A Billy Elliott Reevaluation

I saw the show 3 or 4 times within the first year to 18 months on bway. I enjoyed it less each time, for many of the reasons you state. I also became less enamored of the boys...qhile all wonderful dancers, they were not wonderful actors/singers.

But the book just puts a lot of stuff out there and hopes the audience will make the connections

I had no trouble following the book and making the connections. What was unclear?

and the score seems to just put opposing themes against each other for drama but without any resolution.

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you talking about Solidarity or other moments in the score? What resolution did you require?

Also - I'm a gay guy who has lived in San Francisco for 40 years, so I love a fanciful drag number, but WTF is that Expressing Yourself number doing in the show?

It was an extension of Michael's personality and philosophy, which is essential to Billy's development and understanding of himself. Setting this to a production number where Billy is drawn in to Michael's fanciful world not only serves as a theatrical device to add levity to the show (as is commonly done in conventional musical theatre), it makes perfect sense for that particular style of number to be attached to the character at that moment in the story.

I first saw Billy Elliot in London in 2009 and had to be dragged to see it. I'd only ever heard the cast recording, which didn't leave much impression on me at the time. After seeing it that first time, I was truly amazed at what a beautiful and cohesive piece of theatre it was. I saw it a few more times in Chicago and also attended the screening of the broadcast in the movie theatre. The show held up for me every single time and I still think Solidarity is one of the most brilliant numbers in musical theatre of the 21st century thus far.

I saw the London production in 2013... my friend wanted to see something "with dancing in it", so I bought tickets last minute from one of those discount stands... terrible seats but I was thoroughly moved by the show and the Billy and Michael that we saw.

Afterwards, I watched hours and hours on YouTube of different Billy Elliotts and ended up rewatching the movie twice the past couple of years (the first time I saw the movie was when it first came out and I was still a young teenager then, it had no impression on me that time and actually didn't remember seeing it, I may have fallen asleep, haha).

I haven't seen the stage production since, but would love to... without being able to revisit it again, I have nothing to "reeavluate" it with, so it still remains one of my favorite shows. Of course, I feel the movie is much more solid. I should go watch it again...

thanks :) but I think seeing it live usually adds a little special something

mar6411 said: "Mister Matt said: "The show held up for me every single time and I still think Solidarity is one of the most brilliant numbers in musical theatre of the 21st century thus far.

Completely agree - about the show and about Solidarity. I saw it twice on Broadway and once on tour and wished I could have seen it again. I loved it."



I have to agree with both of you. I first saw the show in London before it transferred to Broadway. It was enthralling and thought it was not just an excellent piece of musical theatre but also reflected a very good portrait of a certain segment of English society -- the accents ( which I could not understand occasionally) even added to the charm of the show for me. Of course it was also the dancing which led me to chase the show to Broadway when it opened on Broadway. I was lucky to have seen the show at the Imperial on the front or second row because I could see the electrifying footwork close up!

I do have the DVD.

Which critics? I don't remember that at all.

I saw this later on in the run on Broadway and was underwhelmed. I don't remember who my Billy was but he was just adequate as was the rest of the cast at the time. There were moments that were wonderful of course but overall I didn't get the hype. The dancing dresses seemed completely out of place and my favorite moment in the entire show was the amazing curtain call. Also a very young Ava DeMary stood out to me as the tiniest of the ballet dancers (and then I later saw her in Matilda).

I then saw the recent filmed version from London and was totally impressed and thought the cast was fantastic and brought the show to life for me (though the dancing dresses were still ridiculous). But I wished I had seen it on stage to give it another chance with perhaps a stonger cast and production than I originally saw.

I find it so interesting that many enjoy it less and less with each experience. I saw the national tour in 2010 (I believe) and the Broadway production a year later, and loved it both times. I plan on ordering the DVD soon, so I'll see if anything changes for me. I loved the show both times I saw it, maybe even more the second time.

I agree with those who say that much of the score is second rate stuff-- "Shine", "Express Yourself", "Born to Boogie", "He Could Be a Star"-- even "Electricity" has a pretty pedestrian melody-- it sounds like 100 other equally adequate Elton John tunes.

BILLY ELLIOTT is that great conundrum to me, one of the most brilliant shows ever created with one of the most mediocre scores. But when in the middle of "Solidarity" Mrs. Wilkinson pauses to adjust Billy's first arabesque with "wrist-- tummy-- chin", I always tear up at the emotion those words hold. It's the purest form of musical theater joy.

Updated On: 1/21/17 at 03:38 PM

When I saw original bw cast I didn't really care for it as a whole. The miners song(s?). Seemed repeated adnauseum. And I love men's strong voice songs like that but it was just too much.

I was pretty close - center orchestra but frankly I just didn't care for jabarras performance. It seemed like it was little more than a permanent scowl when the part was so complicated.

And. oh my "electricity". The kid can't express what dancing means to him then suddenly there is no more eloquent kid on earth. Couldn't (and still can't) suspend disbelief for that one. (Side note. There seems to be the same conundrum in waving through a window in DEH - tongue tied one moment and perfect word choice in the song. - no problem with that. They make it work Didn't in BE)

(But Patricia Neal sat directly in front of me and we had a nice little back and forth. So it was a wonderful night)

seeing it later in the movie theater I suppose I could relax (since I had paid only $15 bucks?) I did enjoy it more. Still not a great one but lots of parts to appreciate. The source film though is pretty much perfection.

Updated On: 1/22/17 at 07:52 PM

Comden Green said:

And. oh my "electricity". The kid can't express what dancing means to him then suddenly there I no more eloquent kid on earth. Couldn't (and still can't) suspend disbelief for that one. (Side note. There seems to be the same conundrum in waving through a window in DEH - tongue tied one moment and perfect word choice in the song. - no problem with that. They make it work Didn't in BE)

I think it works in DEH because Evan Hansen is clearly written with some sort of Anxiety Disorder/ADHD. Those of us who are familiar with those conditions are aware that in a persons head they may be the most eloquent person in the world, the problem is it is extremely difficult to get those words one's mouth, as ones thoughts often move faster then they can come out of ones mouth. As one with these disabilities I can personally attest to at a certain point after fumbling through your words for the hundredth time you talk yourself into being that outside window, coming up with similarly although not as poetic reasons as to not speak. In all honesty that is why the letter is not so contrived as plot device as it is a very common therapeutic device as it gives someone with Anxiety Disorder/ADHD time to fully understand their thoughts.

This compared to Electricity which is truly an adults take on a childhood feeling. If Billy Elliot were framed with an older Billy looking back on his life since weirdly enough an Adult Billy appears in Electricity it would make sense. The eloquence of songs written for children's roles is something that many overlook, but it is honestly one of the large problems with Billy Elliot is that Elton John and Lee Hall seem to forget at times that they are writing for children. I remember there being some debate about Matilda lyrics being to above brow for a child, but this can easily be attributed to the fact it is implied that she has read hundreds if not thousands of books between the ages of 2 and 6. Then the fact that her parents who are clearly less educated sing songs with very simple basic lyrics is meant to make her education level more pronounced. You can also see that Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish worked very hard to make the book and lyrics of 13 actually sound like they would be coming out of the mouth of tweenagers. Same goes for the reigning child centric musical Annie, rarely if ever do the orphans dialogue or lyrics seem unrealistic.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show when I saw it in Chicago. I found it to be both funny and poignant. I find myself humming the score quite often.

It is a shame that the show did not do as well in middle America. Even the excellent Chicago production closed a few months early due to weak ticket sales. It was a big deal in local theatre news at the time as Chicago was beginning to grow as a theatre hub again, and it raised questions about the sustainability of that hub.

Here is one of the articles about it.Chicago Production of Billy Elliot to Close Early