Billie Joe Armstrong last night- Page 2

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 1:55pm

Oh, newintown, who's being jejune now? I meant if any of the dweebs in this thread (and you know who you are) got their souvenir panties purchased at One Shubert Alley in a bunch over the teleprompter reading of sweet little harmless Billie Joe Armstrong, then they never would have survived punk rock. And they wouldn't have.

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 8:10pm

Regardless of whether of not he actually is, he sounded like a d-bag. Secondly, wasn't there a rehearsal for presenters and performers? Hadn't he already read off the teleprompter once?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 8:34pm

Who cares?

He's enormously talented, he has added a terrific bit of fun to the Broadway season...and besides...Greenday was the best performance all night.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 8:44pm

Oh, dear. I don't understand the element in theater audiences that is on their high horses about the fact that they are not in touch with, don't "get", and look down on popular culture or anything that appeals to most young people in this country. Why the attitude toward artists like Green Day, who, judging by last night, are the only ones in the musical theater scene that seemed to create anything here, now, real, relevant, worthwhile? Yes, let's all get offended by the presence of an enormous talent on Broadway who is attempting to bring something new to the scene (an artist who has been around for the better part of two decades and connects with millions people across the country) and then complain about how, ugh, musical theater is just not APPRECIATED anymore (as if there is something greater offered in the cheese fest that MEMPHIS appeared to be).

I sure as hell wouldn't want to see the majority of awful performances that have been on the Tonys in the past years on the Grammys. The Grammy Awards almost universally serve up greater performances. Stop complaining about a "smug" rock star; maybe Broadway should stop looking backwards and step up its game.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 8:50pm

Game and Match, BroadwayGirl107.

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 8:51pm

ouch. touche.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 8:59pm

OK, so I listened to his intro 3 times last night because I was so taken aback from his smug facial expression after "the highlight of our careers" or something like that.

That look was supposed to be "so, did I read that first sentence successfully? Did I get through reading off the teleprompter?"
It came across as "really? The highlight of my career is a Broadway show? The writer really expected me to mean that when I said it/"

I think it was an extremely poor attempt at a joke and offended people because it came across as the latter instead of the former. I like some Green Day music and am pretty apathetic about them as a group, so I consider myself relatively unbiased. I still came out of the speech thinking he was a bit of a self-important douche, but did not think he had the malicious intent that could have easily been interpreted.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 9:08pm

"Before we get started, I just want to say we've never been around so many creative & talented people as we have on Broadway." **Head cocks back**

That came off as if he's thinking "Really?"

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 9:14pm

Yes, yes, TonyVincent, lord knows how awful it is if somebody somewhere gets offended. You're reminding me of the year Hairspray won everything and Mr Roxy announced that the minute Shaiman kissed Wittman at the end of their acceptance speech, TVs were turned off and people decided to never give Broadway a chance.

I know when Armstrong read that line, my thought was "THAT'S not true." Who cares if he WAS saying "Really?" Do you think it's impossible that he and the band HAVE been around just as many creative and talented people over the past two decades? I know for a fact they have.

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 9:27pm

It won't kill Lady Gaga to sit thru 5 minutes of A Little Night Music at the Grammy's just as it didn't kill me to have to suffer thru AI's turn at the show last night.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. If A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC performs at the Grammys like they performed at the Tonys - I think it might kill Lady Gaga and everyone else who has to suffer through that.

I also would like to add that I really did enjoy Green Day's performance at the Tonys. It was one of the better performances of the night.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 9:30pm

I know when Armstrong read that line, my thought was "THAT'S not true." Who cares if he WAS saying "Really?" Do you think it's impossible that he and the band HAVE been around just as many creative and talented people over the past two decades? I know for a fact they have.

Because it's called being a dick.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 9:32pm

Boy, when they say theatre dweebs have no understanding of the nature of rock and roll, they're understating it.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 9:38pm

I know when Armstrong read that line, my thought was "THAT'S not true." Who cares if he WAS saying "Really?" Do you think it's impossible that he and the band HAVE been around just as many creative and talented people over the past two decades? I know for a fact they have.

I had the same thought, and I get your point. My point is that it wasn't even his intent, so arguing about whether it's correct to get offended or not is moot.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 10:52pm

I honestly didn't even notice anything smug or cocky about what he said...all it looked like to me was that he was having issues with the Teleprompter and laughing at himself a little.

I thought the Green Day/American Idiot performances livened up an otherwise dull telecast...much more welcome imo than crap like Memphis.

[James885]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 11:00pm

It won't kill Lady Gaga to sit thru 5 minutes of A Little Night Music at the Grammy's just as it didn't kill me to have to suffer thru AI's turn at the show last night.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. If A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC performs at the Grammys like they performed at the Tonys - I think it might kill Lady Gaga and everyone else who has to suffer through that

Apart from this past year when American Idiot performed I don't think we'll be seeing Broadway shows on the Grammy telecast anytime soon. After all, the main drawing point of the Grammy telecast is the performances. There's only about 10 or so actual awards that are presented. People tune in to see the hottest music artists perform. I can't imagine how many people would tune out if they suddenly saw a show like A Little Night Music perform. It just wouldn't fly with the audience that the Grammys typically attracts.

But back on topic, I had no problem with Armstrong's speech.

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 6/14/10 at 11:34pm

I saw American Idiot and loved it. I'm a theater queen. (Just thought I'd start there.)

Like a previous poster, I wonder if Mr. Armstrong attended the rehearsal, or took the time to pre-read his lines.

He was smug, but given his lines, it was understandable. Whom ever wrote his copy, did a really poor job. There was absolutely nothing sincere about his intro and Mr. Armstrong was just reacting in the moment.

As for the poster who would love to see the Grammies honor Broadway with one song. Why not?! They should. Showtunes are an important art form and I too am tired that this medium is continually given the shaft.

Also... I don't think that American Idiot played well last night. It's not their performance, it's the nature of the beast. The Tony's is all about establishment. American Idiot is the antithesis of this. (Well, sort of, even though American Idiot is a commercial production... blah blah blah)

In its home at The St. James, American Idiot is loud, visually stunning and... well, I thought brilliant!


Updated On: 6/14/10 at 11:34 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/15/10 at 12:00am

I am the Ghost of Tonys past. Let me take you back to the year Madonna was a presenter. She had trouble reading the teleprompter and made a joke about she was being punished for not showing up for rehearsals.

[silversurfer2]

Posted: 6/15/10 at 8:01am

I had NO problem with Billie Joe's speech. I did have a problem with Denzel NOT knowing who he was thanking. How crass...go back to Hollywood.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/15/10 at 8:21am

I'm an AI fan so of course I thought the number was great. I even enjoyed their segment in the opening which I thought was quite rousing.

But Billie Joe Armstrong clearly looked as if he felt out of place.
Which when you think about it, he was. This was not the type of audience he's used to.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/15/10 at 12:36pm

Billie Joe was still more charismatic and less wooden than many of the ACTORS who were presenting.

"It won't kill Lady Gaga to sit thru 5 minutes of A Little Night Music at the Grammy's just as it didn't kill me to have to suffer thru AI's turn at the show last night."

Well, considering Gaga gained early admission and was a student of Tisch before deciding to focus on her music career, maybe she'd appreciate some showtunes- and I bet she does.

A lot of people in the music industry actually like and are indebted to Broadway musicals. Green Day being one such group.