4 Billys and 2 Michaels??? I'm confused...

[Polka Dot2]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 1:19pm

So I just saw Billy Elliot last night, and I noticed in my program that there's a fourth Billy (Tommy Batchelor) and a second Michael (Frank Dolce) listed. I was under the impression that there were only three Billy's - can someone explain what the meaning behind this is?

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 1:21pm

The fourth Billy has just began appearing in the show and the other three boys phase out of the show eventually. There has always been 2 Michaels but they only let the one who opened the show be nominated..

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 1:21pm

There was always two michaels. David and Frank have shared the role since the opening. The producers messed up and didn't petition a joint nomination, so only David received a nomination because he performed opening night.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 1:21pm

They add extra Billys as the old ones start to get too big for the part (or their voice drops). There has always been two Michaels I believe.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 1:36pm

Tommy was the Billy understudy since opening but got added into the regular rotation in March, or sometime around March...


According to Greg Jbara, Tommy was known to be becoming a fourth Billy since opening but needed extra rehearsals.

[webcomix]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 1:52pm

Actually, there are five Billys in rotation right now: David, Trent, Kiril, Tommy and the newest is Tanner Pflueger who, like Trent, had done the part in London but came back to the US.

[sgv123]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 1:55pm

Tanner had his last performance on Saturday. He is at home taking a break and then going back to London.

[Salene]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 2:05pm

Tanner was brought in because Tommy was injured.
Updated On: 6/10/09 at 02:05 PM

[webcomix]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 2:07pm

Oh...well, that sort of disappoints me, because I thought that perhaps he came back because he's also American. But hey, the Londoners can enjoy his performances too C:

[winston89]

Posted: 6/10/09 at 6:27pm

I thought that they were just trying to make the rotation of Billys to be a copy of what was going on in London. That they had a rotation of four but didn't start out that way and that in London they added a fourth one sometime later in the London run just like what they did on Broadway as well.