December 2015 Reviews

Reviews of the show
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porschesrule
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December 2015 Reviews

Post by porschesrule »

This is an excellent review by the blog "What Sophie Said". Though it's for the show of 30-Nov-2015, as the thread for November reviews is locked, I thought I'd place the post here to get the December review thread off on a positive note:

http://what-sophie-said.blogspot.co.uk/ ... lliot.html
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patc
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Re: December 2015 Reviews

Post by patc »

Thanks so much for linking that review, Gary. Always such a pleasure to hear a first-timer's take on the show. Glad she mentioned Deka who has taken Dad to new levels and certainly adds hugely to the already highly emotional impact of Electricity.

Pat
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tzwicky
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December 2nd extra-special, amazing performance!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by tzwicky »

Wednesday, Dec. 2nd


The Wednesday nite show on December 2nd was just (and this is coming from a sometimes jaded Billymaniac) stratospheric, unreal, natural, organic, and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish (even the 3-minute tech glitch).

Clearly I am over the moon. Indulge me if ya want.

And, clearly, I don't write long-form, moment by moment accounts of a show, I just touch on the highlights I noticed and the actors, and all of it. When your mind is as porous as mine, this is what I can manage, and it's closing in on midnight, and as I'm on vacation, and I have a walking tour in the morning, then a matinee and an evening show of .... hmmmmm, some show .... maybe BETM! And maybe this doesn't have anything to do with my scandalously bright mood, but I've been on a blueberry muffin diet since I arrived in London. Blueberry muffins and Pepsi (except at the VPT which only serves Coke .... gack but acceptable). So I gotta be me. I've been at this for an hour nonetheless.

So I've been here for a week, and this was my 7th Billy. I've seen every Billy, every Michael, every Tall and Small Boy. As has been my pattern for a few years now, regardless who is playing Billy's dad, I get David Bardsley for my first few shows. Dunno how this happens, but "It's a mystery!" This time I also got David playing George, which I really liked bigtime. He plays the hell out of George with every gimmick in the book and sight gags (his glasses are an extra character in his version) and he's just a whirlwind of tics and goofs for the whole "Meat Prize Drawing Raffle."

So tonight we got Euan, Ben and Noah. Small boy was George.

I'd seen Euan at least twice last week, and he was really great. Loved him bigtime -- a dynamo, a whirling, spinning pixie I could watch many more times. Strangely, the first thing I noted on stage tonight was that in just a weekend, he'd changed something. A haircut, color or something. Dunno for sure. I noticed that because it was a difference, and mostly what I see at BETM is differences, so that's what I write about.

But the other change (confirmed by another member of the "too many times at the same West End show for a lifetime" club), was that Euan had lightened up, loosened up, gotten organically better in just a few days. It's amazing to be there when you can see this happening right in front of you and you think you can quantify the change but at first you can't. But by the interval, you're 99 percent sure you've got a handle on it. By the end of the show it's so obvious it could not go unnoticed. Euan was visibly more comfortable with everything he was doing on stage. He was enjoying himself immensely and this already smiling Billy was coming across as ecstatic. The audience of non-maniacs even noticed and on a mid-week show that's a hell of an accomplishment. Euan, you nailed it dude. You've totally grown into your role in such a short time and I am so insanely honoured to have been here at the start.

Tonight, I also got to see Ben Robertson in his debut show as Michael. I think he's going to be another in a long line of splendid, over-the-top Michaels.

Oh, in that tech hiccup, what happened (or what I noticed) is that after Billy had spun in the overhead and then lowered to the stage, there was some hitch with the cable ascending back to the loft. I think Older Billy tried to take it off stage with him to get it out of the way, but the lights came on and the show stopped in that way that is amazing in and of itself. I've been a very lucky 11-year BETM fan who has only been to one show that had a substitute Billy at the interval, and I've never been tossed out on the street when the show had to conclude suddenly. I have had less than 5 shows where there was a short interruption. Quite a track record. I think I saw one shortened show when a delay caused the finale to be axed.

Oh, one other thing tonight I noticed that I began taking note of a week ago. In the scenes where Michael kisses Billy and the one later when Billy kisses Michael, the young actors play the scene basically alike in all the many pairings I've seen. But like tonight, both Euan and Ben didn't go the distance, for me anyway. A tiny point. I like to hear the kiss since in both cases it's on the cheek. It gives the scene "oomph" and quite often, depending on the makeup of the house, an audible kiss gets an "awwwwwww." It's been like forever since I heard anyone freak out, even from large school groups. Dunno if the curriculum at London area schools is a gold star diversity champion, but I think that must be the case. So I'm not looking for something sloppy, just a visual and an audible. It especially adds to that final scene with Michael where he's up there by himself having just said goodbye to Billy. Tonight, in his first show, Ben was emoting like mad in that scene and I think it's just a great way to finish the show (excepting the finale).

One last thing about Euan's show tonight. I can remember back in the day, in the 2007 to 2009 years when there came a moment in the show that I could see that the actor playing Billy had attained Full Command of the stage. Go back to that time and I was probably referring to some Billys as the Commander or General of that show, on that day or night. The actors who inhabit Billy come to a time and place in their time with BETM where they just take over. In my opinion anyway. Billy is on stage nearly the full show, and in order to keep it running full steam, he has to arrive fully loaded, in control of his voice, his look, his dance and his presence. He's gotta take charge, and at some point they all do, eventually.

The fact that Euan took absolute control of the stage at the Victoria Palace on only his sixth night of performing this amazing show is just unfathomnable. How does this sort of lightining strike, time and time again?

Time to pin a medal on Euan. He slayed it tonight. He's arrived.

He brought it!

tzwicky
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Re: December 2015 Reviews

Post by Billy Whiz »

Thanks for the excellent review, tzwicky.

You are way ahead of me now. I have yet to see the latest two Billys and of course our new Michael. I hope to be rectifying this in early 2016.
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Bridget40
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Re: December 2015 Reviews

Post by Bridget40 »

Great review Tzwicky...... Thanks. :D
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tzwicky
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Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa. A thousand pardons.

Post by tzwicky »

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa. A thousand pardons.

For anyone at today's matinee (Thursday, Dec. 3) I am blaming myself for tempting the Billy Ghods with the following passage from my review of last night's show. Not that I want to take the blame, but it had to be the following passage ...

"Oh, in that tech hiccup, what happened (or what I noticed) is that after Billy had spun in the overhead and then lowered to the stage, there was some hitch with the cable ascending back to the loft. I think Older Billy tried to take it off stage with him to get it out of the way, but the lights came on and the show stopped in that way that is amazing in and of itself. I've been a very lucky 11-year BETM fan who has only been to one show that had a substitute Billy at the interval, and I've never been tossed out on the street when the show had to conclude suddenly. I have had less than 5 shows where there was a short interruption. Quite a track record. I think I saw one shortened show when a delay caused the finale to be axed."

So what happened today was a continuation it seems of the problems from last night. Dream Ballet started out OK and ran right up to the part where Billy gets hooked to the cable. But that never happened. The cable never descended. Company managers came on and made announcements and what followed was a pretty long delay. Announcements were made eventually saying that the hitch had been solved and the curtain raised. Billy twirled across the stage into Dad's scowling face. Ummmmmmm, I wonder how many people in the audience realized they missed the high wire twirling? No one seemed to mind and the show continued on.

A question must be posed (though it will not matter to anyone other than me who is going back to the VPT in about 45 minutes, along with the Thursday clutch of regular Billy Maniacs). Will Dream Ballet occur at all tonight? I am of course totally ignorant of all the things going on behind the set and above it and under it and of course Billy and Older Billy are the people at risk on a dodgy set, so I am fine with whatever transpires.

But really, I gotta apologize for jinxing the show today. I'm so sorry .... but not sorry enough for refunds so don't even try it.

As I mentioned to the older woman next to me, "Now you'll have to return to see the entire show, or at the very least, stop by a shop on the way home to buy a copy of 'Billy Elliot the Musical LIVE!'" I explained what she had missed. So I've done every Karma thing I can think of to atone for whatever part I played in today's matinee.

Review coming up later, but suffice to say, Young Brodie was everything I wanted to see on the BETM stage. He is a very agreeable Billy. His dance was first rate tonight, and there was nothing to not like on stage (excepting the tech glitch).

Forced to make a choice, I'd say that Brodie is certainly one of my favourite Billys I've seen this go around. What? You thought I would name a favourite?

Not a chance. Each and every Billy currently on stage is running at peak performance. These kids are acting, dancing, singing tornados. Each and every one is an F5 in my book.

tzwicky
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tzwicky
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Finding a goat.....

Post by tzwicky »

So, I've got to find a goat.

I thought I had compensated for my jinx of the flying rig, but no good.

Thursday found the rig still in a non-working condition, along with the loo portions of the set (dunno, that's just the point with Debbie and Billy when the show stopped yesterday -- it could have been gear elsewhere on stage).

But the flying rig has some sort of pesky issue going on.

To be persnickety, the toaster was not working for about three shows till it began functioning nominally last night.

So, I'm haunting every butcher shop I pass to find a live goat for a sacrifice.
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OK, so not really. How could I possibly sacrifice a live "Billy" goat for any reason? It would just go against everything that makes me a BillyManiac.

Perhaps a sheep?

But I am giving that flying rig a break Friday night and hope to see that it is working in time for my Saturday shows.

And, I'm doing Evensong at St. Pauls so I'll be lighting a passel of candles there in hopes that the lovely choir and my candles will convince my Billy Ghods to figure out the mechanics and give us back our full "Dream Ballet" sequence.

tzwicky
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Bridget40
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Re: December 2015 Reviews

Post by Bridget40 »

I love this show, but it has far too many technical problems. You name it, and I've seen it! Sometimes the same problem two, three or four times!

Someone needs to pull their finger out!
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tzwicky
George
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Lighting a candle at St. Pauls

Post by tzwicky »

Bridget, yeah there have been tech issues just lately, but that would never stop me from going to a subsequent show.

That's what separates regular folks from BillyManiacs.

But, seriously, I did light a candle (my first time ever, anywhere) at St. Pauls after the 5 pm Evensong service tonight. I nearly set my arm on fire, too, but that's a story for another time in a different thread.

I have 3 reviews from Wednesday and Thursday locked and loaded.

I will try to get them up and live tomorrow. Because then I'll have 2 more shows to review.

Hopefully I will witness the fruits of my religious exercise. I never did find that sheep today. I musta been in the wrong neighbourhood.

tzwicky
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tzwicky
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Saturday Matinee, Dec. 5th

Post by tzwicky »

Saturday Matinee, Dec. 5th

Oh boy. I gotta knock this out in 20 minutes.

Which won't be that tough because the Matinee show today was as close to a perfect show as I have seen in a long while.

We had the unreal, amazingly flawless Nat playing Billy, and the always flawless Nathan squeezing out another perfect Michael.

I felt really cruddy all Friday night, overnight, and gave thought to skipping the Matinee. But then I recalled the healing power of Billy. No matter how little sleep, how little food or how bad my feet feel from all those Walking Tours, Billy heals all infirmities. It's like our little Lourdes on Victoria Street.

Oh, and I am taking total credit for fixing the flying rig which had disappointed Wednesday night, and during both Thursdays shows. I lit a candle at St. Pauls after Evensong, and since that also preceded Friday's show where I was told the rig worked fine, I'm taking credit for that one, too, I guess along with some unnamed diety. If tonight goes OK, I'm all there for three in a row, and will be taking requests from others needing a miracle, as long as I can get a dinner date out of it.

So today the show was just without fault. I noticed one or two dance bobbles but they were so small, me and the dance captain backstage were probably the only ones who noticed other than the performer himself.

Nathan is my favourite Michael. He's just 100 percent ON every minute he's up on stage. He never misses a moment to delight and cause laughter.

Nat is definitely running at perfection level. I think he's ready for his Billy General medal (if I could just find an inexpensive foundry to strike these trinkets). There was just nothing to not like on the VPT stage today and because specific items have already faded from my dodgy mind, I cannot even contradict myself.

The whole crew was firing on all 8 cylinders today. Given we're here in London, let's make that 10 or 12 cylinders because Jaguars come in very special models.

I am just getting more and more happy with BETM every day.

Who could not?

tzwicky
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