A new documentary is taking a behind-the-scenes look at Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's 2010 Broadway debut.
"Broadway Idiot," which hits select theaters on Oct. 11, traces Armstrong's path from multi-platinum punk rock star to leading man in Green Day's Tony-winning musical, "American Idiot." Directed by Doug Hamilton, the movie offers what most Broadway fans never get to see: a no-holds-barred, warts-and-all backstage glimpse at the production of a musical.
Hamilton says working alongside Armstrong and the rest of the "American Idiot" cast and crew was very much a labor of love, albeit one that he freely admits was an eye-opening experience.
"I think most people in the audience have no real idea of the time, detail and hard work that go into making the final show," Hamilton told The Huffington Post in an email. Describing "Broadway Idiot" as "the most intimate, behind-the-scenes documentary that's been done of the Broadway process," Hamilton added, "We were incredibly lucky to have the kind of access we did."
Hamilton, who has also produced segments for "Nova" and "Frontline," had nothing but praise for Armstrong, whom he says was "remarkably open, stripped down and honest" throughout the production of both the musical itself and the subsequent documentary.
"He came into the room without any pretense," Hamilton recalled. "Here you have one of the world's most famous artists trying something totally new ... he didn't say, 'This is the way I do it,' he approached it with an open mind. I think that is really, really rare."
Fans of the stage musical will be pleased to know that "Broadway Idiot" offers a more intimate take on what was admittedly a oft-bombastic show. "I think this film gives people a chance to see how differently a piece of media can be experienced in different settings," Hamilton noted.
Learn more about "Broadway Idiot" here, and be sure to check out an exclusive clip from the movie above.
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