June 2011 Reviews - NYC

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inspired
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by inspired »

The miner's hat bit is done in the tour production, but I don't think I remember it on Broadway. I have seen Jacob, but I don't recall his doing that, so it may be new. 8-)
They've been using the miner's hat on Billy since at least the Cleveland part of the tour. At the time I saw Broadway shows in February, they hadn't started doing it yet. I remember being a bit disappointed then because it is very effective.

And once again, I think Jacob is a great actor. Watch him in all the moments he's on stage and not the featured actor. He's always in the moment.
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ERinVA
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by ERinVA »

It's been used on the tour since the very first preview, which I saw in Durham, NC. I saw the Broadway show in March, and I saw Jacob at that time, but the miner's hat bit was not in the Broadway show at that time.
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Todd
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by Todd »

Saturday evening, June 25, 2011

Billy - Joseph Harrington
Michael - Neil McCaffrey
Dad - Joel Hatch
George - Michael Arnold

The first of my 4-show Billy-a-thon occurred tonight. I had forgotten how lively and into-it audiences are on Broadway. They were definitely taken by the show and supportive of Joseph as Billy. Lots of positive audience comments during Intermission and at the end.

Special mention should be made to Carole Shelley, who turned in one of the best performances of Grandma that I've ever seen. I admit that "Grandma's Song" is not one of my favorites in the show, but tonight I couldn't take my eyes off the lead performers in this scene, as it had a special "something."

Another big audience pleaser was Neil McCaffrey as Michael. He did a great job and seems to be perfect for the role. I found myself thinking of Ryan Longbottom during the "Express Yourself" number, as Neil has that same sort of scene-stealing ability.

Joseph Harrington - as Billy - is an extremely talented young man. His singing is very pleasant and on-pitch, and his dancing is very good. There were a few rough edges that I would hope he would eventually work through . . . such as waiting for audience laughter to subside before beginning his next line, enunciating all his lines, and maybe giving an extra bit of "ooomph" during "Angry Dance." Part of these suggestions could quite likely be attributed to his being one of the youngest boys ever to play the role. No doubt he will smooth out some of these items by repetition and with age.

One record that would have to be set tonight - in reference to my theater-going career - is that the Imperial Theater would get my vote for coldest theater I've ever been to. There was a strong air conditioning draft towards the front Orchestra seats. In the Winter Scene, Billy's line of "Why is it so cold in here?" drew some chuckles from those of us in the cold seats. Hopefully it was a one-time thing and will get fixed by tomorrow's afternoon show.

All in all, a fun night at the theater as it was good to see the show on Broadway again after only seeing tour versions of the show for awhile. I found myself missing several things about the tour - such as the way Billy begins the Letter scene sitting in front of the piano instead of sitting in his bed, some of the cast members, and a few of the lines that are used on tour but not in New York. However, I was glad to get back to the projection equipment used for the very beginning of the show and on the police shields during Angry Dance. And Broadway does seem to have more pizzazz - especially in Express Yourself and at the very end when Billy appears alone on stage in front of the lighted "Billy" sign. Looking forward to seeing both shows tomorrow !
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by gpcolo »

Thanks for your thoughts Todd, especially on the differences between the tour and Broadway. Makes me want to get back to NYC soon. Have a great couple of shows today!
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angelenroute
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by angelenroute »

Todd wrote:the Imperial Theater would get my vote for coldest theater I've ever been to. There was a strong air conditioning draft towards the front Orchestra seats. In the Winter Scene, Billy's line of "Why is it so cold in here?" drew some chuckles from those of us in the cold seats. Hopefully it was a one-time thing and will get fixed by tomorrow's afternoon show.
Usually the air conditioning is so absent at this point that it's annoyingly warm, sorry to hear they've gone to the other extreme. Hopefully they'll find a happy middle. Hope you're enjoying your Billython!

Sean

"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by Todd »

Sunday matinee - June 26, 2011

Billy - Tade Biesinger
Michael - Cameron Clifford
All other cast were the regulars

This show would have to go down as one of the most fun performances I've ever been to. I noticed a larger-than-normal group of kids in the audience, and I wondered later if perhaps they were a group of Tade's friends and/or family, as there were cheers and applause in places I've never heard before. The audience was clearly in the mood for a fun time at the theater, as there was more laughter than I think I've ever heard at one of the shows. The cast must have loved performing in front of this crowd.

There was lots of laughter and applause for "Grandma's Song" as the cheering began before the song was even over. It was well-deserved, as I continue to be amazed at how good Carole Shelley is . . . much moreso than I ever remember before. I've always thought she was good - she was nominated for a Tony award after all - but she seems to have taken her performance to a new level. One bit I've never seen before is when Billy gives Grandma her pasty, she and Billy exchange some grunts or gutteral throat noises back and forth which was quite funny.

In the boxing scene, there was more reaction and laughter than I've ever heard before - as there was lots of high-pitched laughter coming apparently from the youngsters in the audience. In "Solidarity," when Billy first does his pirouettes across the stage to Mrs. Wilkinson, the audience broke out in wild applause as he came to a stop - something I've never seen before at this point in the show.

And a very memorable moment occurred towards the end when Billy's letter arrives from the Royal Ballet School: when Billy picks up the letter from the kitchen table and stands there tapping it while his family begins to grow impatient at his not opening it, one of the kids out in the audience was heard to say, "Open it !" The whole audience began laughing and then applauding, as Greg Jbara broke character briefly and smiled slightly, gesturing to Billy as if to say, "See Billy, we're not the only ones who are getting impatient !"

As for Tade Biesinger as Billy, I found him to be an amazing triple threat of talent: great dancer, a very advanced actor for someone his young age, and a strong singing voice. Except for his younger-looking appearance, you would have never guessed he was the newest Billy of the group - based on his stage presence and confidence. He seems especially advanced in his acting, as he was completely natural and quite funny in parts with his facial expressions and timing. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about his performance and look forward to hopefully seeing him again at some point.

It was good seeing Greg Jbara as Dad, once again. Despite all his performances in this show, he still makes it look fresh and interesting every time . . .the mark of a real pro. Cameron Clifford was good as Michael, but he's much smaller than even Tade. I can't help but wonder if pairing him up with any of the other Billys - especially Jacob (or soon-to-be Giuseppe) - would look very awkward. It seems like they would want to make sure Michael was somewhat believable as someone who would be Billy's best friend. He was, however, quite funny and did a good job of delivering his lines and was a good dancer in "Express Yourself." All in all though, I thought Tade really carried that scene - especially with his singing and stage presence.

Along with everything else that Tade did well, he also managed to really pull the emotional strings in the Letter scenes and at the end when he's packing his suitcase to leave. He really has the ability to draw you in to the story, and causes the audience to root for him and share in his struggles and successes. He's certainly a very likable Billy. After a show like this, you couldn't help but leave with a big smile on your face as it was feel-good theater at its best.
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porschesrule
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by porschesrule »

Thanks for another great review, Todd. It's really nice to hear, in a little depth, about Tade. With him being the newest Broadway Billy, we haven't heard anywhere near as much about his performance as we have the other Billys presently on Broadway. It surely seems the creatives have found another gem of a Billy.
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by Todd »

Sunday evening, June 26, 2011

Billy - Jacob Clemente
Michael - Neil McCaffrey
All other cast were regulars

I was very pleased to finally get to see Jacob as Billy tonight, as I had missed him on my New York trip last summer and thought I was going to miss him this year too until I heard that he had been extended for a few weeks longer. He certainly did not disappoint, as he was a pro in every sense of the word. Everything he did on stage tonight, he did well. He looked every bit the Broadway veteran that he is, as he's a real showman. He's clearly at the top of his game which brings to mind the comments that have been brought up with previous Billys who are about to leave, regarding how it's a shame to see them leave when they're performing at such a high level. However, he's been at it now for a long time and I'm sure will enjoy getting back home and catching his breath after all the hard work and dedication he's given to the show.

Jacob struck me as a very smiley Billy, but also did a great job portraying the teenage sullenness associated with a Billy his age. In the audition scene right before "Electricity" when he's sitting with his dad, he nails the mood perfectly with his arms crossed, slouched in his chair, eye-rolling, etc. When Dad says, "He dances every day after school" and then does a humorous dance move, Jacob looked at him disgustedly, rolled his eyes, and then appeared to mouth, "Oh my gosh" as if to say, "Dad, you are such a dork. How could you embarrass me anymore than you're doing right now?" Trust me, I've seen this exact reaction from some of my 8th grade students at school when their parents come in for a conference, and Jacob has it down perfectly.

"Express Yourself" was great fun, as Jacob's strong tapping skills - paired with Neil McCaffrey as Michael - made for one of the real highlights of the show. Neil has one of the best singing voices of any Michael I've seen, and Jacob still has good voice range and sounds like he has a strong singing background himself. It was a superb Billy and Michael pairing for sure, as they were clearly having a ball up there on stage together. Jacob also showed off his tapping skills in "Angry Dance," as it was one of the best performances of this number I've seen in a long time.

After the show, both Jacob and Neil stayed at the stage door and signed every program handed to them, as well as posing for pictures and visiting. They're both very well-mannered and good natured young men. I asked Jacob something I've always wondered: when you whisper into Dad's ear at the audition scene, are you actually saying real words or are you just mouthing words ? He said he was actually asking him real questions that Billy might be asking his dad. I then asked him, "Do you ever whisper things to Greg to try to make him laugh?" Jacob smiled and said, "Oh yeah, all the time."

The show will certainly miss someone like Jacob who has been a dedicated performer and a great spokesman for the show for a long time now. With all his talents and positive personality, he clearly has a great future ahead of him in whatever he decides to pursue in the future.
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by Finale »

Thanks for your review Todd.
I asked Jacob something I've always wondered: when you whisper into Dad's ear at the audition scene, are you actually saying real words or are you just mouthing words ? He said he was actually asking him real questions that Billy might be asking his dad. I then asked him, "Do you ever whisper things to Greg to try to make him laugh?" Jacob smiled and said, "Oh yeah, all the time."
A good question! I wonder if Greg has ever been on the verge of bursting out laughing? :lol:
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Re: June 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by angelenroute »

Todd wrote:This show would have to go down as one of the most fun performances I've ever been to...As for Tade Biesinger as Billy, I found him to be an amazing triple threat of talent: great dancer, a very advanced actor for someone his young age, and a strong singing voice...He seems especially advanced in his acting, as he was completely natural and quite funny in parts with his facial expressions and timing. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about his performance and look forward to hopefully seeing him again at some point...Along with everything else that Tade did well, he also managed to really pull the emotional strings in the Letter scenes and at the end when he's packing his suitcase to leave. He really has the ability to draw you in to the story, and causes the audience to root for him and share in his struggles and successes. He's certainly a very likable Billy. After a show like this, you couldn't help but leave with a big smile on your face as it was feel-good theater at its best.
I culled some of your Tade comments here and couldn't agree more. He is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

Sean

"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
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