Melissa Etheridge

Oscar and Grammy Award winning rock star Melissa Etheridge makes her Broadway debut on 1 Feb 2011 in the rock musical American Idiot.

Etheridge will play the role of 'St. Jimmy' for a one-week engagement from 1 - 6 Feb 2011. For the rest of the month, Green Day frontman and the musical's composer and co-author Billie Joe Armstrong will return to the role of 'St. Jimmy' from 10 - 27 Feb 2011 at the St. James Theatre, completing his 50 performance, limited engagement.

Director Michael Mayer said, "Billie Joe and I always believed that it would be incredible to have a woman take on the role of 'St. Jimmy.' This character is seductive, thrilling and dangerous. Melissa Etheridge is all that and so much more. She's a rock icon and we couldn't be more thrilled that she's bringing her immense talent to American Idiot."

Melissa Etheridge has been a core Island Records artist since the release of her critically-acclaimed eponymous RIAA double-platinum debut album. For several years, Etheridge's popularity built around such memorable songs as "Bring Me Some Water" (from her debut), "No Souvenirs" (from "Brave And Crazy") and "Ain't It Heavy" (from "Never Enough"), for which she won her first Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal. Etheridge's fourth album, "Yes I Am," featuring the songs "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window," brought her second Best Female Rock Grammy. The album went six times platinum and spent more than two and a half years on the album chart.

American Idiot features the music of Green Day and the lyrics of Billie Joe Armstrong. The musical is based on Green Day's Grammy Award-winning album of the same name, American Idiot.

The musical now stars John Gallagher Jr. (Johnny), Stark Sands (Tunny), Michael Esper (Will), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Whatsername), Christina Sajous (The Extraordinary Girl), Mary Faber (Heather) and Melissa Etheridge (St. Jimmy).

The Broadway premiere of Green Day's American Idiot, opened at St James Theatre on 20 Apr 2010, following previews from 24 Mar 2010, and currently selling tickets through to 1 May 2011.

The musical opened to mixed reviews: Mostly unintelligible (newyorktheatreguide); Thrillingly raucous (NY Times); Hip veneer on vacant material"(Bloomberg); Loud, angry, & thrilling (Back Stage).

American Idiot follows working-class characters from the suburbs to the city to the Middle East, as they seek redemption in a world filled with frustration.

Based on the Reprise Records Grammy Award-winning album of the same name, American Idiot features the music of Green Day and the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The show is directed by Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), who also collaborated with Armstrong on the book, and choreographed by Olivier Award-winning Steven Hoggett (Blackwatch).

The show includes every song from the album, as well as several new songs from '21st Century Breakdown.' Green Day won two Grammys - Best Rock Album and Record of the Year - for its multi-platinum 'American Idiot.' The album sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.

American Idiot played at Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre from 4 Sep - 15 Nov 2009. The musical's record breaking run brought in the biggest advance sale in the Theatre's 41-year history, the biggest day at the box office, 17 of the top 20 days ever and due to ticket demand had to announce the first extension before it had played its first performance.

The show features scenic design by Tony-nominee Christine Jones (Spring Awakening), costume design by Andrea Lauer, lighting design by two-time Tony-winner Kevin Adams (The 39 Steps, Spring Awakening), Sound design by Brian Ronan, as well as video design by Darrel Maloney.

The Tony-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) is the music supervisor, orchestrator and music arranger. In addition, Kitt also provided string arrangements for Green Day's latest album, '21st Century Breakdown.'

American Idiot is produced on Broadway by Tom Hulce and Ira Pittelman in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre