to hear those primal roars. It's an incredible experience, and I can't do justice to it with my words.
Some headlines I'd read before seeing these performances (without reading the entire review) said that Billie "erupted onto the stage" and other such powerful phrases. I have to agree that the entrance lived up to its build-up. Billie's "1, 2, 3, 4!" - the first lines he sang, were thrilling. I have to think even a non-Green Day fan would find them so.
[url=http://www.greendayauthority.com/Picture_Vault/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=27628][img=021011_musical3.jpg][/url] By the end of "St. Jimmy," the first number Billie performed in, I was feeling rather impressed with his Broadway skills. He was in excellent voice - he sounded strong and confident. He went through the number with flair, and, although it amazes me to say this, I found myself enjoying St. Billie just as much as I have loved St. Tony the many times I've seen him. One highlight was Billie's rendition of, "It's comedy ... and tragedy." His facial expressions were simply delightful during that part. I also enjoyed the way Billie's St. Jimmy dismissed all the hangers-on with a flick of his hands (this happened more than once). I don't remember St. Tony doing that - if he did, it was more subtle and went right over my head. St. Billie seems to accentuate the charisma of St. Jimmy and his power over others. When the first number ended, I found myself applauding enthusiastically and feeling pleasantly surprised. However, I personally feel "St. Jimmy" is not the number that truly reveals the strength and depth of this character, so I withheld my final verdict until later in the show.
During the transition between "St. Jimmy" and "Give me Novacaine" when Johnny's monologue focuses on shooting drugs for the first time, it became clear that St Billie's interactions with Johnny would be more physical and more overtly sexual than what we'd become used to with St. Tony. Billie licked John's face, kissed him on the lips, and used body language to demonstrate his intense feelings for Johnny. He was clearly having fun with this, and when he went to sit on Johnny's bed and beckoned him over, he gave Johnny what can only be described as a seductive "come hither" look.
St. Jimmy's second appearance comes near the end of the "Last of the American Girls"/"She's a Rebel" mashup. St. Billie sang the high notes I'd first heard from St. Tony, "She's a rebel, she's a rebel, she's a rebel, and she's holding on my heart like a hand grenade ... She's a re-e-e-e-e-bel!" so perfectly that I found myself feeling surprised by my own surprise. After all, I know Billie Joe Armstrong's voice, and I know he's an extraordinarily talented singer. However, I'd never heard him sing quite like this. I absolutely love what Tom Kitt has done with these songs, and the ending of this one is one of my favorite parts of the show. Billie more than did it justice. This was my son's first time to see this version (he saw the first preview with me in Berkeley, before "Last of the American Girls" was added into the mix). He was suitably impressed with the new arrangement and said the ending of the song with St. Jimmy singing his part amongst all the others was one of his favorite parts of the show as well.
[url=http://www.greendayauthority.com/Picture_Vault/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=27626][img=021011_musical4.jpg][/url]"Last Night on Earth" took me completely by surprise and caused me to lose my equilibrium. From the first note, sung by St. Jimmy, I realized that I was going to hear something hauntingly, poignantly beautiful. I believe I may have sighed aloud (okay, I know I did). Before the song was over, I had tears in my eyes (okay - maybe a few on my face, too). Billie's voice sounded incredibly strong and yet tender as he sang this ballad. And, though I'd always loved the way St. Tony's voice harmonized with the two women who join in, I thought this trio sounded just as lovely. I also felt the strong emotion St. Billie was experiencing as he looked down on Johnny and Whatsername.
Just before Johnny sings "When It's Time" for the sleeping Whatsername, St. Jimmy visits him with a "little bag of dope." St. Billie impressed me with the uncertainty of his delivery ... he could already feel Johnny beginning to slip away from him. He was trying to laugh and put a good face on it, but he wasn't sure everything was really okay. Johnny was obviously feeling some conflict as he accepted the gift, and St. Billie walked away, looking back frequently, and feeling troubled. Billie handled these moments very well, and sat in the shadows watching as Johnny sang the song. As with St. Tony, it was easy to see the emotions he experienced as Johnny declared his love for Whatsername just by watching his body language.
By the end of the song, St. Billie was ready to launch into "Know Your Enemy" with fury. This is the culmination of St. Jimmy's struggle to win Johnny away from Whatsername, and he is fully aware that he's fighting for his life. St. Billie raged through the song with the blood rising in his face and the tension showing in the muscles of his neck and arms. The "puppet master" motions of his arms controlled Johnny's demons in a diabolic show of manipulative power. At the end of the song, when he and Johnny roared to each other and Johnny held the knife to his own throat, it was obvious that two minds were trying to hold control over one body - a power struggle melded perfectly with the mash-up of "Know Your Enemy" and "Jesus of Suburbia."
During "21 Guns," St. Jimmy is beginning to feel a bit more confidence. He's manipulated Johnny rather successfully during "Know Your Enemy" and he's watching Whatsername trying to "rescue" Johnny without the same kind of concern he showed during "When It's Time." By the end of the song, he swaggers over to guide Johnny's hand through writing the note that will cause him to lose Whatsername, and they leave through the bathroom door with St. Jimmy laughingly sneering as he stabs the note into the door with the knife.
The transition between "21 Guns" and "Letterbomb" is the beginning of the climax of the show where Johnny spews out the words of the note he left for Whatsername as she stands below reading it. I thought this was one of the more inspired appearances of St. Billie during the show. Not only was he mouthing the words Johnny said (as St. Tony had done before him) - the words of the note that came straight from him as he guided Johnny's hand, but he was swinging on the door frame irreverently gloating - certain he'd won Johnny away from Whatsername. It was brilliant. It was perfection as a lead-in to the intensity of "Letterbomb." If I'd been Whatsername, I would have exploded with rage, too!
By the end of "Letterbomb," St. Billie was completely in his element as the hopeless lush coming home from the party and then being confused by the actions of all the angry women keeping him away from Whatsername's final moments with Johnny. During "Letterbomb", St. Billie's reaction when Johnny got taken by Whatsername was incredibly poignant. As he was climbing the stairs to exit the scene, he kept reaching in the direction of Johnny with painful longing. It accentuated what Johnny must have felt as he realized that Whatsername was leaving him. This was the moment when he had the realization that St. Jimmy must die. And the climb was horribly painful for St. Billie. He was able to evoke the feelings of loneliness, pain and dread that must come to a person whose life is running out. And that supremely beautiful piece of acting happened in the shadows.
I think this is SO important, because up until that point, Jimmy thinks he's won. He should be triumphant seeing that Johnny and Whatsername are splitting up. BUT it's not happening his way. It's not Johnny renouncing her for Jimmy. It's HER spurning Johnny because of Jimmy. Jimmy knows this signals the end of his control over Johnny.
So we come to the final appearance of St. Jimmy in the play: "Homecoming" and the Death of St. Jimmy. This is one part of the show that has always given me trouble. I saw the first preview in Berkeley, and I've seen many performances (with several changes), both in Berkeley and on Broadway since then. This is a difficult scene. I understand why it's been staged the way it is now, and I've gotten used to it. But I miss the first version - with St. Tony dying high up on the platform - the same place where we first met him. The fact that I could see the pain and the love in his eyes all the way up there made a strong impression on me and left me feeling devastated after this scene. However, both St. Tony and St. Billie have done the revised version very well. St. Billie's "bleeding" lipstick is a new touch that is quite effective, in my opinion.
[url=http://www.greendayauthority.com/Picture_Vault/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=27627][img=021011_musical2.jpg][/url]I saw intense emotion in Billie as he stood up on the platform singing the opening lines. And his delivery of "You taught me how to live," gave me chills. I'm guessing that he went back in time to the days when he wrote the song. I'm guessing that time was painful for him.
As he rode the stairway to center stage and prepared to die, he took on a more fatalistic attitude. And when he finally pulled the trigger and smiled at the result, he had such a smug look on his "mascara-tears" covered face. He made it obvious that, even though temporarily relinquishing control, he knew that Johnny would never be totally free of his influence. As he was being carried off stage, he looked back and waved - still looking smug - letting everyone know that he would return.
During these performances, I had moments of wondering how it must feel for Billie to perform songs that he wrote - songs that obviously came from his heart and soul - with other people dancing around acting out all the parts. How different this must feel from performing on a stage with Green Day. I can imagine there are times when it feels surreal.
I've decided I'm equally pleased with St. Billie and St. Tony. Each one brings something of his own to the part. St. Billie strikes me as more human - flesh and blood and breath and sweat - very sexual and seductive. St. Tony is more of a concept than a real person feeling conflict within. I love St. Tony's physical presence for this part - his physical build, haircut, coloring, and the way he used his body language. And Tony Vincent's voice can only be described as sublime. St. Tony appears more confident - more sure of his eventual success. St. Billie lets a human uncertainty and insecurity show through at times (or maybe this wasn't REALLY acting). Both interpretations are exceedingly thought-provoking. St. Tony's is more ethereally beautiful - St. Billie's is more identifiable for those of us who are mere humans. I wouldn't have wanted to miss either one. Both have enriched my American Idiot "experience" and given me food for thought that will last a good, long while.
Billie came out with the rest of the cast for curtain calls and the encore, "Good Riddance." He was relaxed and chatty - obviously enjoying himself and clowning around a bit. He spoke a few words each night, notably announcing the 300th performance of the show and "Mikey's" Broadway debut. It must be a lovely feeling for him to have a successful show on Broadway, to perform in it himself, and to do such a surprisingly good job of it.
Random Notes
After the first St. Billie performance I saw, I went to dinner with four friends. Part of our discussion included Dawn (sallysimpson on the GDC forum) saying that it would be funny if, each night before the show started, the announcer said something like, "Tonight the part of St. Jimmy will be played by ...." We amused ourselves by thinking of "Bill" names ... Bill Maher, Prince William, Billie Jean King, Bill Schneider, Billie Holliday, etc. The third performance I saw, imagine my stunned surprise when the announcer said, right before the curtain rose, "Tonight the part of St. Jimmy will be played by ... John Mayer." I could hear the response of the audience (probably best labeled as "panic"). My own response was perplexity: "They were listening to us!" The announcer then happily said, "Actually, the part will be played by Billie Joe Armstrong." The relief in the theatre was palpable.
I was delighted to watch Aspen Vincent (wife of Tony Vincent) play the part of Extraordinary Girl at the third performance we attended. I was looking forward to watching her fly, thinking that her physical build is so unlike Christina Sajous' that the flying would be truly different. I was right - she was like a tiny little fairy sprite flying around up there. What I hadn't thought about was her voice. She has beautiful, rich voice to be coming out of such a petite woman! I very much enjoyed her performance.
I'm also always happy to see our friend Ben Thompson perform. He brings so much energy to each performance, and his beautiful voice always moves me to tears in "Before the Lobotomy." Ben is also the kind of sweet guy who stopped to chat when he saw us on a street corner after the first show we attended. We met him at the first preview in Berkeley, and we've loved him ever since.
Speaking of energy, our friend Crystal, a young actor who recently performed as the Acid Queen in a touring production of Tommy, said she couldn't stop watching Leslie McDonnell because she really liked her energy. I agree. Leslie has been such a positive addition to the cast.
Crystal also easily picked up on the fact that St. Jimmy is Johnny's alter ego. I do believe it's gotten easier over time to take that in, and I was interested in how easily she picked up on the story as a whole, being that this was her first time to see the show.
And one final note: I always forget to mention a moment during "Know Your Enemy" that I find incredibly poignant - when Will (played by the wonderful Michael Esper) comes to life and sings, "And there's nothing wrong with me - this is how I'm supposed to be - in a land of make believe that don't believe in me!" I love the way the brilliant Tom Kitt has blended bits of songs together to enrich the entire experience of American Idiot. And I love the way this amazingly talented cast performs the arrangements time after time.
All in all, it was quite a satisfactory trip for all of us who met in New York City that weekend. St. Billie did us proud, and everyone else continued to blow us away in this extraordinary experience that we as Green Day fans could never have expected or predicted in March 2009 when we first heard rumblings of a Green Day musical. Looking back at the beginnings of the forum, I see people saying things like, "What are they thinking?" "I don't know if I love the idea or hate it." "This would be awesome!" and (from our beloved Angeline), "I think it's kind of a logical progression - watching Billie Joe's performance during the AI tour, I felt like he was embodying and projecting a whole cast of characters. It has the potential to be amazing, or at the very least, interesting." One of my own first comments (after chuckling at Billie saying, "... we're a bit more fruity than the Clash)," was, "I'm somewhat excited about it. I can see the difficulty in doing something theatrical with it, but I think the team doing it sounds pretty high quality, so that gives me hope for something wonderful." And it was. And it still is.
Many thanks to Omar (xoram), Dawn (sallysimpson), and Michael (Bastard_of_1967) for ideas that were inspired by our conversations after these performances.
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[turl=http://www.greendayauthority.com/projects/musical.php]History of the 'American Idiot' musical[/turl]
St. Billie Times Three
by Jeanette NewtonI recently had the opportunity to visit the St. James Theatre in New York City three times in one weekend to see Billie Joe Armstrong perform the role of St. Jimmy, originated by the exceptional Tony Vincent. To avoid confusion and some awkward phrasing, I'll call the two portrayals "St. Billie" and "St. Tony." I've seen the show with Tony Vincent in the role many times (I'm not even sure how many), and I've seen Andrew Call perform it three times. However, I was unable to attend during the week when Billie Joe first took on the part. I was curious, eager, and a bit nervous to see how he would handle it.
Before arriving in New York, I had read very few recaps and reviews from critics or other attendees. I knew that Billie's performance was generally enjoyed. I knew about the "bleeding" lipstick, and I knew about the "screaming" that could be heard from backstage just before his first entrance. But that's about all I knew. I like to be surprised. And I was. I've gone on to write this without reading more than headlines from other reviews and brief comments on the Green Day Community forum, so I may have completely ignored some in-depth analyses that are being discussed elsewhere. But I wanted to put my own thoughts on paper without having them colored by others.
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting Billie Joe to be immediately brilliant as a Broadway actor. I know he can sing like no one else, but there's more to a successful performance in a Broadway musical than just being able to sing. Since I think of Billie as one of my family - kind of like my little brother - I attended the show with some trepidation.
The first show, January 7 matinee, I was in Row A, which is the second or third row, depending on where the seat is. I was two rows from the stage in the center section. Two of my best Green Day buddies (Beth and Omar) were on each side of me, and my son Daniel was a few seats closer to center in the same row. I saw many other Green Day fans I'd met previously, and it felt odd for this Oklahoma girl to be in a theater in New York surrounded by friendly faces. I couldn't have had better companions to share such a momentous (for me) occasion and to discuss it with afterward.
For the second show, later that night, Daniel, Omar and I were seated in the center mezzanine; and the last show I saw (on Sunday), the three of us and our friend Crystal (long lost buddy who knew nothing about the show until she saw it that afternoon with us) were sitting in the center section of the orchestra in Row J (about 10 rows back). It was great to see the (almost) exact same show from three such different perspectives. There's no doubt that each of those locations has its benefits.
I'm going to start by discussing each scene St. Jimmy appears in and my initial impressions on the first night - as well as including insights I gained later from multiple viewings or discussion with my very perceptive companions.
Before the curtain rose, I realized that life had been so hectic lately, I hadn't even been anticipating this show in the way I normally would. However, as I sat chatting with my companions and realized what I was about to see, my excitement rose. Just before the curtain did the same, an announcer's voice came over the intercom and very calmly said, ""Tonight the part of St. Jimmy will be played by Billie Joe Armstrong." That's when the realization hit me. Thankfully, I didn't scream out loud as several young girls in the audience did. There are benefits to no longer being a young girl.
I was prepared to hear screaming from backstage before St. Billie's initial entrance, though I had forgotten about it when the time came. What I was not prepared for was the ROARING that emanated from that direction! This was not high-pitched screaming as in panic - this was SCARY, deep-throated, powerful howling. Even though I knew what it was from reading previous accounts of it, I was somewhat taken aback. I thought it added to the building tension right before St. Jimmy's initial entrance. The drums, the lighting, and Johnny's delivery of his monologue all contribute to the feeling of agitation leading up to that "1, 2, 3, 4!" we all anticipate. The roaring increases it tenfold!
In later discussion, our dear friend Omar (Xoram on the Green Day Community forum) said that he felt the roaring was the sound of St. Jimmy trying to break out of Johnny's brain. What an inspired insight! That's exactly how it felt to hear those primal roars. It's an incredible experience, and I can't do justice to it with my words.
Some headlines I'd read before seeing these performances (without reading the entire review) said that Billie "erupted onto the stage" and other such powerful phrases. I have to agree that the entrance lived up to its build-up. Billie's "1, 2, 3, 4!" - the first lines he sang, were thrilling. I have to think even a non-Green Day fan would find them so.
[url=http://www.greendayauthority.com/Picture_Vault/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=27628][img=021011_musical3.jpg][/url] By the end of "St. Jimmy," the first number Billie performed in, I was feeling rather impressed with his Broadway skills. He was in excellent voice - he sounded strong and confident. He went through the number with flair, and, although it amazes me to say this, I found myself enjoying St. Billie just as much as I have loved St. Tony the many times I've seen him. One highlight was Billie's rendition of, "It's comedy ... and tragedy." His facial expressions were simply delightful during that part. I also enjoyed the way Billie's St. Jimmy dismissed all the hangers-on with a flick of his hands (this happened more than once). I don't remember St. Tony doing that - if he did, it was more subtle and went right over my head. St. Billie seems to accentuate the charisma of St. Jimmy and his power over others. When the first number ended, I found myself applauding enthusiastically and feeling pleasantly surprised. However, I personally feel "St. Jimmy" is not the number that truly reveals the strength and depth of this character, so I withheld my final verdict until later in the show.
During the transition between "St. Jimmy" and "Give me Novacaine" when Johnny's monologue focuses on shooting drugs for the first time, it became clear that St Billie's interactions with Johnny would be more physical and more overtly sexual than what we'd become used to with St. Tony. Billie licked John's face, kissed him on the lips, and used body language to demonstrate his intense feelings for Johnny. He was clearly having fun with this, and when he went to sit on Johnny's bed and beckoned him over, he gave Johnny what can only be described as a seductive "come hither" look.
St. Jimmy's second appearance comes near the end of the "Last of the American Girls"/"She's a Rebel" mashup. St. Billie sang the high notes I'd first heard from St. Tony, "She's a rebel, she's a rebel, she's a rebel, and she's holding on my heart like a hand grenade ... She's a re-e-e-e-e-bel!" so perfectly that I found myself feeling surprised by my own surprise. After all, I know Billie Joe Armstrong's voice, and I know he's an extraordinarily talented singer. However, I'd never heard him sing quite like this. I absolutely love what Tom Kitt has done with these songs, and the ending of this one is one of my favorite parts of the show. Billie more than did it justice. This was my son's first time to see this version (he saw the first preview with me in Berkeley, before "Last of the American Girls" was added into the mix). He was suitably impressed with the new arrangement and said the ending of the song with St. Jimmy singing his part amongst all the others was one of his favorite parts of the show as well.
[url=http://www.greendayauthority.com/Picture_Vault/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=27626][img=021011_musical4.jpg][/url]"Last Night on Earth" took me completely by surprise and caused me to lose my equilibrium. From the first note, sung by St. Jimmy, I realized that I was going to hear something hauntingly, poignantly beautiful. I believe I may have sighed aloud (okay, I know I did). Before the song was over, I had tears in my eyes (okay - maybe a few on my face, too). Billie's voice sounded incredibly strong and yet tender as he sang this ballad. And, though I'd always loved the way St. Tony's voice harmonized with the two women who join in, I thought this trio sounded just as lovely. I also felt the strong emotion St. Billie was experiencing as he looked down on Johnny and Whatsername.
Just before Johnny sings "When It's Time" for the sleeping Whatsername, St. Jimmy visits him with a "little bag of dope." St. Billie impressed me with the uncertainty of his delivery ... he could already feel Johnny beginning to slip away from him. He was trying to laugh and put a good face on it, but he wasn't sure everything was really okay. Johnny was obviously feeling some conflict as he accepted the gift, and St. Billie walked away, looking back frequently, and feeling troubled. Billie handled these moments very well, and sat in the shadows watching as Johnny sang the song. As with St. Tony, it was easy to see the emotions he experienced as Johnny declared his love for Whatsername just by watching his body language.
By the end of the song, St. Billie was ready to launch into "Know Your Enemy" with fury. This is the culmination of St. Jimmy's struggle to win Johnny away from Whatsername, and he is fully aware that he's fighting for his life. St. Billie raged through the song with the blood rising in his face and the tension showing in the muscles of his neck and arms. The "puppet master" motions of his arms controlled Johnny's demons in a diabolic show of manipulative power. At the end of the song, when he and Johnny roared to each other and Johnny held the knife to his own throat, it was obvious that two minds were trying to hold control over one body - a power struggle melded perfectly with the mash-up of "Know Your Enemy" and "Jesus of Suburbia."
During "21 Guns," St. Jimmy is beginning to feel a bit more confidence. He's manipulated Johnny rather successfully during "Know Your Enemy" and he's watching Whatsername trying to "rescue" Johnny without the same kind of concern he showed during "When It's Time." By the end of the song, he swaggers over to guide Johnny's hand through writing the note that will cause him to lose Whatsername, and they leave through the bathroom door with St. Jimmy laughingly sneering as he stabs the note into the door with the knife.
The transition between "21 Guns" and "Letterbomb" is the beginning of the climax of the show where Johnny spews out the words of the note he left for Whatsername as she stands below reading it. I thought this was one of the more inspired appearances of St. Billie during the show. Not only was he mouthing the words Johnny said (as St. Tony had done before him) - the words of the note that came straight from him as he guided Johnny's hand, but he was swinging on the door frame irreverently gloating - certain he'd won Johnny away from Whatsername. It was brilliant. It was perfection as a lead-in to the intensity of "Letterbomb." If I'd been Whatsername, I would have exploded with rage, too!
By the end of "Letterbomb," St. Billie was completely in his element as the hopeless lush coming home from the party and then being confused by the actions of all the angry women keeping him away from Whatsername's final moments with Johnny. During "Letterbomb", St. Billie's reaction when Johnny got taken by Whatsername was incredibly poignant. As he was climbing the stairs to exit the scene, he kept reaching in the direction of Johnny with painful longing. It accentuated what Johnny must have felt as he realized that Whatsername was leaving him. This was the moment when he had the realization that St. Jimmy must die. And the climb was horribly painful for St. Billie. He was able to evoke the feelings of loneliness, pain and dread that must come to a person whose life is running out. And that supremely beautiful piece of acting happened in the shadows.
I think this is SO important, because up until that point, Jimmy thinks he's won. He should be triumphant seeing that Johnny and Whatsername are splitting up. BUT it's not happening his way. It's not Johnny renouncing her for Jimmy. It's HER spurning Johnny because of Jimmy. Jimmy knows this signals the end of his control over Johnny.
So we come to the final appearance of St. Jimmy in the play: "Homecoming" and the Death of St. Jimmy. This is one part of the show that has always given me trouble. I saw the first preview in Berkeley, and I've seen many performances (with several changes), both in Berkeley and on Broadway since then. This is a difficult scene. I understand why it's been staged the way it is now, and I've gotten used to it. But I miss the first version - with St. Tony dying high up on the platform - the same place where we first met him. The fact that I could see the pain and the love in his eyes all the way up there made a strong impression on me and left me feeling devastated after this scene. However, both St. Tony and St. Billie have done the revised version very well. St. Billie's "bleeding" lipstick is a new touch that is quite effective, in my opinion.
[url=http://www.greendayauthority.com/Picture_Vault/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=27627][img=021011_musical2.jpg][/url]I saw intense emotion in Billie as he stood up on the platform singing the opening lines. And his delivery of "You taught me how to live," gave me chills. I'm guessing that he went back in time to the days when he wrote the song. I'm guessing that time was painful for him.
As he rode the stairway to center stage and prepared to die, he took on a more fatalistic attitude. And when he finally pulled the trigger and smiled at the result, he had such a smug look on his "mascara-tears" covered face. He made it obvious that, even though temporarily relinquishing control, he knew that Johnny would never be totally free of his influence. As he was being carried off stage, he looked back and waved - still looking smug - letting everyone know that he would return.
During these performances, I had moments of wondering how it must feel for Billie to perform songs that he wrote - songs that obviously came from his heart and soul - with other people dancing around acting out all the parts. How different this must feel from performing on a stage with Green Day. I can imagine there are times when it feels surreal.
I've decided I'm equally pleased with St. Billie and St. Tony. Each one brings something of his own to the part. St. Billie strikes me as more human - flesh and blood and breath and sweat - very sexual and seductive. St. Tony is more of a concept than a real person feeling conflict within. I love St. Tony's physical presence for this part - his physical build, haircut, coloring, and the way he used his body language. And Tony Vincent's voice can only be described as sublime. St. Tony appears more confident - more sure of his eventual success. St. Billie lets a human uncertainty and insecurity show through at times (or maybe this wasn't REALLY acting). Both interpretations are exceedingly thought-provoking. St. Tony's is more ethereally beautiful - St. Billie's is more identifiable for those of us who are mere humans. I wouldn't have wanted to miss either one. Both have enriched my American Idiot "experience" and given me food for thought that will last a good, long while.
Billie came out with the rest of the cast for curtain calls and the encore, "Good Riddance." He was relaxed and chatty - obviously enjoying himself and clowning around a bit. He spoke a few words each night, notably announcing the 300th performance of the show and "Mikey's" Broadway debut. It must be a lovely feeling for him to have a successful show on Broadway, to perform in it himself, and to do such a surprisingly good job of it.
Random Notes
After the first St. Billie performance I saw, I went to dinner with four friends. Part of our discussion included Dawn (sallysimpson on the GDC forum) saying that it would be funny if, each night before the show started, the announcer said something like, "Tonight the part of St. Jimmy will be played by ...
I was delighted to watch Aspen Vincent (wife of Tony Vincent) play the part of Extraordinary Girl at the third performance we attended. I was looking forward to watching her fly, thinking that her physical build is so unlike Christina Sajous' that the flying would be truly different. I was right - she was like a tiny little fairy sprite flying around up there. What I hadn't thought about was her voice. She has beautiful, rich voice to be coming out of such a petite woman! I very much enjoyed her performance.
I'm also always happy to see our friend Ben Thompson perform. He brings so much energy to each performance, and his beautiful voice always moves me to tears in "Before the Lobotomy." Ben is also the kind of sweet guy who stopped to chat when he saw us on a street corner after the first show we attended. We met him at the first preview in Berkeley, and we've loved him ever since.
Speaking of energy, our friend Crystal, a young actor who recently performed as the Acid Queen in a touring production of Tommy, said she couldn't stop watching Leslie McDonnell because she really liked her energy. I agree. Leslie has been such a positive addition to the cast.
Crystal also easily picked up on the fact that St. Jimmy is Johnny's alter ego. I do believe it's gotten easier over time to take that in, and I was interested in how easily she picked up on the story as a whole, being that this was her first time to see the show.
And one final note: I always forget to mention a moment during "Know Your Enemy" that I find incredibly poignant - when Will (played by the wonderful Michael Esper) comes to life and sings, "And there's nothing wrong with me - this is how I'm supposed to be - in a land of make believe that don't believe in me!" I love the way the brilliant Tom Kitt has blended bits of songs together to enrich the entire experience of American Idiot. And I love the way this amazingly talented cast performs the arrangements time after time.
All in all, it was quite a satisfactory trip for all of us who met in New York City that weekend. St. Billie did us proud, and everyone else continued to blow us away in this extraordinary experience that we as Green Day fans could never have expected or predicted in March 2009 when we first heard rumblings of a Green Day musical. Looking back at the beginnings of the forum, I see people saying things like, "What are they thinking?" "I don't know if I love the idea or hate it." "This would be awesome!" and (from our beloved Angeline), "I think it's kind of a logical progression - watching Billie Joe's performance during the AI tour, I felt like he was embodying and projecting a whole cast of characters. It has the potential to be amazing, or at the very least, interesting." One of my own first comments (after chuckling at Billie saying, "... we're a bit more fruity than the Clash)," was, "I'm somewhat excited about it. I can see the difficulty in doing something theatrical with it, but I think the team doing it sounds pretty high quality, so that gives me hope for something wonderful." And it was. And it still is.
Many thanks to Omar (xoram), Dawn (sallysimpson), and Michael (Bastard_of_1967) for ideas that were inspired by our conversations after these performances.
Recent Photos From The Musical
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Related Links
[turl=http://www.greendayauthority.com/projects/musical.php]History of the 'American Idiot' musical[/turl]
