Billy Elliot - The Musical

[Alatar]

So I saw this last Thursday, before Avenue Q and Wicked. While Avenue Q was hilarious and Wicked was spectacular, this is the show my mind keeps wandering back to. I can honestly say that I "enjoyed" the other two more at the time, but this is the one that I'm listening to in the car.

For those who have seen neither the Movie or Show, a brief synopsis. Billy Elliot is a young boy in a mining town in the North of England, living with his Father, his Gran and his older brother; his mother having passed away. One day, while at Boxing practice, he accidentally ends up in a ballet class where the teacher spots his potential as a dancer. In subsequent weeks he pretends to be attending Boxing classes while secretly attending ballet class. His teacher wants him to attend an audition for the Royal Ballet School, but his Father finds out...

I won't say more for fear of spoilers, but this was a truly touching and moving experience, with wonderful dancing, singing and acting, plenty of tough British Humour, rough language and an honest sense of the spirit of the common man. Even typing this, I find myself tearing up at some of the moments in the show.

For those who have seen the Movie, but not the Show, its important to realise that the show is much deeper than the film. Set against the backdrop of the Miners Strikes and Thatcherite Britain, there's scathing political commentary in here, much like Willy Russells "Blood Brothers". One of the most powerful scenes in the show is a juxtaposition of a ballet class with the heckling between the miners and the police. In a seamless blend, the Adults take their place in the childrens dance, taunting each other to cries of "Solidarity Forever".

Billy's reading of his Mother's final letter had me gasping back tears.

And I will have missed you growing,
And I'll have missed you crying
And I'll have missed you laugh.
Missed your stomping and your shouting,
I'll have missed telling you off,
But please Billy,
Know that I was always there.
I was with you through everything.
And please, Billy...
know that I will always be
Proud to have known you
Proud that you were mine
Proud in everything
And you must premise me this, Billy
In everything you do
Always be yourself, Billy
And you always will be true

[JewelSong]

I loved the BIlly Eliot movie and wondered how the musical was...I may go see it now!

[truehobbit]

I liked the movie a lot, interesting that you found the musical even more intense. (Haven't seen the musical, of course.)

[Alatar]

Some clips to give an idea of the show.

[The_Hutter]

they made a musical on billy elliot, and how come that just does not sound right at all
but hey what do i know right

[elfshadow]

I guess I'll play the part of the dumb American who doesn't understand British humor on this one, but I was pretty bored by the movie Billy Elliot. I saw a lot of random dancing in the streets and some gratuitous use of the "f" word, but not a whole lot else. The basic idea of the movie was great but I found it poorly done, so maybe I would enjoy the musical more than I did the film.

[Alatar]

Its funny really, but I think there's a cultural gap thats wider than people think. I remember when Dallas and Dynasty were at their height someone tried to compare Coronation Street to the American soaps. The American reaction was "Thats depressing, who wants to see poor people living their humdrum boring lives, you can do that any day".

For the British (and the Irish) we identify more with the working classes, even if we're generationally removed from their lifestyle.

[elfshadow]

But it wasn't the fact that the movie was a portrayal of the working classes that bothered me. Angela's Ashes told the story of the working class too, and I loved that movie--and Angela's Ashes was a lot more depressing than Billy Elliot. There was just something about Billy Elliot that I found very disconnected.