Starting January 1st, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong will return to the stage on Broadway for the musical American Idiot. The musical, of course, is based off Green Day’s eponymous album from 2004.
The move is said to be good news for the show’s producers, as the musical has struggled at the box office for most of its seven months since opening. Last week, the show filled just over half its seats and grossed a mere $600,000. The hope is that Armstrong’s presence will spike ticket sales to the levels that American Idiot reached when Armstrong played the role of ‘seductive rebel’ St. Jimmy for a surprise one-week stint from September 27 – October 3. That week, the show played to 93 percent capacity and grossed $1.1 million – a huge difference from ticket sales without him).
The timing is great, since Armstrong will be arriving during what is traditionally a slow time for Broadway – the postholiday lull when New York’s tourist load is lighter, which leads to dips in ticket sales. January is notorious for slow ticket sales which then lead to early closings of Broadway shows, as Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson will close on January 2, and the drama Time Stands Still will close on January 30.