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Re: The Final Days: A Blog

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:50 am
by porschesrule
Thank you so much, muck912, for your wonderfully descriptive accounts of the final day of BETM Toronto. It surely was a day that many will remember and some will realize what a gem of a show they had there now that it's gone.

It's a shame there was no official acknowledgement from the BETM creative team at the final show, but I can't say I'm shocked. At the very least the resident manager could have given a short speech before the show.

All in all, a great run in Toronto (and for many in this cast in Chicago too). It was a great cast and hopefully BETM won't lose the considerable talents of many of them now that the Toronto production has closed.

See 'ya Toronto.

Re: The Final Days: A Blog

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 2:24 pm
by CJ-Rochester
My thanks as well for these two reviews Muck912. After seeing the Toronto production 9 times this year I grew to have a special affection for this wonderful cast. It was good that they went out on such a high note in their final performances.

Re: The Final Days: A Blog

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 12:35 am
by dongringo
Excellent review! Thank you!

Re: The Final Days: A Blog

Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 3:22 am
by Todd
Excellent review. Very emotional to read, as I'm sure it was in person, too. With the huge crowds that have been there in Toronto lately, it makes you wonder why they felt the need to cut the run short there.

Sorry to hear there was no speech before or at the end of the show, but glad to hear that at least the 4 Billys got to dance together at the end, and that Marcus and Dillon used their real names.

Re: The Final Days: A Blog

Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 1:36 pm
by muck912
Todd wrote:Excellent review. Very emotional to read, as I'm sure it was in person, too. With the huge crowds that have been there in Toronto lately, it makes you wonder why they felt the need to cut the run short there.

Sorry to hear there was no speech before or at the end of the show, but glad to hear that at least the 4 Billys got to dance together at the end, and that Marcus and Dillon used their real names.

Over Toronto's last month I saw 8 shows, virtually all of them from the Lottery Boxes where it is easy to get a look at the size of the crowd, both upstairs and down. All of those shows were either full or nearly so (maybe 50 empty seats). Of course, many seats were sold at a discount.

There is one significant thing I forgot to put in my review of Marcus's final performance. Again I was in the boxes and from there you have a perfect view of the off-stage wing. During Electricity the wing I could see was packed with adult cast members making sure they caught his last one. At the conclusion his castmates gave Macus their applause to go along with the wild standing ovation he got from the crowd.

How I Will Miss Billy Elliot, the Musical

Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 2:40 pm
by eaglegray
How I will miss Billy Elliot the Musical, let me count the ways:
I'll miss the opening scene, Billy's gentle, reflective, 'Take Me Up and Hold Me Gently,' and sassy Michael tearing across the stage on his bike. I'll miss the boxin' and the dancin' class. I'll miss Mrs. Wilkinson's exhortations to 'Shine.'
I'll miss 'Grandma's Song' and the defiant 'Solidarity' chorus. And how terribly I'll miss Michael's 'Expressing Yourself' show-stopper -- Dillon Stevens' wonderful cheeky little face, looking every bit like the cat that swallowed the canary, lighting up the stage.
And ohh, 'The Letter.' I'll miss the deep and delicious sentiment it makes you feel, even with the heartache.
I'll miss the unrestrained joy of 'Born to Boogie,' and the heart-in-mouth business of Billy's back-flip off the piano.
I'll miss 'The Angry Dance' in all its passion, and its righteous, innocent, poetic anger.
I'll miss the hilarious 'Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher'; the poignant 'Deep Into the Ground'; the gorgeous 'Dream Ballet.'
I'll miss 'He Could Be a Star' with the touching anguish of Billy's dad, and the miners' sacrificial offerings.
I'll miss 'Electricity,' of course, the amazing summation of his passion for dance, where Billy finds his words, beautifully expressing the inexpressible. I'll miss the achingly wistful 'Once We Were Kings.'
I'll miss the happy-sadness of Billy's leaving; the 'Oy...Dancin' boy!' and the rending, compassionate farewell to Michael.
Ultimately, I'll miss Billy Elliot The Musical because, for me, and, I suspect, thousands of others, it is the most perfect musical comedy/drama. Perfect, not only because of the brilliance of its dancing, its music, and its lyrics, but because it is about every facet of life, and love, and death, and loss, and the whole damn thing. It is about the anguish of growing up, facing conflicting values -- those of your own heart, and those of the people you love. It is about the agony of a motherless child; the stress of pressures to conform; the deep bonds of childhood friendships, and their tragic, often inevitable terminations. It is about social injustice; the pride in work; the pride of community.
Most of all it is about one wonderful, charming boy, his powerful talent, his undaunted dream, and his ultimate victory over every obstacle to its realization. And it's about how the love (often tough love) of family and friends helped him overcome those obstacles and realize that victory.
I'll miss Billy Elliot the Musical, because the stage production, which compelled me to multiple viewings, is now no longer in Toronto, no longer nearby. I'll achingly miss Billy, Michael, and all the Everington gang, because they bewitched me with this magnificent work of art. Yes, art! It is musical theatre's high art. It is a beautiful thing; and now that it is gone (for too long, I suspect, from our Toronto stages) it is, for me, almost too painfully beautiful to remember. Almost.

L. G. Eaglesham
Owen Sound, Ontario

Re: The Final Days: A Blog

Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:39 pm
by dongringo
Wow! eaglegray, That was very well stated. That's how I felt after my 7th and last show in Portland because I knew, due to personal circumstances, I wouldn't be able to travel to see it for a very long time. Wonderful memories they are though and this forum keeps them alive. Thank you for your thoughts. :D