Newsmakers

NEWSMAKERS

Billie Joe Armstrong to join ‘Idiot’ for shows

NEW YORK

Billie Joe Armstrong apparently liked his Broadway debut in “American Idiot” — he’s signed on to return for 50 performances.

Producers said Tuesday the Green Day frontman will reprise the role of St. Jimmy in the punk-rock musical that his songs inspired beginning Jan. 1 and ending Feb. 27 at The St. James Theatre.

Armstrong will appear in the show in three large chunks — Jan. 1-9, Jan. 18-30 and Feb. 10-27. Original Broadway cast member Tony Vincent will end his run as St. Jimmy on Dec. 30.

Having the musical’s composer and co-author aboard already has proved a big draw. When Armstrong made his Broadway debut in September for a week, the box-office take was more than $1 million. Last week, the show grossed $600,000.

The show is based on Green Day’s Grammy Award-winning “American Idiot” concept album.

Museum removes video after complaints

WASHINGTON

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is removing a video that was part of an exhibit after complaints from a Catholic group that the images were sacrilegious.

Catholic League President Bill Donohue told the New York Post on Tuesday that the video by artist David Wojnarowicz was “hate speech.” He says the video with ants crawling on a crucified Christ figure was designed to insult Christians.

Museum Director Martin Sullivan issued a statement saying the artist’s intention was to depict the suffering of an AIDS victim. He says the museum did not intend to offend anyone and is removing the video.

The piece is part of the first major museum exhibit to show how sexual orientation and gender identity have shaped American art. The exhibit is on view through February.

Dylan’s handwritten lyrics on the block

NEW YORK

Bob Dylan’s original handwritten lyrics for “The Times They are A-Changin”’ are heading for the auction block in New York City. They could sell for an estimated $200,000 to $300,000.

Written in pencil on a sheet of unruled, three-hole notebook paper, the classic 1960s folk protest song was the title track on Dylan’s third album. The paper is creased with some small tears and signed “by Bob Dylan.” Sotheby’s will offer it for sale Dec. 10.

Dylan recorded the song in 1963, and that same year performed it at Carnegie Hall. It contains political overtones with lines like, “Come senators, congressmen; Please heed the call.” In February, Dylan performed it live at a White House concert celebrating the Civil Rights Movement.

Pompeii wall collapses

ROME

A stretch of garden wall ringing an ancient house in Pompeii gave way Tuesday after days of torrential rain, the latest structure to collapse at the popular archaeological site. Pompeii officials said an inspection found that a 40-foot-long section of wall forming part of the perimeter of a garden area near the House of the Moralist gave way in several points. The ancient city was buried by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

Associated Press