December 2010 Reviews - NYC

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porschesrule
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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by porschesrule »

billyforlife wrote:If you have the time and patience to read it all, I hope you enjoy my review
I (and many other forum members) have been anxiously awaiting Part 2 of your "Aussie Broadway Invasion", Marissa, and it was certainly well worth the wait!

It definitely wasn't a matter of needing time and patience as I loved your detailed descriptions of the various scenes and numbers from the show and the time spent reading them just seemed to fly by. I've made it no secret that I particularly enjoy when reviewers are able to compare the various productions of the show and you did a splendid job of that. It's also very interesting to me when reviewers see back to back shows and are able to compare how various scenes and numbers are presented by the different Billys. It was intriguing to hear about Peter and Dayton in back-to-back shows, as they represent such different Billys -- ballet vs street/hip hop, relative new comer vs long time veteran, American vs Aussie.

As I've written elsewhere, Dayton's year spent here in America and on Broadway (74 performances as Billy) was definitely Australia's gift to America. You and the rest of his countrymen have every justification in feeling the pride I know you do from reading your words. It's so great to hear he had such an excellent last show and especially that Stephen Daldry recognized Dayton's many contributions to the show and took the time to say it.

Again, Marissa, thank you so much for taking the time to so wonderfully share with us your experiences in New York this trip. I loved reading every word and look forward to your future reviews.
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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by ERinVA »

Thanks for finishing your wonderful review, Marissa. It was definitely worth the wait. :D

A few comments:
A funny little thing that I've always thought of whenever I hear Solidarity is the fact that the line "when you were on the picket line, we went and ____ your missus" is immediately followed by "all of us at once" and whenever I hear it I always hear it as if it's one long sentence instead of "all of us at once" just being a call for the others to sing. Does anyone else think of this? Is it intentional or do I just have a bad mind? haha, anyway..
I have always taken it to mean exactly what you thought it means. It's not a call for everyone to sing, like the "All together now!" line in "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher."
He Could Go And He Could Shine was strange as I am so used to He Could Be A Star, but I didn't mind it. It didn't seem contrived as I thought it might.
This version has become my favorite, if for no other reason than the fact that Billy comes in and gets knocked down while trying to stop his father and brother from fighting, which always breaks my heart.
I don't know why a Swedish guy was chosen for the US show though.
Swedish? :? He's always been Scottish when I have seen it.

Thanks again for your great review!
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by CJ-Rochester »

My thanks as well Marissa for your review. It certainly made my morning. :D
I too have found both Peter and Dayton to be humble and modest when people greeted them at the stage door. In fact I think all of these kids are that way.

Thanks also for the interesting details of the differences in Angry Dance between Oz and NY.
-Chris
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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by billyforlife »

ERinVA wrote:
I don't know why a Swedish guy was chosen for the US show though.
Swedish? :? He's always been Scottish when I have seen it.
Oops, I meant Scottish, sorry! lol yeah there's a bit of a difference :P
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"No, she was just me mam."


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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by elliot1 »

Loved your review Marissa! Great to read an Aussie opinion. :) I miss the Melbourne show so much. :)
The Aus show didn't have the giant dancing dresses (and pants, haha) as that is very Broadway, but it certainly added to the fun and was ridiculous in a great way.
From all the Melbourne shows I saw, the Aus show did have the giant dancing dresses, though we didn't have the pants. :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by ERinVA »

So far as I know, all versions of the show so far have had the dresses, but the pants were a Broadway addition, as was the lighted mirror and lighted arches.
Ellen



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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by billyforlife »

elliot1 wrote: I miss the Melbourne show so much. :)

Me too :(
elliot1 wrote:
The Aus show didn't have the giant dancing dresses (and pants, haha) as that is very Broadway, but it certainly added to the fun and was ridiculous in a great way.
From all the Melbourne shows I saw, the Aus show did have the giant dancing dresses, though we didn't have the pants. :lol: :lol: :lol:
Oh okay, I must've forgotten.
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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by Moby-Dick »

This review is a bit overdue and entirely too long, but I just couldn't resist writing it. (Am a bit embarrassed by how much I allowed myself to ramble. Apologies for the ridiculous verbosity!)

December 22, 2010

Billy – Peter Mazurowski and Alex Ko
Michael – Neil McCaffrey
Small Boy – Alex Dreier


(Pre-Show, Student Rush at the Box Office)

After what seemed a veritable age away from my favourite show and this marvelous forum, my hellatus from Billy Elliot was finally broken when I found myself once again in line at the box office of the Imperial.

Friends of mine were in town visiting the city, and – at my recommendation – were planning on seeing Billy. How could I not join, especially when the timing was so perfect? There was no better way to celebrate the winding down of another busy semester; and after a fruitless summer of repeated attempts, I was eager to once again try my luck at nabbing a pair of student rush tickets. Admittedly, I had been rather nervous about our prospects of success, but the guardians of the Imperial were smiling down on us that afternoon, and we were able to get tickets for our entire group.

Relaxation was not an option until the tickets were physically in my hands, at which point the full brunt of my excitement struck me like a sharp kick in the backside. Indeed, I had been away from the Imperial for nearly a year (which, I promise you, is a very long time for an addict living just a subway ride away). Alex Ko was one of the Billys that I was particularly eager to see, as he was one of the boys who had been in rotation when I was last actively seeing the show (during the “Trent/Liam/Michael/Dayton” era).

I found myself equally pleased, however, to see that Peter Mazurowski would be performing in the afternoon show. After all, each one of the Billys in the current rotation was new to me, and I knew it would be a privilege to see any one of these talented performers.

(The Stars Look Down)


As little Alex Dreier ambled onto the stage with lollipop in hand and the familiar black and white video began to play on the screen, I settled in for what I knew would be an enjoyable three hours.

This first number has always been immensely enjoyable, as it really showcases the entire community: its families, its children, its interactions and relationships. And for me, who’s seen the show more often than I’d like to admit to myself, there’s always a rush of excitement when Dad drags young Billy onto the stage. There’s always that sense of eager anticipation as you await the unfolding of this young figure’s prowess and skill as the show progresses from this first scene right up to the very end.

Peter, with his wiry limbs and mop of brown hair, looks to the audience to be both a sensitive and fragile-looking Billy, which makes his initial line, “F*cked if I know” seem at first so unexpected. These four syllables always get a chuckle from the audience, and I think they set a good example of the dichotomy in Billy’s character: tough but caring, silly but sensitive, confused but hopeful.

(The Boxing Scene)


Was happy to see the wonderful Joel Hatch again in the role of George, especially in one of the scenes from the show that never fails to make me happy. Joel Hatch really adds something to the show through his characterization of George. He really is a talented actor, and I only wish his part in the show was bigger!

Seeing the oh-so-tiny Alex running about and doing pushups in those huge boxing gloves was especially adorable, as he is so tiny in stature. Alex’s pronouncements of fatigue eventually devolved from clear enunciations of “Jesus! Jesus!” into inarticulate, loud groans; and the audience chuckled along.

Am always looking forward to seeing each Billy’s unique take on boxing, and Peter’s “boxing” moves certainly did not disappoint. At once ridiculous and endearing, he got a lot of laughs from the audience.

(Shine)

This was my first time seeing anyone other than Kate Hennig as Mrs. Wilkinson on Broadway, and I must admit that I rather missed seeing her in the role. Emily Skinner does a solid job playing Mrs. Wilkinson and is great with capturing the essence of the character; however, I must offer up one complaint: the enunciation of in her singing and line delivery. Had this been my first time seeing the show, I would have had a difficult time understanding what she was saying, especially if I was not familiar with the story. As it was, the difficulty in understanding Emily Skinner’s enunciation was made evident – at least to me – by the fact that a lot of the jokes embedded throughout the song (i.e., most of the ones directed at the various ballet girls) seemed lost to a lot of the audience and did not elicit many laughs. This, of course, could also have been due to the fact that the audience during this particular show seemed a bit slow out of the starting gate.

That all aside, I’ll definitely attest to Emily’s fantastic singing voice and her excellent portrayal of Mrs. Wilkinson’s character.

The ballet girls, as usual, did an excellent job. They never fail to bring a great deal of energy to the stage, and this number really gives the audience a chance to see how each of them, well, shine! I was sorry not to see the beloved Tessa Netting in the role of Susan Parks, but I must say, her substitute did a most excellent job. While they are by no means twins, I must say there is a surprising similarity between the two – and it’s not just the hairdo.

(We’d Go Dancing)

Ah, the inimitable Carole Shelley! How wonderful she is as Grandma. She just gets better and better each time I see her. I’ll admit I wasn’t always the biggest fan of this number, especially when I first saw the show. Over time, however, it’s definitely grown on me, especially with Carole in the role. Watching her perform is a joy, and it’s always lovely to see how she interacts with Billy on the stage.

(Solidarity)


Listening to the song is one thing, but seeing this number live? Phew. Words cannot express how excellently choreographed it is. Even though there is so much happening on stage, you still get such a strong sense of the different stories developing over the passage of time: the growing tension between the miners and the police, the effect of the conflict on the community, and – of course – Billy’s dancing!

Watching Billy’s skills increase and unfold throughout the number is what, for me, makes “Solidarity” so magical. When Peter stands in attitude, I’m always struck with how much grace is captured in that simple pose. Having danced before (and having recently attempted to reawaken my stiff limbs in some adult ballet classes), I have a very personal sense of just how difficult that simple attitude actually is. It really speaks to the Peter’s skill that he makes it look so effortless.

(Expressing Yourself)


Whenever I find that the audience seems a bit slow to warm up to the show, Michael’s skirt-clad figure never fails to thaw whatever remaining vestiges of stiffness there may be among the viewers. Immediately, you can feel the audience relaxing and stepping in sync with the rhythm of the show.

This was my first time seeing Neil McCaffrey in the role, and I must say, he is quite the ham. A different portrayal from Jake Schwencke (who I’ve seen in the role the most often), but just as loveable and fun.

(The Letter Scene)


Am going to have to admit, hearing Peter use the “I opened it a few years early” line really made me miss how Dayton and Michael used to say “‘cept I couldn’t wait”. The two aren’t so terribly different, but for some reason, I’ve always liked the latter much better. (Does anyone still use “‘cept I couldn’t wait” in any of the US productions?)

In any case, this scene was absolutely heart-wrenching. Peter sings with emotion, with clarity and tenderness. From where I was sitting (near the back of right front mezz), he turned on some considerable waterworks while Mrs. Wilkinson and Dead Mum sang. Definitely saw quite a few audience members reach for tissues after that.

The emotion that some of the boys bring to this scene is amazing to me, and “The Letter” always my heart feeling very soft indeed.

(Born to Boogie)


Mr. Braithwaite's new motorcycle jacket is a bit on the random side, but Thommie makes it work. He is such an amazing presence during this number, and I could spend an absolute age singing Thommie Rhetter's praises. His acting, his dancing, and his wonderful presence on the stage had the audience laughing hysterically, and boy did they love him!

The jump rope/tapping combination went off pretty smoothly (from what I recall, there were only one or two slip ups). My friend found it to be extremely impressive, and I thoroughly agree. (For goodness sakes, most of us have enough trouble with just the jump roping bit).

(The Hoo-Hoo Line)

Peter spent a very long time pondering his response to Debbie's offer, which got the audience chuckling for sure. He made a very good show of scratching his head and acting confused but innocently contemplative.

(Angry Dance)


In the scene leading up to Angry Dance, I always find myself sitting closer to the edge of my seat. Preparation of sorts, I suppose, for a number that always leaves me a bit breathless. I think what really resonates with people in this scene is all of the relatable frustration and emotion that's packed into the dance. For most people, venting is a matter of hitting a punching bag or going for a jog; but for Billy, it's a whole freaking tap dance. If only we could all exude such talent in our anger.

What with some truly amazing Angry Dance performances that I've have the privilege to watch, Peter's performance certainly kept to the incredibly high standard set by his predecessors on the Broadway stage. Small, furious, and fast - it's safe to say he blew me and my companions away with his dancing.

My only sadness was that - from our partial view seats - we could not see Peter when he was dancing in the makeshift box/hut, which made the sequence seem awfully long. But alas, center seating is not always attainable.

(Intermission)


Intermission is always exciting when you've brought friends to see the show with you. Going in, my friends all knew that I had seen the show more than once; and my sincerest hope was for them to acquire at least a small grasp of just why I kept finding myself back at the Imperial. So needless to say, there was a considerable sense of both excitement and trepidation as I awaited feedback from my friends.

I'm happy to report that they were all wowed by the performance.

(Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher)

At the start of this scene, Joel briefly broke character to inform us that Peter had a bit of a "bug" and would be replaced by the talented Alex Ko. This announcement left me feeling both happy and sad: happy to have the chance to see Alex but also sad that I wouldn't be able to see the rest of Peter's performance. But, as they say, the show must go on.

(Dream Ballet)

Having danced ballet for close to 10 years, I think, has had a profound impact on the level of appreciation I've had for this show. The effortlessness with which Alex seemed to dance throughout this number was absolutely breathtaking. (Though, admittedly, a recent viewing of Black Swan probably did its part in contributing some additional oomph to the emotion of this scene).

Am going to have to reference something I've written about before in a review of one of Liam's shows: grace. Stephen Daldry mentioned in an interview once that each person - regardless of ethnicity, class, or gender - is able to recognize when someone possesses an intuitive notion of grace; and when you find a child who has this intuitive notion, you can just see it.

When I saw Alex dance, grace was written all over the stage. He was, in a word: amazing.

(A Side Note on Theatre Etiquette)


Something that's not directly related to the performance but certainly affected my enjoyment of it was the unbearably rude behaviour of an audience member seated near to us. More than once, she walked out of her seat (and into the stairway leading into the box seats) to answer her phone - right in the middle of the Dream Ballet (!) and again closer to the end of the show. While I can't claim to know the level of importance of those telephone calls, but I found her behavior both distracting and supremely unappreciative of the hard work that goes into the show.

(Royal Ballet School)


As time as worn away some of the clarity of my memory, I might be mistaken in stating that it was here in this scene where I noticed that Alex was still wearing braces on his knees. Of course, to those unaware of his previous injury, I'm sure it went unnoticed. For me, however, seeing those braces on his knees was just another testament to the effort and sacrifice that goes into performing this show.

This was my first time seeing Drew McVety in the role of Posh Dad, and the goofy grin that he kept plastered to his face certainly did its job in tickling the audience with laughter. I must say, the exchange between him and Jackie Elliot went on for a bit longer than I'm used to (to make room for Jackie's reactions to Posh Dad's perennially over-sunny face, I suppose), but the audience chuckled the whole way through.

One change that I liked about this scene was that Tall Boy did not "cry" as audibly after being smacked by Billy. I had always felt that the crying sounded overly fake and whiny, and I'm glad that it was subtler in this performance.

(Electricity)


This number was, as always, effortlessly brilliant. Alex has a great singing voice, and his dancing blew us all out of the water. There's so much strength, agility, and grace in his movements; and it was a joy to watch him perform. I always wonder if people grasp just how hard this number is - these talented boys make it look so gosh darn easy!

(George’s Joke)

Despite having seen the show quite a few times (though not nearly as many as some), I'm still not sure how I feel about George's joke about leg-breaking. It always gets a distinctly nervous laugh from the audience, much different from their reactions to the humour in the rest of the show. The effect always seems along the lines of, "Did he really just say that?"

Something different in the audience's reaction to this scene was the particularly audible "Awwwwh" they gave when Small Boy gets lifted up onto Big Davey's shoulders.

(Post!)


Oh, that apron. It works so well in this scene. Amid the tension and anticipation of Billy opening the letter, seeing Greg Jbara sitting nervously in that ridiculous get up never fails to keep the audience chuckling. The interaction between Dad, Tony, and Grandma is wonderfully acted by Greg, Will, and Carole. I love how Grandma now gives the middle finger in the sequence were Dad and Tony are shooing each other away from Billy's letter.

Finally, Alex's tap-tap-tapping of the letter certainly had the intended effect on my friend, who excitedly whispered to me, "Just open the letter already!" - which I found to be a very appropriately antsy reaction. :lol:

(Letter Reprise)

Despite having the difficult task of reconnecting with Peter's previous "Letter" scene, Alex did an amazing job singing and acting in the "Letter Reprise". It can be a bit weird, I imagine, for the audience to have to draw the emotional connection between the two letter scenes with two different actors playing Billy; but the level of emotion that these boys are able to bring in their acting more than overcomes that. After this scene? Tissues all around.

One other thing that is always funny to watch during this scene is the audience - when Billy walks off the stage. It's like watching hundreds of individual heads merging into a single entity that has is solely concentrated in keeping its eyes on Billy: twisting, turning, and leaning towards the house left.

(Finale)

While there are varying opinions regarding the most appropriate moment in which to conclude the show, I must say that my friend seated next to me was a big fan of the Finale. Her response? "Yay! More dancing!"

(Post Show)


As I had never experienced a two-Billy show before, watching this performance was definitely an interesting experience. It was quite awesome getting to see two amazing performers in one show, but at the same time, I feel like this privilege came with a bit of a sacrifice. From my experience, with two separate performers, it is harder to get a really strong of a sense of Billy's development. It's much easier to grasp and appreciate the beautiful evolution of Billy's dancing from awkward beginning to graceful end when it's the same actor from start to finish. People usually leave the show feeling very faithful to whichever Billy they've seen, and it's a bit weird when - instead of just the one - you have two to compare.

Having a two-Billy performance, however, did in no way affect the overwhelmingly positive things my friends had to say about the show. (One of the best comments was from a friend who said, "I can see why you've seen this more than once"). After all, what with the brilliant performances of all the actors involved, how could the story not be brought to life? Broadway is blessed to have this amazing ensemble of talent, and I think we all realized how privileged we were to have witnessed it. I, for one, left the theatre feeling legitimately warmer and light inside. It made me wonder how I managed to stay away from it for so long. Unfortunately for my wallet but fortunately for me, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be finding myself back in line at the Imperial a few ( :lol: ) more times in these coming months.

Thar she blows! The White Whale is swimming back to the Imperial.

x
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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by ERinVA »

Great review, M-D. Thanks for posting it. :D
Ellen



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Re: December 2010 Reviews - NYC

Post by porschesrule »

When I opened the Forum this morning and saw a review from Moby Dick, my reaction was a "Yay! He's back!"

I've missed your reviews, M-D, because you write so well and are so excellent at giving the reader such good insights into the show. I, for one, have missed your frequent visits to the show and, subsequently, the great reviews that followed.

While the review is certainly among the longest I've ever read on the forum, I must say it was certainly no chore to read all the way through it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially liked the fact that you were able to compare and contrast two Billys in the same show (though, as you point out, there is a downside for an audience member attempting to see the development of the character from beginning to end, when there are two different actors in the role in the same show).

So thanks again for taking the time to write such a magnificent piece and another hearty "yay!" from this reader that you'll be back at the Imperial more frequently in the immediate future.
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