It's been a rough day for Broadway's rock 'n' roll musicals. In addition to the news that U2's Bono, The Edge and producers had determined that the struggling Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark needed a new creative team, sacking director Julie Taymor, it was announced today, March 10, that Green Day's American Idiot would close on April 24. The good news? Billie Joe Armstrong will play "St. Jimmy" for the last three weeks of the show's run.
American Idiot, which began previews nearly a year ago, March 24, 2010, will have played 421 performances and 27 previews at the time of its closing. The show is set to launch a national tour this fall.
Armstrong, who wrote the musical's book based on Green Day's 2004 album American Idiot, has stepped into the role of "St. Jimmy" in the past, although the role was originated by actor Tony Vincent and Melissa Etheridge even played the role for a week this past February. The current cast also includes first season "American Idol" runner-up Justin Guarini.
As for Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, the ongoing fascination with the musical's disastrous accidents, hurt actors, technical glitches, delayed openings, bad press coverage and word-of-mouth and overall theatrical angst has made it the tottering Charlie Sheen of Broadway. Over the last few weeks, Bono and the producers staged an intervention of sorts which became official this week, pulling Taymor off the project after her alleged refusal to implement changes.
According to The New York Times and an official statement released by the show's producers earlier today (as well as a maelstrom of rumors and gossip over the last few weeks), a new creative team has been recruited. Bono and The Edge are also writing new songs for the show which will shut down for several weeks this spring for a complete overhaul, script rewrite and fresh rehearsals. The revamped Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark will open in the early summer, likely in June.
