The Living End’s Chris Cheney and Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson have been announced as lead cast members in the upcoming Australian production of Green Day’s musical American Idiot.
The musical, set to premiere in Australia at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in February 2017, is an adaptation of Green Day’s 2004 album of the same name and was developed by the band’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong along with Tony Award winner Michael Mayer.
The Aussie rockers will both take on the role of St Jimmy in the Brisbane shows, a role Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong performed on occasion throughout the musical’s North American run. Cheney will play the role from February 23rd to 26th and Jamieson will take over from February 28th.
The show will also be directed by award winning Aussie director Craig Ilott, whose previous credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Smoke and Mirrors. “It’s so rare to come across a piece as rich, stimulating and challenging as this,” Ilott says of the show, the content of which will no doubt take on a new level of resonance in 2017. “Ultimately it’s a rallying cry from the heart by one of the world’s best bands.”
Other cast members announced today include Ben Bennett, Alex Jeans, Cameron Macdonald, Ashleigh Barlow, Phoebe Panaretos and more. For a full cast list and all other details, head to the musical’s official website.
Green Day will also tour Australia this year, off the back of their latest album Revolution Radio.
Watch: St Jimmy ft. Billie Joe Armstrong
https://youtu.be/l0Bzfv3Zw_Q
