July 2011 Reviews - NYC

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atreyu
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by atreyu »

angelenroute wrote:I turned and saw Laura there with a big smile and happily offered her the Sharpie. "You were so great!" I told her, and she was again very flattered and grateful.

Sean
Sean, between this occasion and your interaction with Giuseppe, it goes to show your representation and communication of forum sentiments to the cast are as excellent and valued as your reporting of BETM performances to the forum. I think you should be given a BETM Forum Ambassador title or something like that. ;) Hope these posts of yours continue on, they are always worth reading.

Oh, and to keep the focus on reviews, I think Laura Marie Duncan is wonderful as Mrs. Wilkinson too. :)
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angelenroute
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by angelenroute »

Sunday, July 3, 2011
Evening Performance
Jacob Clemente’s Final Performance
in the role of Billy Elliot on Broadway


Many thanks to Billy Whiz for the seat!!! So happy I was able to attend this special show!!!

Jacob's got a great name that would be perfect for sports as much as theatre. The Dream Ballet smoke engines of our imaginations start pouring out and we’re transported to another time and place: a packed stadium of cheering fans, the announcer at one of those big microphones in a booth somewhere, the sound of a pin dropping can be heard echoing and then, “Now at the plate—ate-ate-ate, Jacob Clemente–ente-ente-ente.” He certainly has the talent and personality to have said screaming fans eating out of the palm of his hand with just a wave and smile. And he’s even got one of these showbiz faces that’s just destined to be immortalized on the wall of Sardi’s. Thankfully for us, it has been showbiz and not sports where this awesome talent has made his debut.

First came a run in Gypsy with the one and only Patty LuPone. Then, because his skills and destiny far exceeded his role in that show, he joined the Billy company. Someone must have known from the start that Jacob was a player who could be counted on for anything, and so early on he was thrust into the role of Tall Boy. Future Michaels in the Tall Boy role have learned the same thing Jacob did though: The thrill of Broadway is worth any role, small or large, but I can do more, I WILL do more! And when he took on the role, he became the youngest Billy at the time (12) to star on Broadway.

Jacob is also a product of one of three Billys this New Yorker is very proud of, and the second from the Albany area. My very first time seeing the musical, in London, 2007, Corey Snide played the role of Billy. He was, in case you didn’t know, an AMAZING Billy Elliot, so talented, a fantastic tapper and awesome actor. And as if history was destined to repeat itself, Jacob Clemente, also from the Albany area, is also—cuts and pastes—an AMAZING Billy Elliot, so talented, a fantastic tapper and awesome actor. There must be some tap shoe polish in the water up there (and some of it in the waters of Wantagh too)! On Sunday in between performances, I told Jacob’s mom, Linda, how Corey was my first Billy and she assured me they do know each other well and listed off a few other things they have in common.

I told her there were about 15-20 of us fans from the forums who would be there for Jacob’s show and she was very happy to hear that (I jotted down names on a post-it pad just now and came up with exactly 20 I know were there between people I know in person and those who posted here who I haven’t met yet). A couple more Billy superfans that don’t commune with the rest of us were in attendance too. Jacob’s mom said she had a lot of family there as well, and though she had a front row center seat of front mezzanine, she was all over the theatre before the show saying hello to people.

Incidentally, there were a lot of photographs taken at the matinee (before the show) and none of the ushers were shouting out their usual scolding, which I thought seemed very odd. It happened again at the evening show, so I asked Gregory, the nice usher on the aisle between Left and Center Orchestra, what happened. “Oh, we just had a meeting about that recently, and decided we won’t say anything any more.” I’m paraphrasing, but that was the gist. He said they decided it really was fine for them to take pictures at that point anyway and not having to yell at people made their job a lot easier anyway. So snap away next time!

Jacob’s mom had told us that no one was going to be announcing it was his last night, so we spoke at dinner about telling people around our seats that it was a special night and why. Only 9 of us were at The Edison before the show, so once we were in The Imperial, we looked around, caught the eye of other fans we knew, waved and mouthed “hi” to one another. I love the pre-show excitement. :)

The Entry
When the show began, and Greg Jbara dragged Jacob across the stage, a bunch of us clapped for his entry. It must be great like that to have people clapping just because you’ve arrived on stage!

Because this was Jacob’s last show, pretty much everything that happened has already been written about by other reviewers, but I’ll just highlight a few things…in my own words.

The Letter Scene

It is perhaps the greatest testament you can possibly give to a Billy on his last night: returning some of the powerful emotion toward him that he has given through his incredible performances since he began in April 2010. One of Jacob Clemente’s most famous gifts was his ability to make us cry at a scene we’d scene so many times before. He just had a way of crumbling on call and making us do the same. And on Sunday evening, Laura Marie Duncan came out on stage as Dead Mum, began singing to Jacob one last magical time, and then proceeded to absolutely break down, unable to sing all her lines. Talk about Niagara Falls, friends, this was truly one of those theatrical moments that easily rates at the top of our Billy Elliot fan journey. It was a perfect way to witness Jacob’s final performance in this number, and a really beautiful and honest goodbye from one great actor to another.

Angry Dance
Ironically, there’s been more anger after this scene than there was in the abbreviated scene itself. :) And that’s okay. We needed to vent. Since there’s a way to spin anything though… Anger had no place in this happy sendoff for the wonderful Jacob Clemente. A sad night, yes, but not angry. :)

Dream Ballet
On a Billy’s last night, I always watch for the smiles. Of all the scenes in the show, this one’s definitely one of the favorites for a Billy, especially once the chairs are off the stage! And they must be thinking about how this is the last time they’ll be flying around like this in the show. Needless to say, Jacob was all smiles, and did a beautiful end spin thing to Dad. [Sorry for the technical jargon there.] ;)

Electricity

Jacob gave an as-always stellar performance in this number and the crowd totally erupted when he finished. Easily ¾ of the audience or more leapt to their feet almost instantaneously when he finished, and as most didn’t know it was his last night in the role, I was so happy for him! A very well deserved reinforcement of how great he is! The applause and standing ovation went on forever too!!!

Finale

As Jacob began his tapping in the finale, someone yelled out, “Yay, Jake!” and someone—one of us I believe—yelled out an “Alright Jacob!” right after, which made Jacob smile so widely for so long, it was really great to see, and of course made us smile as well. And at the final curtain, flowers were brought out for Holly Taylor (Sharon Percy) and Jacob Clemente. Greg then took each by the hand and brought them to the front of the stage. To see these two masters of their roles together stage center with bouquets of flowers in their hands made you realize what a hugely monumental night this was. And for those who didn’t know, it must have been absolutely mind boggling to learn that they had just witnessed Jacob Clemente’s final performance in the role of Billy.

He is, after all, at the top of his game and it is a big loss for the production. At the same time, I am practically giddy with excitement to see where he turns up next! Between Gypsy and Billy and Samsung, Jacob has made a humongous splash at such a young age! He is one of the best actors I’ve EVER watched perform, and I’ve learned from his stage door friendliness and sweet personality that he’s got an excellent charisma about him that casting directors will undoubtedly continue to spot right away. Though I’ve only met his mom a couple of times, I can tell he also has a wonderful family behind him and supporting him through everything, which is very important indeed.

Jacob Clemente, a young dancer who comes from a family of miners, IS Billy Elliot. And like Billy’s story, we have only just witnessed the first chapter of what will be an amazing and beautiful journey ahead. The next chapter hasn’t been written yet, but one thing’s for sure: Jacob’s fans aren’t going anywhere. We’ll be there supporting him, through everything, and cheering him on wherever the path leads him. Like Laura Marie Duncan did Sunday, we cry at losing him from this beautiful show. But like Billy in the finale, like Jacob himself, we are all smiles now in the absolute knowledge that this boy’s career has only just begun!!!

Sean

Sean Patrick Brennan/angelenroute

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

Post by porschesrule »

Like most of us, I've read all the reviews of Jacob's last performance, but WOW!!! Sean. What a great piece of descriptive writing -- you really have a way with words.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by gpcolo »

Thank you Sean. Though I never saw Jacob as Billy, your words painted a wonderful picture of his final performance. I too will look forward to Jacob's next project.
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CJ-Rochester
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by CJ-Rochester »

Thank you Sean for a great review, as always! Reading your description of the Letter scene brought back all of the emotions from that eventful evening. :D
:/
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johnnyc
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

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As usual, Sean, you nailed it! :D
tyty
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

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angelenroute wrote: Replying to the above because you're sounding off against those of us who tried to explain away the problem (none of us defended the problem). We did not speak to any stagehand nor did we claim to have done so with any gravity of knowing the situation well. You did. That's great. You're completely right that they should have fixed it. But please be gentler when calling out your fellow Forum members. =)
Sorry if that came across the wrong way, I meant no rudeness or ill-will. The point I meant to make was to encourage fellow Forum members to not just accept any decisions the production/direction team makes as correct, or even acceptable. It seems to me that the production quality has been slipping over recent months (just slightly, nothing major; and nothing to do with the cast, who are always brilliant!), and if no one says anything, things are less likely to be corrected. For example, there have been some pretty bad audio problems the last *three* times I saw BETM, which seems too much to be a fluke.

So, again, I may be harder on them because I've done some tech work, but I certainly don't feel I'm being too hard. I have a friend who works sound at a Bway show, and I did an short internship in that department. One of the big bosses at the show (stage manager or director, I think), when talking about recurring audio problems interfering with the audience's enjoyment, said something like, "First time, it's a forgivable glitch, but you fix it; second time, you didn't do your job, you're gone; third time, I didn't do my job, I'm gone." I sympathize, and I know it's hard work and extremely stressful, but that's the job, and it has to be done perfectly.
angelenroute wrote: The scene with Posh Dad has changed again since I saw the show a few weeks ago. I referenced here on the Forum some of the changes I would like to see (removing all the crazy smiles from Posh Dad that went on forever and adding back the slow pronunciation of "It's our first time like you know" said in the Northern English accent) and to my delight, they made the changes. It works. Almost everyone laughed throughout. I'm sorry that you and others didn't like it, I am, but it was not in my opinion an "awkward, unfunny scene". Like I said, most of the audience laughed at most of the gags in that bit. ***One note though, your quoted lines above seem mixed, good and bad at same time, so maybe we agree, hard to tell haha.
The Posh Dad version I love is what was there, say, from January - early June. The one with his crazy smiles that go on forever--I love it! (See below for a bit more on why). In the version of the scene from Sunday's show, Posh Dad crossed the stage and approached Billy's Dad, and it seemed like there was less substance (class differences, emphasizing how the audition means much different things to the two families, how Billy and Dad are so out of place), and it was more of a cheap gag/laugh. I just didn't work at all for me.
ERinVA wrote:It's true that I haven't seen the NY show since early March, so my comment above may be irrelevant by now, but what I did see at that time was shameless "mugging" by both Posh Dad and Clipboard Lady to the point of being caricaturish.
This really made me smile because it does seem sooo outrageous and exaggerated, BUT, not necessarily! Just a few weeks ago I was at an event and met a very...posh...Londoner, and his mannerisms were almost identical to Posh Dad's! The whole leaning-back-and-holding-his-mouth-open (repeatedly!) thing and bursting out in awkward laughter to his own attempts at humor were just as extreme as the show. It took me a few minutes to actually realize he was real and not doing lines from the show!

I'm curious to know what any British forum members think about this scene. Two of my British friends saw the show in March and really enjoyed the Posh dad scene, and even had a name for the type of person he was. According to them, he was a pretty accurate representation of a certain subset of the upper-class in London, and the interplay was a good commentary on how much separation there is between social classes, etc. What they called him was very specific name, but I can't remember! And is there a name for that open mouth greeting?!

In any case, it seems like it's quite difficult for them to find a version of this scene that pleases most people!
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angelenroute
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by angelenroute »

tyty wrote:So, again, I may be harder on them because I've done some tech work, but I certainly don't feel I'm being too hard. I have a friend who works sound at a Bway show, and I did an short internship in that department.
Welcome Ty! And despite the tiny disagreement, please know your experience and knowledge always welcome here! The sound was great at the matinee Sunday, by the way, but definitely iffy a few times Sunday night. Maybe it's a different person working different shows, but either way, definitely hope they keep it in check, I agree. Again, glad to have you here, and hope to meet you next time around.

Sean
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by tyty »

johnnyc wrote:
tyty wrote:It seems like a slap in the face that the resident director came on stage to fawn over Guiseppe.....
Much of what you are saying in your post is spot on, but I sincerely hope that neither Giuseppe nor his mother read the part I quoted above. They could easily misinterpret what you were saying.
Oh no, no, no! I certainly didn't mean to imply anything negative Giuseppe or that he didn't deserve such an introduction!!! I hope no one misinterpreted it that way. I definitely think it was proper and well-deserved that Giuseppe get that introduction and have his hard work recognized and praised!

The "slap in the face" comment was a reaction to the fact that on Sunday afternoon, one boy's Broadway debut is properly recognized and announced, but just a few hours later, another boy's final Broadway performance doesn't get the same treatment and is essentially ignored. It just seems so much worse that way because they apparently made the choice to only recognize one [just a few hours earlier] of the boys when they should have recognized both. And the poster who said Jacob's mother didn't think he would get recognized with a similar announcement and doesn't know who makes that decision suggests that, for whatever reason, this was a conscious decision made by production.

Just treat them equally and give them the same recognition on these special nights--it's not difficult, expensive, or otherwise troublesome!!!
angelenroute wrote: The Letter Scene
It is perhaps the greatest testament you can possibly give to a Billy on his last night: returning some of the powerful emotion toward him that he has given through his incredible performances since he began in April 2010. One of Jacob Clemente’s most famous gifts was his ability to make us cry at a scene we’d scene so many times before. He just had a way of crumbling on call and making us do the same. And on Sunday evening, Laura Marie Duncan came out on stage as Dead Mum, began singing to Jacob one last magical time, and then proceeded to absolutely break down, unable to sing all her lines. Talk about Niagara Falls, friends, this was truly one of those theatrical moments that easily rates at the top of our Billy Elliot fan journey. It was a perfect way to witness Jacob’s final performance in this number, and a really beautiful and honest goodbye from one great actor to another.
Yeahhh, his Letter scene on Sunday was crazy emotional...just so powerful and real. Probably the best I've ever seen, it was quite special.
angelenroute wrote:Dream Ballet
On a Billy’s last night, I always watch for the smiles. Of all the scenes in the show, this one’s definitely one of the favorites for a Billy, especially once the chairs are off the stage! And they must be thinking about how this is the last time they’ll be flying around like this in the show. Needless to say, Jacob was all smiles, and did a beautiful end spin thing to Dad. [Sorry for the technical jargon there.] ;)
end spin thing to Dad = chaînés ;) Definitely one of my favorite ballet moves, and Jacob's are always perfect! Tight spins + incredible speed = beautiful to watch! When he nails them, it's absolutely awe-inspiring! And makes me very, very jealous of his skills ;)
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johnnyc
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Re: July 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by johnnyc »

I only wish Stephen Daldry had been present for Jacob's final show. From my own observation of him taking on mechanical problems at several performances we both attended, I think the bed problem early in Angry Dance would have been promptly fixed, and then AD would have continued, or if the problem was something serious, he would have come on stage to explain what happened, and apologized for cutting the first act short. And I feel certain Stephen would have made an announcement telling the audience Jacob was leaving, how long he had been with the production, and wishing him well.

I doubt that he would have interfered with the decision that the boys were not to use their real names though. That matter would be left to the Resident Director to decide.
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