Billy Elliot The Musical- Page 132

[PaulWilly]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 11:19am

Final results of today:
- London Critic's Circle Theatre Awards:
Best Musical 2005: "Billy Elliot The Musical"

- Theatre Goers' Choice Awards 2005:
Most promising Newcomer's Award: James Lomas, George Maguire & Liam Mower
(winning together!)
Best Musical 2005: "Billy Elliot The Musical"!
Best supporting actress in a Musical: Ann Emery in "BETM"!
Best Choreographer: Peter Darling for "BETM"
(Our 3 Billys came in 2nd as "Best Actors in a Musical" and Tim Healy and Ian MacNeil 2nd - quite near misses - in their respective categories!)
What a day to celebrate for BETM
(PaulWilly) Paul

[PaulWilly]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 11:31am

More details on the Whatsonstage Awards Results here:

http://www.whatsonstage.com/dl/page.php?page=awardsreal&yr=2006

http://www.whatsonstage.com/dl/page.php?page=awardsreal&action=results&yr=2006&show_percent=yes

(PaulWilly) Paul

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 12:09pm

Hey all...I haven't read all of this thread so I don't know if this has been discussed, but I just got the new Billy Elliot 2-dvd set from amazon.com/uk. The total with shipping to the US was $15! I think it is a little more now, but get this dvd!!! It has a great screen to stage feature as well as a feature about the 3 boys in the musical. I just recently got my tickets in the mail for my May trip to London and I can't even explain how excited I am about seeing this show!!
Billy Elliot - 2 Disc Special Edition

[PaulWilly]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 1:58pm

London Critic’s Circle Theatre Awards 2005:

Best Musical 2005: “Billy Elliot The Musical”
Pictures from the Award Ceremony this afternoon
including one with the cast and all 5 Billys:

http://www.whatsonstage.com/dl/page.php?page=greenroom&story=E8821138727330



Congratulations!
(PaulWilly) Paul
Updated On: 1/31/06 at 01:58 PM

[GMfan!!]

Posted: 1/31/06 at 4:02pm

hiya, its been a while since ive been on this forum but its a shame that the other one is down
I just wanted to say thanks so much for the info and that picture is great. Its good to see all 5 billys in it!
GMFan!! X

[AccordCanada]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 8:07am

Independent Online: An audience with the Billy Elliot boys
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/features/article342720.ece

Great article, with topics that include the reason Liam Mower left the Royal Ballet School, being homsick, leaving the show and how Sharon Osbourne and Liz Hurley let the boys squeeze their breasts at Elton John's wedding.

Accy
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[w_tanoto]

Posted: 2/7/06 at 7:51am

It seems that this forum has slow movement now.....

[Ice Princess]

Posted: 2/7/06 at 10:08am

Did anyone else notice george sitting in the audience for dancing on ice on saturday night?

[RheaLMFan]

Posted: 2/7/06 at 11:11am

no i didnt, where was he sitting then if u saw him in the audience?

[DQplum]

Posted: 2/10/06 at 6:18am

yes he was sitting to the side he was wearing a yellow jumper on dancing on ice same he wore on GMTV
amyX

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/10/06 at 2:40pm

I saw the show on Wednesday night and can report to fans in America and elsewhere, that it's still going strong!

There was quite a major cast change back in December and quite a lot of critical comment about changes made to the show to adapt it to the strengths of the new cast members. I suppose that is quite common amongst devoted theatrical fans who come to think of the original cast as definitive

One of the things that strikes me is that, although there were -inevitably - some slightly uncomfortable moments back then, the show is almost certainly immeasurably better now than it would have been had the new cast settled for a pale imitation of the originals.

The actor playing Dad is a case in point. Phil Whitchurch took a lot of flak for playing a much 'harder' dad than his predecessor. His resistance to turning into an old softie about half way through Part Two caused some confusion at first. I think it is now clear that his decision to change the character is totally vindicated. For example - and for those that know the production - the continuing 'stand off' at the end of the song 'Electricity' (compared to Tim Healy's total meltdown) is very subtle and very powerful.

So, long may the show continue to take risks and refresh itself in the process.

Now that two of the original Billys have gone, we shall start to see whether the depth of talent exists to make this show run and run. At the moment the title role is in extremely safe hands. On Wednesday I saw Leon Cooke. Leon's strength is his great singing and a down to earth and totally engaging manner, which - I suspect - has been built up from his natural off stage persona. His dancing is also strong; basically balletic in style (as distinct from the 'street style' favoured by the two retired Billys), but a bit rougher round the edges than the ballet dancer par excellence (the other original - Liam Mower). I have yet to see the 'fifth Billy', Travis Yates, but he is winning plaudits, particularly for his acting. The management has me and others over a barrel, of course, because I have to keep going until I've seen this new guy. And there are two new Billies waiting in the wings!

The whole cast remains very strong. The other youngsters - the Michaels, the Debbies, the Ballet Dancers and the other boys - are excellent. I didn't see Haydn Gwynne on Wednesday, but her understudy - Gillian Kirkpatrick - gets lots of opportunities (she offially 'alternate' rather than 'understudy') and she's very good. And Ann Emery (Grandma) deserves a little special mention. She's been there from the start and she's absolutely brilliant.

So, there we are. Hope you got through that. And here's to the next time!


Updated On: 2/10/06 at 02:40 PM

[matthew3]

Posted: 2/11/06 at 5:57pm

Thanks for the update, Jeff3. It is much appreciated by people like me who haven't time to look at all the different discussion pages on the fans' website but want to catch up from time to time with what is happening in the show. For the same reason, AccordCanada's post are equally welcome. Please, both of you, don't desert this board!

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/12/06 at 2:50pm

Yes, I saw it. Here are my thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this clip, with one major reservation (of which more later).

It was terrific to see Ann Emery featured. She's been a star from day one! Her interaction with Liam (and I have seen it with others too) is way too good to be just brilliant acting. She obviously has a genuine rapport with the youngsters, which is really nice to see.

My second observation is that it was really good to see a really first class studio performance of Electricity. Both Blue Peter and Children In Need were flawed. I don't mean to imply that Liam's star quality did not shine through on these occasions - it certainly did - but there were problems arising from the unusual circumstance of Liam having to sing to a prerecorded backing tracks. Goodness knows how the sound was reaching him. In the case of CIN, it obviously wasn't reaching him at all at the outset! Also, there was clearly no opportunity to retake for these live performances.

I haven't seen Liam in the flesh since August. It's almost superfluous to say this to you lot, but, my God, his dancing is just breathtaking!

As those of you who have been concentratng know, I very much like (I would go so far as to say prefer) Phil Whitchurch's take on the role of dad, but it was certainly interesting to be reminded of Tim Healy's very different approach in his reaction at the end of Electricity. I know that others prefer this softer angle.

I also agree that it was great to have him present. He represents our awe for the young dancer up there on the stage. Do others get the impression that, however good an actor he is, he does not have to work too hard at this point? I suspect that his awe for Liam is completely genuine.

Now here is the gripe:

How stupid is that the BBC had to bleep out the word **** in Grandma's song. What kind of world do we live in where it is acceptable that Iraqi children are slaughtered and maimed by British soldiers in our name, but where we have to 'protect' children here from hearing the word ****. In any sane world, which of the following words (maim, slaughter, ****) would be spoken with shame and regarded as dirty?

[RheaLMFan]

Posted: 2/12/06 at 2:58pm

yh i noticed that. i thought they were going to bleep out the swearing but obviously not. unfortunately i spoke to soon. but its stupid coz they didnt bleep out the very first swear word but they did with the one your on about. and i agree with your point Jeff3, i never would have thought of it that way.

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/12/06 at 3:14pm

Oh my God! I can't believe that the censor on here has **** my word, especially in this context. I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

[RheaLMFan]

Posted: 2/12/06 at 3:22pm

lol. it's funny in a way if u know wot i mean. sorry i've been laughing non stop and i dont know why but i'm still laughing so i'm seeing the funny sides of things. i can be so weird at times.
sorry.

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/12/06 at 3:35pm

I think that's probably the healthy reaction.

[Karlo]

Posted: 2/14/06 at 1:23pm

I don't know if this is the right place to post this - but it's the best I could find right now, and at least it seem's I'll have a receptive audience. I only hope that I can convince one, just one person who was in doubt, to go see this amazing production.

I live in Boston, MA and was excited to see that a great movie was being made into a stage presentation by the same creative team. The adition of Elton John added more excitement. I was fortunate enough amass a group of six friends from California, to Liverpool to London to attend with me on one of the Preview nights in April of 2005. I was mesmerized from the moment the first little boy walked up to the stage. Laughing is as important as crying in this laudable production, and the actors carried themselves well, even for such an early version of the show. Young Liam Mower's performance was truly profound - most especially in his dance and his dialogue. Liam's singing was, at that time, not fully refined, though now that the sound track is release, I admit and admire his excellent improvement. I have since gone back to London (late November), again with the express purpose of seeing Billy Elliot, and was fortunate enough to see some of the changes and improvements they have made and was treated to the also excellent performance of George McGuire. I believe he had a slightly off night with the dance, but his acting was quite wonderful. I cannot say this strongly enough: Billy Elliot the Musical is worth the several thousand dollars that I have spent to go see it. When was the last time you heard anyone say that there was this play that cost me $1,000.00 to see and it was really great? Haydn Gwynne is truly inspirational, Tom Healy will make you cry in the second act, the choreography is inventive and evocotive in almost every way. The music is unusual fare, and worth every moment. The direction and writing are proufound and moving. Don't miss it - don't wait for it to come to you. Take the chance. You'll be glad you did.

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/14/06 at 4:57pm

Really nice to hear a fresh voice and another positive write-up. Read back through the thread a bit and you'll see lots of references to the way the show is still going strong despite the first major cast change.

You won't see Tim Healy any more I'm afraid. He finished in December. His replacement, Phil Whitchurch, is excellent, however. He has slightly reinvented the character and the relationship with Billy, which is very interesting.

And we're now into our fifth Billy with two more 'waiting in the wings'.

You're going to have to spend another bunch of dollars to come and see it again I'm afraid.

[Karlo]

Posted: 2/15/06 at 9:47am

Spending a bunch of dollars to go see it again is already in the back of my head (though my wallet is crying foul!). I feel fortunate to have seen Tim Healy twice, and look forward to seeing Mr. Whitchurch and his interpretation. That actually is one of the things that I like most about the construction of the musical - it is strong enough to accomodate almost any change that can be made in the cast, not just the youngsters, but broad enough that each new actor can bring a bit of themselves into the whole - which, in my opinion, makes for a variagated and long lived life for Billy Elliot the Musical. My second viewing in Nov. I actually saw a stand-in for Haydn Gwynne, and though I'm afraid I can't remember her name, but she was equally as amazing in the roll (it was actually almost the end of the first act that I realized that it wasn't Hayden Gwynne.) Anyway, thanks for the news - now that I've found this board I'll be checking back often to keep up on the latest. Can't wait to hear of an attempt at an American try at the production - though I, like many, have my doubts that it will be successful, so prudish we Americans can be as a society.

Cheers!

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/15/06 at 8:11pm

Karlo,

Try www.billyelliotfans.com

Loads of stuff to read there.

[Chris T]

Posted: 2/18/06 at 11:24am

The alternate is Gillian Kirkpatrick, she does every Monday, but has covered for Hadyn all this week. She's very good in the role, I agree, and is very different from Hadyn. Her Mrs. Wilkinson is softer and less abraisive than Hadyn's which brings a different dimention to the role. It's easier to see how Mrs W could become a surrogate mum to Billy when Gillian plays the role. When she was saying her goodbye to Billy I was close to tears.

[w_tanoto]

Posted: 2/20/06 at 6:44pm

Hiya all.....
I'm coming back, after somebody sends me PM to my BWW account. It might be my last post for this forum, but who knows, i might return here from time to time, but of couse,i will still answer pms if i know you.
bye!!

Updated On: 2/20/06 at 06:44 PM

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/21/06 at 4:18pm

Re 18th Feb:

Where will it end? BETM lifted me onto a new plane this afternoon, though I have seen it more often than I would care to admit. The best two words I can think of to sum up the experience are Liam and Mower!

A while ago, someone posted a poll on the fansite asking us to identify our favourite dance. Obviously, we all love all of them, so it was a difficult one. It was noticeable, though, that very few of us singled out Swan Lake, even though this is a very effective and pivotal moment in the musical, a moment that shows Billy a glimpse of a possible future and gives his dad the first inkling of something special.

I think the reason for this is that it is intensely difficult for the boys to really shine at this point. They are cirumscribed and hedged in by the tightness of the dance's form and by the need to synchronise. And they have to dance in the shadow of a real live, professional, fully-formed (stop sn*ing!) ballet dancer. That observation has, to some degree, been justified by every performance I've seen.

Every performance, that is, until today's. Today Liam simply transcended all the difficulties of this number to give the most breathtakingly poised performance I have ever seen. The older Billy had only to take his lead from every move that Liam made to know that he was in safe hands throughout. Today you could almost believe that it wouldn't have mattered if they'd forgotten to attach the wire; Liam would simply have taken off all by himself!

It was the first time I'd seen Liam since August. It was very noticeable that he's worked on his voice to very good effect. Someone has got him to lengthen his vowel sounds and, in some cases, to join a couple of short winded phrases into one long phrase. This has made a big difference to the general line of his singing.

His acting is also perfect for the role. His lovely, gentle, solemn demeanour is extremely effecting, but the way he manages, at the same time, to convey the fire within is very subtle. I suspect this interpretation is built up from his own personality.

But, ultimately, you have to return to the dancing. What I have noticed about Liam is that he never ever stops looking like a dancer. Every step, every turn, every inclination of the head is exquisitely poised. So that when he goes into a mesmorizing set piece like Electricity, it is simply a natural extension of his persona. He is the walking, talking personification of Diaghilev's ideal!

Well, I've done quite a few reviews and I've praised all sorts of people, so today I'm just going to start and finish with Liam Mower. Liam, you're a star!
Updated On: 2/21/06 at 04:18 PM

Posted: 2/21/06 at 9:09pm

There needs to be censorship for younger children, that is why the BBC takes out the swear words. As for the War in Iraq, our British troops are doing a great job and the problems with the bad treatment of Iraqis has been caused by only a few soldiers, who, do not represent the Army in their treatment of Iraqis. So please leave this topic out of the Billy Elliot forum - and let the troops do their job and wish them luck in Iraq and possibly soon in Iran.