At This Performance of American Idiot...

I just got home from seeing Billie Joe Armstrong make his Broadway debut: All this week he's playing the role of St. Jimmy in American Idiot. It was an incredible experience, to say the least.

To say a little bit more: The house was full (as was surely the plan) but moreover it was full of fans, not just people who were curious or happened in off the streets. This kind of house is always more fun because they are 100% into it; they're energetic and they feed their energy to the cast who recycles it right back to them, all for the price of admission.

And the cast was so pumped, if you'll excuse the understatement. All the Idiots were giving about 1700% tonight and I can only assume that that energy will carry over throughout Billie Joe's one week stand and beyond.

I loved watching Billie Joe play with the cast - giving a loving squeeze here and a quick kiss there. And he made sure to have fun all by himself, too, as he let out an extra yelp whenever the spirits moved him.

Perhaps the best part was watching the cast get to perform on stage - in the show they already do wonderfully eight times a week - with someone who began as their idol and is now their friend and artistic collaborator. I've seen Johnny in this role ten times now but there was a special glimmer in his eyes tonight as he danced and sang his way through "St. Jimmy" alongside his hero.

When the entire cast came out for the encore, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", there was magic in the air. Thank you, Billie Joe and you beautiful Idiots. I had the time of my life.