Will Chase to Play "Tony" in "Billy Elliot" Starting July 7

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 1:57pm

Wait, what?

[little_sally]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:01pm

Billy's MUCH older brother, that is.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:06pm

Billy's MUCH older brother, that is.

Yeah really.

Um, at least this show won't close after he enters.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:06pm

I actually like that choice a lot. Will Chase is very masculine and he has a good voice... so I think it has potential to work. As for age, all that matters is that he can convince us that he is younger, but my god I hope he doesn't look bored of his a$$ like he did in Rent.

Updated On: 6/24/09 at 02:06 PM

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:18pm

This is fantastic news. I am so glad he will be in a hit show.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:20pm

He'll be excellent in the part.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:20pm

He's also 9 years younger than the man playing his father.

[broadwaygirl99]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:49pm

Will Santino's last perfromance be July 5th or will he leave early and have understudies do it until Will comes?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:49pm

And Phylicia Rashad's black. Big deal.

[LesMizazz]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 2:59pm

Although Will Chase does seem a bit old for the character, I think this is the type of casting that they wanted for this role of Tony.

Joe Caffrey, the current Dad in the London Cast was the original Tony when the show opened there in 2005 so obviously the age difference in the actor doesn't matter very much in casting.

Though on the other hand, the current Tony in London is Craig Gallivan who is in his mid-late 20's and one of the Broadway understudies is David Larsen who is in that same age range. Definitely a few years younger than Will Chase.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:04pm

It's called acting.

In related horrifying news: Juliet is rarely played by a teen!

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:08pm

Yeah, I was going to say that Will and Gregory should be brothers, not father and son. I guess it's not a HUGE deal for an 11-year old boy to have a brother in his 40s.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:10pm

Well, he won't seeing how TONY is not in his 40s...

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:17pm

Excuse me . . . 38 and turning 39 in September. Sorry.

Updated On: 6/24/09 at 03:17 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:18pm

Who cares how old Chase is? How old is TONY? And can Chase play that age?

Yes.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:19pm

Juliet is never played by a teen.

None of the kids in Spring Awakening were 14-15.

Coraline was played by a woman in her 50's

I don't think age is THAT big of a deal.

Updated On: 6/24/09 at 03:19 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:20pm

It's about time he's in a show that he'll get to play more than 20 performances in. Good for him!

[Glory]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:25pm

Hmmmm Maybe I will need to go see this after all.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:27pm

Was Santino fired? What happened? Just curious...

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:30pm

He's going to be in Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound @ the Nederlander Updated On: 6/24/09 at 03:30 PM

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:33pm

I just watched the Rent DVD and I didn't think he looked bored off his ass.

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 3:53pm

yea, from seeing will chase quite a few times in rent myself, he was definitely not bored.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 4:16pm

While I don't doubt that he'll act the role fine, the idea that he is going to be Greg Jbara's son is laughable.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 4:20pm

Let's also hope they hire Abigail Breslin to be Grandma. She's an AMAZING actress, and I'm SURE she'd be believable!

In my opinion, it's not about his ability as an actor, it's more the appropriateness of the choice. Is there not an actor the appropriate age to cast in the role of Tony? I somehow doubt it.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/24/09 at 4:22pm

I saw Will Chase in AIDA, HIGH FIDELITY, and RENT. The only role I liked him in was RENT, and even then I wasn't crazy about him. There's something about his natural facial features that doesn't make me take him seriously as a character.

But, I admire the man, his artistry, and his passion. It's not his fault I don't believe his face! :-P