Billy Elliot The Musical — Page 129

Jeff3,

As a native New Yorker, let me first say that I think those Bible-thumping Americans you're thinking of are about as foreign and frightening to most of us as they are to you!!! They do exist, but our country is incredibly polarized (coasts vs. middle, urban vs. rural etc.), and for the most part they don't exist here.

Back on topic, I saw Billy Elliot when I was in London in November and absolutely LOVED it. I'm SOO jealous of all of you that can go see it again and again - I'm seriously wondering if it might be worth scrapping up another thousand dollars or so (that's what my 5-day trip ended up costing me) to go and see it again!!

So in light of that, and in light of the fact that I've seen many many Broadway shows and have followed Broadway closely for at least 10 years, I'm going to state my sure-to-be-unpopular opinion: Billy will not work on Broadway.

I think it's highly likely that someone will try to bring it over, sink a lot of money into it, and fail miserably. People over here are very curious about the show and have heard a lot of good things, so i think it would sell well in advance, but once it opened it just wouldn't be able to attract enough of an audience.

I wouldn't say the language is the problem, although the image of the show as a family musical might make it a problem.

The accents would DEFINITELY be a problem, and I think you're right that toning them down would take a lot away from the show, but I guarantee they would do it.

But the real problem is the politics. It's not as simple as taking out the Maggie Thatcher song and providing a little more background on the miners' strike. The show is deeply rooted in class politics, which is something that simply doesn't resonate with Americans. Just look at Blood Brothers - it failed miserably here (only stayed open the two years that it did because pop stars were brought in), and no one here can understand why it's been so successful in the UK.

The lack of school group accessibility making the show "financially unviable" is absolutely not true - there are plenty of shows that succeed on Broadway without attracting school groups. But the people that ARE crucial to financial viability are the tourists (many of them from those scarier parts of the country) and what we call the "bridge-and-tunnel crowd" - seniors and families who come in from the suburbs explicitly to go to the theater. They might be a little put off by the strong language and the gay overtones.

I agree with you that the themes are somewhat universal, and as I've said I think it's an absolutely fantastic show. All the Americans I know who've seen it have loved it - but remember they're the ones who chose to travel to London in the first place, and have at the very least an interest in British culture. As it is now, the show could attract an audience, but not a big enough one to cover its expenses. I just know that if they bring it over to New York, they will change so much to try to appeal to a wider group that the show will end up being so much less than the original. As happy as I'd be to be able to see it again (and again and again), I think I'd just end up longing to go back to London to see the "real" version.

Trust me, I'll be the first to cheer if I end up being proven wrong! In the meantime, thanks to all of you for keeping us stateside folks up to date :)

alex

Alex,

That was so interesting. Most people (like me) who write in such places are so crazy about the show that their normal critical faculties are compromised!

The thing about class conflict not resonating with Americans is extremely interesting. You may well have put your finger on it. We shall see.

I'll still be there!

Updated On: 1/3/06 at 05:07 AM

Those kids are amazing, aren't they? I don't know how 'coached' they are on TV appearances, but it seems totally natural. You just stick a microphone in front of any one of them and they instantly behave in a way which reflects nothing but credit on themselves, their families and the show.

I think the Des and Mel thing is so popular because it provides an opportunity to see two much loved (and departing) stars and friends working so well together.

I loved Ready, Steady, Cook (a show I would never normally watch) which you didn't mention here. Actually, it would not have occured to me to think of Ainsley whats-his-name as such a skillful presenter, but I thought he kept things moving really well whilst at the same time provoking some extremely interesting comments from the boys. And the boys themselves were just so enthusiastic and charismatic. Great stuff.

OK, everyone's gone mad. News is out that, from Sunday, tickets are available for a further period (up to October 2006 I think) and everyone is desperate for a ticket for June 3rd, the day the cast changes (Liam's final performance?) and everyone will be phoning up at 10am on the dot.

It's only a silly musical for God's sake!

And, what's more, I'm in a rehearsal at 10am and I won't get out until about 12.15. I seriously do not expect to find that all the best tickets have gone. Got it?

Seriously, I have a suspicion that telephone callers could be in for quite a frustrating time and at least I shall be walking right past the Box Office on my way home from work on Monday afternoon. Perhaps I'm in a more favourable position than you might think.

Hmm.

A fair question David!

I can't actually remember what the original source for this info was, but it has been conventional wisdom for some time that June 3rd is a watershed performance in the same way that December 3rd was. Certainly it has been said on behalf of both Liam and Leon, in public, that their contract runs to this date. It has also been rumoured that this will be the date of Haydn Gwynne's last performance. If someone more accustomed to sobriety than I can remember the precise source for this information, please come onto this site and give us a confirmation.

So far as the boys are concerned, mind you, you can interpret the term "final performance" fairly loosely. I was present at the theatre on September 17th when James Lomas gave his final performance. Many tears were shed, but he reappeared when Liam was unwell in November and he has appeared several times subsequently. If the rumours are sound, he is giving another final performance this coming Saturday. George Maguire gave his "final performance" on December 3rd and then appeared an several further occasions in the run-up to Christmas. He does seem now to have played the role for the last time.

So, who knows when we will actually see the last of Liam and Leon? The possible difference this time round is that, in September only Leon Cooke seemed to be ready to step into the role with Travis Yates not being deemed ready until December, so the situation was quite brittle. This time we have both Colin Bates and Matthew Koon expected to start in February and - no doubt - other boys in the pipeline.

Inevitably, our understanding is based on a mixture of formal and semi formal statements and a great deal of reliable and less reliable rumour, so anyone who can authoritatively separate one from the other will be a very welcome poster.

Updated On: 1/6/06 at 05:53 PM

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know that James Lomas will definitely be performing in the show for THE VERY LAST TIME as Billy, he will be doing tomorrow evening.

Any of you that haven't been to see this guys performance I would start queing early for day tickets - He's fantastic.

You may also find that the three original Billys will all be at the theatre for the very last time together...

---

Updated On: 1/6/06 at 09:37 AM

i av 2 express my feelings 4 billy elliot and the cast coz' they really do ALL diserve more credit then they get!!!! wel here goes....
i saw leon cooke on new years eve and i met him at da stage door n ad pics n got autographs frm him n joey... THEY WERE AMAZING! i saw it once 4 my birfday wiv george magurie playing billy and james as the stand in... but anywey thn as a joint crimbo prezzie wid ma best m8 amy, i went agen! n it just seems magical and feels like you can really get involved with the story line... my mum told me i wouldnt be able to go back and see it coz we dont live very close n its fairly expensive, but since i saw it again, it makes me want more and to know more and for wen i NEXT WOTCH IT *hint*hint*mum!* it never to end!!! ...also, me being a dancer since the age of 3 - now 13 - wouldnt mind actually becoming part of they BETM crew as 1 of the ballet dancers... dream on... but ya never no.... anyway i would just like to let all of the cast no how amazing they really are and how i envy them all for being so great and being the best birfday n crimbo prezzie EVER!!!!!
luv 2 every1
x X Jess Clegg X x
can i just add it was gr8 meeting cassie there! and happy new year to every1, may billy elliot the music go futher and grow more popular than EVER!!!!! x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

sowi evry1 i ddint mean 2 post dat twice... altho i av 2 sey it reli woz AMAZIN!!!

Cher has been on her Farewell Tour for about 6 years now, playing the same venues, 2 and 3 times, depending on your location.

And, no, let's not hang that moniker on James or George, because I would love to see either of them in March, just because, George is da bomb and I've never seen James.

Hell, face it, I will be deliriously happy with any Billy and any Michael and any recurring cast member I see during my 5 stabs at Billy.

So .......... I should check ticketing for the 3rd, huh?

At least by then, I'll have enough frequent flyer miles to get there on the cheap, but in style.

How's the weather in June, in and around LondonTown?

tzwicky

i wanna lern 2 rite lik yung ppl. its way culer n evry1 no wot u meen jus as gd. lol.

On second thoughts, I'm too much of an old fart!

I've just seen James Lomas's penultimate performance (nearly four months after I saw his final performance. Am I in a time warp?) I am a crazy mixed up kid when it cames to James's come-backs. Part of me thinks that he might be pushing his luck doing this weekend and I'm not totally convinced that he's been well advised; there are all sorts of things that don't really work any more. On the other hand, he's a totally, amazingly captivating performer and I could not help being excited to see his name on the board.

Anyway, the interesting thing for me this time was that I was in the front row, which was a completely different experience. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone going once only, because you find that you can only really focus on little bits of the stage at a time; it's very difficult to take in everything at once. But for someone who has seen it more than a few times, it's fascinating to get such a close up view. Knowing the broad outlines of the plot so well, you find yourself focussing on the most eccentric details, like the totally enchanting enthusiasm of the ballet dancing girl who is right in front of you.

Anyway, in keeping with the above, I'm going to give a totally lopsided review and I'm going to pick on two supporting actors who gave absolutely brilliant performances this evening. One was Joey Phillips. I've only seen him once before and that was with Leon early in his career. Tonight he almost literally lit up the stage every time he set foot on it. He has created his own special Michael persona and the portrayal is wonderfully fearless and huge fun. On an almost serious note, I think that boy could smash a million prejudices with a simple smile.

The other highlight was Tim Funnell as Tony (I hope I've remembered the name correctly; it's not in my out of date programme). He brought a tightly controlled energy and urgency to the role which was very remarkable. The drama stepped discernably up a notch when he was centre stage.

Briefly, on the rest, I've said before that, unlike one or two others, I am totally convinced by Phil Whitchurch's dad and I came away this evening feeling just as strongly about that as before. The reaction to Electricity is typical of his approach. It introduces a complexity which really works.

And everything else was as we've come to expect; nothing much more to report to old hands.

DQPlum:

Listen, the boys themselves probably don't know who is performing on this day in two week's time, so the notion that we know exactly on what day and at what time Leon will give his final performance is fanciful I fear. We think we know that both he and Liam are contracted to June. We know that June 3rd is a big day and we're kind of assuming that Liam, the last surviving original Billy (after this weekend), will do the biggie on that evening. Perhaps Leon will do the afternoon on that day, or perhaps he'll be given his own special day on some other occasion. Who knows?

Tzwicky,

London in June? Well, the difference between London and say the bottom half of France is that it might be hot, but we can't be sure. It could be kind of 16c and drizzly. Obviously it won't be cold though (unless global warming has reversed the gulf stream by then).

DQPlum again:

'Confuzzled' is such a cool word.

Updated On: 1/6/06 at 08:39 PM

Jeff,

Please do not do the "i wanna lern 2 rite lik yung ppl. its way culer n evry1 no wot u meen jus as gd. lol." thing because it's freakin' nonsense.

Ummmmm, I wonder how these people talk and write business communications betwixt themselves and garden variety creatures who must use the Queen's English and whatever it is I speak, which is Yankee English.

The stuff that looks like it wuz typed with thumbs, annoys the hell out of me. Here I was leaning in the direction of Italian as a second language, but instead it must be messages typed on blackberrys or tiny cell phones.

Damn. The stuff that pops out the other end of Babelfish makes more sense than thumbs-only on the worst day. That stuff is kind of cute the way it inverts sentence structure.

(see, I'm not criticizing anyone who types in this vernacular, just posting about it on the board, with no one in particular in mind.)

Oh, wait, I do speak a second language already, as do we all, Geordie!

tzwicky

Jeff3..thanks for telling me that, people are all saying different things on the fansite on PMs so i came on here to like confirm what im hearing! confuzzled is again my word but know i think i'll keep a look out! i think they will have different last nights for leon and liam as thats only fair! also i would have thought leon would stay longer but thats just my opinion, on account of him not being on BETM as long as liam! also i must agree, Joey is brilliant as micheal, is he doing the performances with james?

sorry if i write really badly on here! i did it really quickly on my last posts, trying to finish off portfolio, i had to make a stage of the national theatre and was in the middle of spray painting lol!! i got to make one of oliver stage then i might make on of billy just for fun! the big stage movments would b fun to do, revolving stages are easy they will be a little harder! lol
amyX
PS anyone seeing james performance tonight is so lucky! havnt seen him yet! *crys* but i will see others playing the part!

Ice Princess,

The programme is now to be called The Sound of Musicals. It will run for four Saturdays starting at 5.50 on Saturday 14th on BBC1. We know that stars of Billy Elliot have recorded something for the series (I believe it was Liam and Tim Healy), but I haven't read anything saying which of the four weeks will feature this. I'm guessing that you knew all this already and that I don't have the one piece of information you really need.

Anyway..

Updated On: 1/7/06 at 06:06 PM