Billy Elliot The Musical- Page 133

[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.

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.

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 6:36am

That doesn't make any more sense for being posted twice. Who said anything about not supporting the troops? They just shouldn't be put in that position! And as for Iran; if that happens can I opt out of the human race?

Billy Elliot The Musical is good isn't it. I'm going again on Saturday.

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/22/06 at 5:05pm

18th Feb:
I was sitting in Pizza Express after the performance this afternoon, minding my own business, reading my book and eating my pizza (obviously), when who should walk in but the star of the show. Well, I say the star of the show, but at this point he was chatting away animatedly and generally bearing a striking similarity to a totally normal boy. Someone called out to congratulate him and he accepted the compliment with perfect charm, genuine pleasure and honest humility.

And I got to thinking about killing gooses that lay golden eggs and wondering whether it would be possible to tell him that he was wonderful so often that he would actually cease to be wonderful and become obnoxious.

I don't really believe this though. In my experience - and especially in my experience of teaching - I have noticed that, generally, people who are nice are nice; made that way by nature and by the way they have been brought up. From everything I've heard, Liam is such a person.

Then I got to wondering what happens for him after Billy Elliot. It must make him very happy to be universally acclaimed (together with the other Billies) as being simply the best. But it would be rather precarious to actually depend on being the best in order to be happy. He is so talented that it's impossible not to envisage his being involved in all sorts of exciting projects. But, let's face it, the experience he's living through now is going to be hard to better.

I'm so glad that he looks like he sort of person who - ultimately - is going to derive happiness from the things that really matter: the people whom he loves and the people who love him.

Posted: 2/23/06 at 1:09pm

According to the Evening Standard:

'Four Leaping into the Limelight':

Matthew Koon
Age: 12
Lives: Salford, Lancashire, Parents Hilda, a teacher, and Arthur, an employment officer, are from Hong Kong.
Background: Royal Ballet School, Leeds.
Starts: Wednesday.
Going into the show because: "Dancing is my passion. I auditioned for the role in February last year and wasn't sure if I'd get the part but it feels great to have got it."

Colin Bates
Age: 15
Lives: Baltimore, Pennsylvania, with mother Donna.
Background: Played the Artful Dodger in Sir Cameron Mackintosh's Oliver. He has just finished filming a part in Robert De Niro's film The Good Shepherd.
Starts: March.
Got into the show because: "I saw the movie and really liked it. When I heard there private auditions in New York for the show, me and my mum sneaked our way in."

Layton Williams
Age: 11.
Lives: Bury, Manchester with mother Michelle, a housewife, and stepfather Curtis, a painter and decorator.
Background: No previous ballet experience. Attended Billy Elliot "academy" in Leeds.
Starts: September.
Got into the show because: "I love singing and dancing in front of an audience so when I found out I had been given the part I was ecstatic."

Dean McCarthy
Ages: 14.
Lives: Clondalkin, Dublin with his mother Lynne.
Background: Won a string of disco, hip-hop and breakdance competitions.
Starts: September.
Got into the show because: "My dance teacher found out about Billy Elliot. Before I started I felt like I could not sing and now I've been selected to perform a leading role."

There is more to the article. Here are two interesting extracts:

'This year will see Billy played by boys of black and Asian backgrounds, and as far afield as America and Ireland'.

Daldry says that 'A lot of the boys in the show don't come from very wealthy backgrounds. Almost all have been through a certain amount of bullying or abuse and have been the only boy in their dance class".

Don't take me the wrong way here, it is excellent that they are including people from different backgrounds and ethnicities - the problem is that a boy growing up in the place and time where Billy Elliot is set, would have been of English origin etc. Plus, the America kid is too old for the role.

[Jeff3]

Posted: 2/23/06 at 7:48pm

I'm clinging to the belief that Billy Eliot has a universal theme that can withstand the introduction of Billys of every colour under the sun.
Updated On: 2/24/06 at 07:48 PM

[Chris T]

Posted: 2/25/06 at 3:22pm

Theatre is all about the suspension of disbelief, so having a Chinese or black Billy will just add to this suspension. Colin doesn't look 15, he seems much smaller that James Lomas was towards the end of his time in the show, but I can't imaging he'll be around for as long as Liam and Leon have been and Travis and Matthew will be.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 2:07pm

Listening to the CD now & think it is great

Hope it comes to NY in the near future as we would definitely see it. Now looking forward to Lestat in May

Updated On: 2/26/06 at 02:07 PM

[Electricity]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 3:44pm

Congratulations goes out to Liam Mower, James Lomas and George Maguire for WINNING 'best actor in a musical' at this years Olivier Awards.

Well done boys, you deserve it

What's next....!?!?!

Updated On: 2/26/06 at 03:44 PM

[rent18]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 10:26pm

I am going to see BillY Elliot this friday, March 3rd. I am from the USA and I am FINALLY getting to London to see the show. Does anyone know who will be playing Billy??? I know Matthew Koon starts on Wed. so prob not him. THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 2/26/06 at 11:41pm

you never know who might be on... After all, someone might be sick that week and the performers have to cover more performances than usual.

[DQplum]

Posted: 2/27/06 at 7:58am

to get a rough outline of whos on sometimes you can ring the stage door..dont have the number on me at the moment but will soon!
amyX

[rent18]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 7:40am

seeing the show today and Liam is on!!! Also seeing it tomorrow night and Matthew is on!!!

[Jeff3]

Posted: 3/4/06 at 5:10pm

Tell us about Matthew.

[Jeff3]

Posted: 3/5/06 at 3:06pm

Just been chatting to someone about how the Billy Boys will cope post BETM. I wondered whether others might be interested in these thoughts:

I saw Stephen Daldry telling an interviewer at the Olivier awards that the most important thing from the boys' point of view was to regard the hype surrounding BETM as a special experience, something to be remembered and cherished, but probably never to be repeated. He is obviously mindful of the dangers and he and others have taken a lot of trouble over the boys' welfare. So far they seem amazingly grounded. Time will tell though whether Daldry has unleashed forces that neither he nor anyone else can control.

I suspect that we shall discover, as things unfold, that some of the boys will cope better than others, and that the main determining factor will be the quality of all the things in their lives that are not to do with Billy Elliot.

Those that can develop quality relationships and success in other ventures irrespective of fame and fortune, and who come to regard BE as a special time in their lives, but not something on which their present happiness depends, will thrive.

Updated On: 3/5/06 at 03:06 PM

[matthew3]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 9:46am

For some months now I have been trying to work out why BETM generates the enthusiasm expressed on this board and the fans’ website. And why it attracts so many young people who go to see it time and again. I suppose all shows have a devoted band of followers but BETM does seem exceptional in this respect.

I still don’t know the answer but I suspect it is a combination of several factors.
For a start, it is a very good story, scripted with sensitivity by Lee Hall. Having lived only a few miles from Easington for the last 50 years I can tell you he has caught the place and events of the time with breath-taking accuracy. Then there is some very emotional and stirring music from Elton John. But what takes this show to another level is the outstanding performances of the leads, especially the boys playing Billy. And here is perhaps the clue as to why this show is so important to so many people, to the point of dominating their lives if we are to believe their postings.

In the character of Billy we see a world of innocence and promise that we all once knew and to which we wish we could return, innocence not just of childhood, but innocence we had in adulthood and is now lost to us in a world of terrorism, war and identity cards. Billy represents the hope that we all still have; his quest is our quest and his success gives us hope that we too will succeed. He is niceness in a nasty world. And it works because Liam, Leon and the rest really are innocent – they still see the world as exciting and full of promise; they haven’t yet met the disillusionment that comes with age. In short, they are Billy; they are not acting at all. So we are able to share their childhood and relive our own, escaping from the harsh realities of our own daily lives and experiencing a happy ending every time we see the show, whatever is happening in our own lives. Is it any wonder people keep going to see the show again and again?

Then again, I could have got this all wrong. What do you think?

[Karlo]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 10:53am

I understand and agree with much of the above evaluation - but there are other reasons I think. Billy Elliot the film and the musical reach us on another level as well. It is a bold and beautiful statement of individuality over conformism - dreams over expectation and peer pressure - the truth of the self over tradition. For someone like me who is involved in a form of the arts, and never having been introduced to theater and dance until I was well into my twenties (having grown up mostly in rural Idaho) there is also the emotional thread of joy that I feel when I think of these amazing youths' good fortune in the opportunity to persue and express their abilities and passions in this production. I also think of how it has effected so many other boys, especially in Britain at this point, how it has creaked open the door a little more for it to be more "okay" for them to be good at dance, to like dancing, and to persue it. I have to believe that there must be others who feel the same pull as I do - that if I had known about dancing and theater when I was young, I hope I would have chosen to persue it. I know that if I had my life to live over again, knowing what I do now, dance would be something I would choose - which I suppose makes sense of the fact that Grandma's song is my favorite in the show. Dance inspires me beyond belief, not only in BETM, but everywhere I encounter it in excellent form.

Being gay, I also think that the character of Michael is a big draw to a fair number of gay men - his courage in expressing himself, his joy at being himself, and not at all to be overlooked, is Billy's reaction, acceptance of Michael - and even his participation in the joy of Michael being who he is. I can tell you that if I had seen Billy Elliot as a youth, when I was confronting my own homosexuality, I would be a much different man today. I suspect that might be true for quite a number of "older" (I'm 40) gay men, especially Americans, who grew up in a culture thirty years ago that was noticably less accepting of homosexuals than it is now. If just one person, one movie, one public forum had said to me at the age of twelve or thirteen, that it was OK to be gay, my life would have gone much differently than it has. For me, of course there's some regret, even some envy, but far more there is joy that a whole generation of boys have this opportunity to learn, both the Michaels and the Billy's of the world, everything that Billy Elliot the Musical (and the film) have to offer about individuality.

There's more - of course - the teacher in Mrs. Wilkinson, the harsh but loving father, the loss of a parent, all elements that draw individuals to their own particular childhood experiences, tragedies, triumphs. But I fear this message has grown too long, already, and I will end here and let others have their say.

[matthew3]

Posted: 3/9/06 at 2:16pm

Thanks for your response, Karlo. Your comments are very valid and add significantly to what I said. Let's hope we get some more insights.

[Jeff3]

Posted: 3/10/06 at 3:34pm

I think Karlo has it right. There's a nice tension between community and individuality with a recognition that both are important. But ultimately the triumph of the individual over prejudice and conformity carries us away. Anyone can empathise with this, though perhaps Karlo and I can agree that being gay is just one way of instantly being closer to the character's dilemma.

It's interesting that so many people want to see this event over and over again. I guess this is because we get almost as interested in the performers as in the character they are playing. Each of the young stars brings a new set of attributes. You see the personality of the performer shaping the portrayal of the character and the interaction between actor and character; and you see the way the varieties of portrayal spark different performances from the other actors. It's an incredible, unfolding drama.

And on Monday I hope to see the next Billy, the 'American Billy', Colin Bates, on his opening night. I'm looking forward to telling you about it.

Updated On: 3/10/06 at 03:34 PM

[Karlo]

Posted: 3/13/06 at 10:21am

Welcome to the group, feel free to add to the discussion!

I hope we get a report on Colin's first night from those that are going to see!

I also hope others have been reading the last few replies and are formulating responsis to the amazing popularity of Billy Elliot the Musical - I'm interested to see how broad the appeal actually is.

Speak up!

[xxDominoxx]

Posted: 3/13/06 at 10:48am

i've read the last few posts and also wonder y billy elliot the musical has been such a big hit. it has had a big influence on my two friends who went to see it on september 15th. it has inspired them to dance, they have a page on they;re website all about billy elliot and also has inspired them to write they're own musical which i am helping with at the moment, they have even started writing a series of the musical we are writing and the main musical is not even finished. lol. i was reading somewhere as well that also it is such a big hit in some departments because of female fans and fancying the lad whom plays billy in the show. it is interesting how so many things have come out of the show. i cannot wait to experience the show myself and see what i to make of it and see if it lives up to the reputation that i have heard is astounding. i'm sure it will as it's everything that my friends talk about.

And myself to some extent of the situation hehe. :)
Updated On: 3/14/06 at 10:48 AM

[Jeff3]

Posted: 3/15/06 at 2:18pm

Colin Bates' opening night was sensational.

Colin's acting is very strong indeed. He combines a sensitive approach to the more intense moments, particularly the letter scenes, with an impishness which defuses the sentimentality very nicely.

His ballet is extremely polished. Swan Lake was very assured indeed. But his dancing is also very powerful and characterful. His Angry Dance was one of the grittiest I'e seen.

His singing was also very sound.

He brought out strong performances from all the other cast members, working particularly well with Brad, who played Michael.

Given his age, I suspect that his will be one of the shorter runs.

See him!

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

Posted: 3/15/06 at 2:28pm

This may have been discussed before, but is there a schedule of which Billy is on when? I am seeing the show in May and would like to know which Billy I am seeing.

Thanks!

Updated On: 3/15/06 at 02:28 PM