Reviews - Iceland

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dongringo
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - Iceland

Post by dongringo »

Thank you! So excited! :D
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Darth_Revan
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - Iceland

Post by Darth_Revan »

dongringo wrote:Thank you! So excited! :D
No problem.
It will be a real treat! Enjoy!
---
István
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dongringo
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - Iceland

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After reading Darth_Revan's review again, it's difficult to expand on it, but I'll add a few random thoughts.

First of all, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to receive a ticket for Row 8 Seat 15 (dead center) instead of the one I originally purchased which would have been Seat 30 way over on the side. My guess is they needed my seat to fit in somebody who was with somebody and who would complain about a center seat?

I quickly struck up a nice conversation with the lady next to me and her teenage daughter. They would be traveling to LA a couple days later in order for her daughter to apply for a certain dance school there. Her ambition is to be a professional dancer and then open up a dance school in LA or NY. Her mother was very supportive. Obviously they were at the right show and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Many of the audience members were entire families with all the kids and grandparents and of course the place was sold out so it was packed.

The Billy I saw was Hjortar and he is a natural onstage if I've ever seen one. He's a triple threat for sure, but I was awestruck by his acting skills. His timing, fluidity, and emotional conveyance were so natural and flawless. When he shouted Nei at his dad it was so intense. Angry Dance was really angry. During Dream Ballet he showed pure joy and had a huge smile on his face during the flying. His singing voice shined during Electricity and his dancing was excellent. It seemed to be a cross between street and ballet. I believe the choreography was such to play to his strengths and the audience went nuts over it. He also did the no hands run up the wall back flip at the end of Born To Boogie.

The kid who played Michael was up there with the best I've seen. He was cheeky and hilarious and his dancing with Billy flawless. The two teenage girls to my right were like, "What the ****?" They seemed to be a bit embarrassed at first. One of them looked at me and saw that I was enjoying it then settled in for the rest of the ride. :D I really liked the giant high heels at the end which Billy and Michael used as slides. I was blown away by Michael. This kid was perfectly cast for the part.

All of the adult cast were pros and looked the part. Mrs. Wilkonsen was perfect, sarcastic as can be sucking down cigs yet her nurturing side came out with Billy for the perfect balance. Grandma really stood out to me. She must be another old pro actress. She was absolutely hilarious. I didn't even need to know Icelandic she was so funny. There was one part when she was in the kitchen and she had headphones on. She started bobbing her head to the music front and backward. Then as she walked back to the kitchen sink she started moving her hips, then her head and hips as she washed the dishes. What a hilarious piece of choreography. The nice lady to my left just loved her. Tony had a short beard, but that is totally common in Iceland so it fit.

I got the feeling that punching someone is a particularly bad thing to do in Iceland, as it should be anywhere, as Dad didn't punch Tony rather he just grabbed him by the collar and shoved him to the ground. Also, Billy didn't punch the kid in the Ballet School rather he just shoved him.

The Letters were heart wrenching and, once again, Mom was perfectly cast and she cried as she was walking away.

The ballet girls were all great as well.

The set design is phenomenal. It's something that is very hard to describe, but I think Darth did a fine job. The set changes were seamless using the rotating stage.

The ending where Michael left the stage on his bike first and Billy stared out into the audience before slowly walking back and out of sight is brilliant and I like it better than the original version. It also gave me goosebumps. Such an intense way to end the journey.

There are many choreography differences in this version, but I really can't think of any that didn't work. My hat is off to the choreographer.

I'd like to explain things in more detail, but I never pay attention to details during the first viewing of a production that is new to me, even if it's the same show. I tend to get sucked into the story, music and most of all the characters.

Well, that was my experience. I would go again in a second had I the chance. Also, as Darth said, Iceland is an amazingly beautiful country. It's a geologically unique place in this world and the Icelandic people are among the friendliest I've ever met. If you have the circumstances to go there in September you won't regret it.

Whoever hasn't seen this, here's a mash up featuring all the Billys at a theater awards show from the same theater: http://www.ruv.is/sarpurinn/ruv/griman-2015/20150616 (just the first part of the show) (also, it looks like there's another Billy in the works as there are four of them)
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thm
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - Iceland

Post by thm »

Thanks for the inspiring review, dongringo. And thanks for sharing the video link. That's an awsome and incredibly long and uninterrupted piece of the show. Is it decided that they continue the show in september? I really must see it.
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dongringo
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - Iceland

Post by dongringo »

Yes, it will be up and running again in Sept. I ran across the dates yesterday, but forgot to post the link. I'll look for it later when I get home.
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dongringo
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Re: Reviews - Iceland

Post by dongringo »

There are 10 Sept. dates shown on the poster (latest fb post):

https://www.facebook.com/borgarleikhus
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porschesrule
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Re: Reviews - Iceland

Post by porschesrule »

dongringo wrote: There are 10 Sept. dates shown on the poster (latest fb post):

https://www.facebook.com/borgarleikhus
The September show dates can also be found on the theater's website:

https://midi.is/sale/tickets.aspx?s=%2f ... P9QqkqdikK
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dongringo
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Re: Reviews - Iceland

Post by dongringo »

Just thought of a detail that I thought was funny. Mr. Braitwaite wanted an autogragh when all the ballet girls did and shoved his way in to get it. It was a very funny scene. :D He wouldn't take no for an answer.
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kport
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Re: Reviews - Iceland

Post by kport »

This may have been posted earlier, but it is a new discovery for me -
Billy Elliot official at the Icelandic Performing Arts Award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJg5zc_Sjjw

Is this the only other example of a clip where camera shots are taken from the wings as well as several vantage points around the theatre?

Pure class!

(The kitchen looks a bit too 'IKEA; for northern England ca 1984; they need a circa 1974 MFI one instead.)
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dongringo
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Re: Reviews - Iceland

Post by dongringo »

kport wrote:This may have been posted earlier, but it is a new discovery for me -
Billy Elliot official at the Icelandic Performing Arts Award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJg5zc_Sjjw

I had posted it earlier, but it works better on YouTube.
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