May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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ERinVA
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May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by ERinVA »

Here's a thread for May reviews.
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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by ERinVA »

Here is a review from a critic writing in Walworth County Today who saw the show recently. http://www.walworthcountytoday.com/news ... agos-orie/
Ellen



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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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ERinVA wrote:Here is a review from a critic writing in Walworth County Today who saw the show recently. http://www.walworthcountytoday.com/news ... agos-orie/
Overall, an OK review. The critic gets his facts a little messed up though. One paragraph in the review reads...

"The demanding title role of 12-year-old Billy, has always, in London, Sydney and New York, been played, at alternating performances, by one of three young actor/dancers. In Chicago, the producers added a fourth. The opening night performance starred Cesar Corrales, the only one of the four who played the role on Broadway. I understand that the Chicago critics raved. I saw the show several nights later, when the fourth young performer, 12 year old J. P. Viernes, performed."

The critic makes it sound like using a four person Billy rotation was an innovation unique to Chicago. While it may be true that in London, New York and Sydney the Billy rotation started out with three Billys, a four Billy rotation had been settled upon as a better number to deal with the demands of the show long before Chicago.

While I realize the critic wanted to mention JP, as he's the Billy the writer saw, calling him "the fourth young performer" when he has only mentioned, by name, Cesar (while confusing his background with Tommy's), is rather awkward. It's almost as if an original draft had included mention of the "second and third Billys" (Tommy and Giuseppe)and then they somehow didn't make it into the article after some space saving editor's cuts.
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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by cincinnati »

This must be Sam Drucker's newspaper from Green Acres....the Hooterville Gazette....wow how sloppy can they get in this day and time....? Marshall and Southern ILL. graduates wouldn't make this mistake....writer schools for sure...
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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by ERinVA »

I reserved comment when I posted the link because I knew some other members would take care of it for me! ;) :lol:
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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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porschesrule wrote: The critic makes it sound like using a four person Billy rotation was an innovation unique to Chicago. While it may be true that in London, New York and Sydney the Billy rotation started out with three Billys, a four Billy rotation had been settled upon as a better number to deal with the demands of the show long before Chicago.
Actually, Sydney started with a four Billy rotation - Lochie, Nick, Rarmian and Rhys.
<- A new use for the Billy Bag!!!
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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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maria wrote:Actually, Sydney started with a four Billy rotation - Lochie, Nick, Rarmian and Rhys.
You are technically correct, Maria, as a four person rotation was announced for Sydney. But in reality, only Lochie, Rarmian and Rhys actually performed for the first three weeks of the production (November 13-December 7, 2007) as Nick was injured. Nick finally made his debut on January 12, 2008. In the meantime, they did transfer Corey Snide from the London production to fill in for Nick. Corey was there from December 7, 2007 to January 19, 2008. Corey came back in February and March to fill in again, this time because both Lochie and Rarmian were injured. So, for a good part of the first five months of the Sydney production, they were actually operating with a three Billy rotation.

But be all that as it may, it really just reinforces my point in my earlier post that a four person rotation had been recognized by the creative team as the best number long before Chicago and was not an innovation in the Windy City as the critic in that review seemed to be indicating.
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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by ERinVA »

I would not call it "technical." Nick was introduced as a Billy when the cast was first announced and did all the run up to opening. Therefore, the show had four Billys from the start. Interestingly, I don't believe that Corey was ever really recognized as an official Australian Billy while he was there.
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-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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ERinVA wrote:Interestingly, I don't believe that Corey was ever really recognized as an official Australian Billy while he was there.
You mean like Tanner wasn't recognized as a Broadway Billy (and to this day in some people's minds apparently still isn't)?
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Re: May 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by ERinVA »

Yes, very much like that. :(
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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