July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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Billy Whiz
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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The story behing the "two-fingered salute" is that at the Battle of Agincourt the French army said that they would cut off the first and second fingers of the English longbowmen's fingers when they defeated them. In fact the French were defeated and the English longbowmen waved their two fingers at them in defiance.

This may be BS but why let the truth get in the way of a good story :D :D :D
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

Post by CJ-Rochester »

My welcome as well to the forum muck912, and thanks for the great review. :D I agree that both Marcus and Jack are excellent, although neither seems to get his due compared to some of the others.

I have only heard the F-bomb in AD a couple of times, and that was in New York with Liam and Dayton. Even they did not use it every performance. I always listen for it just in case. ;)
:/
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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CJ-Rochester wrote:I agree that both Marcus and Jack are excellent, although neither seems to get his due compared to some of the others.
Unfortunately I was ill on the night I was due to see Marcus so cannot speak for him but I have to agree with you on all counts about Jack.
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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Billy Whiz wrote:The story behing the "two-fingered salute" is that at the Battle of Agincourt the French army said that they would cut off the first and second fingers of the English longbowmen's fingers when they defeated them. In fact the French were defeated and the English longbowmen waved their two fingers at them in defiance.

This may be BS but why let the truth get in the way of a good story :D :D :D
Especially if their fingers had fingers. 8-) :lol:
Ellen



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-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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:oops: :oops: :oops:
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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We love you anyway. :D
Ellen



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-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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Toronto, July 9-10, 2011
Saturday matinee & evening
Sunday matinee

I had the pleasure of driving up to Toronto for the purpose of seeing three shows. I also was able to hook up with shimmyshimmy and his friends from the US, Canada, and Europe. I have to say that seeing the shows and breaking bread with those who share the passion is a real treat.

My Observations:

The biggest thing that struck me was how relaxed the accents were, to the point where some of the actors almost didn’t seem to have one. Compared to the tour and Broadway, these accents were much more watered down. On the plus side, the actors’ lines were much better understood by the audience, I believe.

I knew Myles would be good, and he really is. But I was surprised by what a fantastic job Julian did. This new kid has got “it” – I hope I can see him down the road because he should be phenomenal. He has this wide-eyed innocence that he brings to the role – he’s got just the face for that. You wouldn’t believe how (literally) wide open his eyes were standing in front of the Royal Ballet backdrop with his dad. However, his AD was very angry. For whatever reason, I was able to see his face more clearly in his bedroom, leaning over the edge, than I have seen any other Billy’s face. And he was fully expressing rage. He’s a very good actor.

The only technical glitch in the three shows was during Ty’s scene right before Grandma’s song. No lights were on for his shadow figures, so he was doing it in pitch black. We saw the lights being changed on the stage at intermission…

As I’ve stated before, I much prefer the sets that slide in from the side rather than the hydraulic lift sets. Much, much less distracting in my opinion. For whatever reason, this production doesn’t use smoke in Jackie’s fry pan. I’ve never seen it done without the smoke. All three boys did flips off the piano, which was great to see. It wasn’t done in NY in February, and only a few were doing it on the tour.

I’d forgotten how good Jim Ortlieb is as George (saw him in Chicago last summer). However, I did not care for David Keeley’s take on Dad. He plays Jackie for laughs too much, making him the comic relief in the show, rather than the brusk dad we are accustomed to. They also need to grey his hair – he looks the same age as Tony.

Dillon. My gosh, what can I say that hasn’t been said. Seeing him on YouTube doesn’t prepare you for the fireball of energy that bursts onto the stage. He has a comedian’s timing, a face that exudes personality, a very clear way of delivering his lines. You can’t believe how hard he hits George with the one-two punches. And to meet him at the stage door, he is surprisingly small. I only say this because you don’t expect that after seeing him command the stage as he does. I really enjoyed his performances.

After seeing shows in four venues, I am still blown away and impressed every time by
- Peter Darling’s choreography. My god is it great.
- the ballet girls, the unsung heroes of the show imho
- AD. I will never not be astounded at what I see right before intermission. I only wish there was a way the audience could be “unstunned” right afterward in order to give its true appreciation toward Billy for that number. That remains my one biggest disappointment with the show (I’m not being critical – the abrupt shock ending to close the first half really works – that’s just the way it is).

Mark
28 shows, 17 Billys, 11 cities
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

Post by muck912 »

Making my way to the Canon Wednesday morning I prepared myself for a slight letdown as surely nothing could compare to Tuesday night's great BETM and Marcus's masterpiece. Was I ever wrong! Myles Erlick pitched his own perfect game!

Wed. matinee July 6

Myles/Dillon

12 years old, my ass! Lemme see the birth certificate. Someone this good can't possibly be 12. I've seen Myles 3 times now and each time he has me emotionally in the palm of his hand. Someone my age shouldn't be as easily manipulated by someone this little. But in a role meant to tug on the heartstrings, being small in size and a great actor is a deadly one-two punch. OK, so what else can he do? Acro, that's what. He did a piano flip and absolutely stuck the landing. There were 2 snap aerials in today's marvelous Electricity. Tap? Great. Ballet? The years of training shine through, a ballet Billy for sure. Can he jump-rope while tap dancing? Perfect. But can he sing? I want my Billys to be able to do Elton's ballads justice. They are a huge part of the show. I've always thought that excusing a voice-challenged Billy with "you don't expect an Easington miner's son to be able to sing" was a rationalization. When I see Oliver I expect the actors playing Artful Dodger & Oliver to be able to sing. No one would ever leave that show after hearing an off-key Oliver and say "you wouldn't expect a 19th century lower class orphan to be able to sing." Well, no one will ever have to rationalize Myles' singing. The boy can sing! Don't take my word for it. Go to Youtube. The best thing on Youtube right now is a duet version of Elton John's Tiny Dancer sung by Myles and his twin self. But how is this little guy's Angry Dance? Breathtakingingly violent. (I thought I heard a faint F-bomb, but I can't be sure.) An extraordinary performance by Marcus followed the next day by an extraordinary performance by Myles. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Is there anything Myles can't do? Yup. He needs help with his signature. Last month my daughter approched him at the stage door and requested an autograph. A friendly, smiling Myles chatted and signed. No letter in either his 1st or last name was decipherable. My daughter didn't care. She was happy she got to spend a minute with the star of the show.

Sharing box A with me (another lottery jackpot, 6 in the last 7 shows) was a newbie lady from Toronto. She had seen the movie and had gotten a brief scouting report from a friend who had seen the show: "a funny blond haired kid steals the show." That funny blond haired kid is show stealer extraordinaire Dillon Stevens. It was impossible to take your eyes off of Dillon's Michael whenever he was on stage. Even an actor with as commanding a presence as Myles Erlick will sometimes play second fiddle when sharing the stage with Dillon. Your eyes can't leave Dillon because you never know what he's going to do on stage. Tonight his bicycle almost took off Big Davey's leg in Stars, his Expressing Yourself was second to none, he had a petrified look on his face awaiting Billy's response after the kiss, he got uproarious laughs all night long, and at the start of the 2nd Act he manuevered himself to be last coming down the aisle so he could solicit donations while waiting his turn for the ladder. Despite his schmoozing with the patrons seated in the front row I think his bucket ended up empty. When they finish construction on the Billy Elliot Hall of Fame and you'r strolling the Michael Wing you are sure to see Dillon's plaque right next to David Bologna's.

Cindy Benson is Grandma and I love her portrayal. She makes her song one of the highlights of the show. The choreography for this song is so good and it is very different from any other scene in any other musical I've ever seen. Peter Darling is a genius.
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

Post by CJ-Rochester »

Another great review muck912! I saw Myles in February and liked him. Then I saw him again in May and thought he was great. There was some notable growth in his character in that 3 month span. Hopefully I can get to see him once more in August to see what another 3 months has done. From your review it sounds like Myles has certainly become an amazing Billy. :D
:/
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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I have to say that I was completely blown away by Myles's performance on June 30. Everything muck said is true, and then some. And.... Myles more than holds his own against Dillon's Michael, and that is saying something. They make a terrific pair. Myles is an excellent dancer, singer, and actor--a true triple threat. As for his characterization of Billy, I would call it "scrappy." I loved it. I might also mention that every now and then from certain angles Myles almost had me thinking I was seeing a young Jamie Bell up there. 8-)
Ellen



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-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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