June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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CJ-Rochester
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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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"Two Cities, Four Days, Five Billys"

Sat. June 26, 2010 2:00 pm

Billy - Tommy,
Michael - Keean,
Small Boy - Elijah,
+ understudys: Mum - Susan Haefner, Mr. Braithwaite - Jamie Torcellini


After two "awesome" days in NYC with other forum friends it was time to move on to Chicago. Upon arriving at the stunning Oriental Theatre, we were thrilled to see two familiar names on the board for today's performance: Tommy Batchelor and Keean Johnson! It had been 6 1/2 months since I last saw either of these two perform. It was well worth the wait. :)

Being this was my first time seeing the show in Chicago, this review will also have some observations about differences the between Broadway and Chicago versions.


The "no cell phones or photos" pitch is spoken at a much slower pace, probably to make sure everyone understands it.

Stars Look Down-
Elijah is so tiny as he climbs up the ladder to the stage. The small boys take longer to climb up because the stage is so much higher. The set has a green exit sign in the upper stage left corner.

I thought it looked a bit out of place. Big Davey has a deep rich voice. We were so happy to see Keean and then Tommy as each entered the stage, just like seeing old friends again. :)

Lift Me Up-
Tommy has a beautiful voice in this number. Elijah really draws out the "kush" at the end, ie: kuuuuush". Very cute. Michael does not have the soccer ball in the reprise. The kids just run and chase each other around instead. Happy to see this change from NY, as the soccer ball was not in character with a boy who doesn't like his "sodden rugby shirt".

Breakfast-
Dad cooks a real egg. We actually see him crack it into the pan, and can smell it cooking when he lifts up the lid. The burnt egg doesn't look very burnt at all, and there is little smoke from the pan.

Boxing-
I love Keean in this scene, watching his facical expressions showing how much he hates boxing. After he hits George in the crotch and runs up stage, George throws the glove so hard that it hits him in the back.

Shine-
Emily does a nice job as Mrs. W. Her portrayal of the role seems a bit less flashy and more 'down to earth' compared to those who have played it on Broadway. Likewise her costumes are a tad less garish. I have enjoyed everyone I have seen play this role, but each is just a bit different.

Grandma's song-
Cynthia Darlow is good in this role. I miss some of Carole Shelley's moves, but Cynthia makes the role her own and plays it with feeling.

Solidarity-
When George and Dad enter and sit in the chairs to discuss Billy's absence from boxing class they are each carrying plastic shopping bags from the "co op". Did they have plastic shopping bags back in 1984? At least two of the f-words from Broadway are dropped in this production. The first is when Tony has the bloody lip in this scene. He just says "that policeman hit me', no adjective. Armand seems like a more realistic age for dad, given how old Tony and Billy are supposed to be. Very nice spins by Tommy at the end. Great job in this number by the whole cast!

Express-
Michael is wearing headphones at the start of the scene, which supposedly gives a reason for him saying "what" to Billy. Keean nailed the jokes and the number perfectly, WOW!

B2B-
I miss Thommie Retter's break dance. This Mr. Braithwaite does his own thing instead. Mrs. W. doesn't join the rope skipping. She hangs back by the piano holding her rope and cheering on Mr. B. and Billy. Tommy finished with a nice flip off the piano.

At the "hoo hoo" line, Tommy's expression of disgust was priceless and got lots of laughs. Tommy is such a master of facial expressions.

Angry Dance-
Tommy gave one of the best performances of this I have ever seen! Others have criticized the difference in the set design where Billy has to climb down from his bedroom instead of running down the stairs. I rather like this change. I don't think it interrupts the flow of the number too badly, and is a reasonable compromise for the touring set.

Maggie Thatcher-
The cannon that George (dressed as Maggie) uses to fire the nerf balls is super charged. It fires a couple of the balls deep into the house, at least 10-12 rows. The loud noice it makes as it fires will startle anyone used to the Broadway version.

Deep Into The Ground-
We noticed Keean sitting in the back corner of the platform, behind Tommy. Keean had one of the Maggie dolls and was doing all sorts of mean things to it. He pounded on it for a while, then ran the edge of his hand across her throat as if to slit it. This was all pretty low key so as not to distract from the song, but was very funny to watch once we noticed. :)

Warming Hands-
The second f-bomb elimination is in this scene. Michael now says "bloody great Christmas this has been". Michael's shorts really are a burgundy purple, both in this scene and in boxing, instead of the bright red ones in NY. This of course works better with his tutu line.

Dream Ballet-
This works exactly the same as in NY. Tommy and Samuel Pergande (older Billy) did a great job. Tommy is one of the few Billy's who smiles during the entire flying sequence.

He Could Go-
They sweep off the snow at the start of this scene, during the scab roll call when the stage is mostly dark, instead of waiting until the Royal Ballet scene. At the Royal Ballet, after Billy hits posh boy, they do run a quick dust mop across the stage.

Electricty-
Tommy's ballet skills have grown in the past 6 months. His slightly longer legs help him with some nice ballet moves. He has the same fast spins as before. Long applause at the end for a great job! We gave him a standing ovation, but I think we were the only ones who did. :( The Chicago audiences seem less responsive than NY. Perhaps it's because the theater is so much larger, I'm not sure.

Post-
A postman delivers the post to Grandma, who then calls in Dad and Tony. This gives some cover for the table to slide in. Dad screams the "esquire" line, holding the last syllable out. Tony and Grandma laugh along with the audience. This isn't breaking character because their characters actually think it's funny.

We Were Kings-
A pair of Billy's track pants is included with the suitcase full of shirts. When the miners come forward and Billy rises on Dad's shoulders, he is wearing Dad's helmet. The light is turned on, shining into the audience. It was nice seeing Tommy's face rise from above the miners with his huge signature grin.

Overall my first experience with the Chicago production was great. The theater is magnificant to behold. Most of the cast is every bit as good as Broadway. Both Tommy and Keean have grown in their talents and mastery of their roles.
-Chris
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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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CJ-Rochester wrote:Being this was my first time seeing the show in Chicago, this review will also have some observations about differences the between Broadway and Chicago versions.
Thanks for the excellent review, Chris. I love to see this type of comparison between versions of the show.
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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by ERinVA »

I just did a 5-show Chicago Billython myself, and I have a couple of things to add to the details CJ has listed:

1. This is specific to Keean: I noticed that as he opens up the flowery pink gown in prep for Billy to tumble into it, he runs the top edge of it under his nose and smells it. :lol: :lol: I have never noticed any other Michael, including Keean when he was on Broadway, do that before. Very funny!

2. Nobody has mentioned Grandma's handbag. 8-) Cynthia uses a handbag as a prop to help get across the idea of how dotty Grandma is, having her carry her handbag around the house in the opening scene, and a couple of others as well. :D
Ellen



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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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Sat. June 26, 2010 8:00 pm

Billy - J.P.,
Michael - Gabe,
Small Boy - Mark,
+ understudys: Mum - Susan Haefner, Mr. Braithwaite - Will Mann

Todd already wrote an excellent review of this performance, I only have a few obserations to add.

Boxing-
I love JP's John Travolta dance.

Solidarity-
The police lined up at the start of the scene have several more body motions than in NY, and their movements are bigger (possibly due for the larger theater).

JP is I think the smallest of the Billys currently in the US. He gets pushed around quite a lot by the ballet girls.

Excellent dancing, with perfect form and finish!

Express-
I believe Gabe is the first shaggy blond Michael (at least in the US). He has a big voice and is very much in control. The "shut up you poof" line, which often gets lost in the music, got big laughs today.

B2B-
JP does a great job with both the tap dancing and rope skipping, and finished with a flip off the piano.

Angry-
Great job here.

Maggie Thatcher-
I got one of the cannon balls. :)

When one of the miners volunteers to sing next, and the rest of the crowd boos him, small boy goes up and pushes him off to the side of the stage. This is a new bit for Chicago that I think is very funny, to see this tiny boy pushing a full grown man. :)

Warming Hands-
Gabe does a great "just a little bit". He includes a number of ballet-like jumps leading up to the Nutcracker line.

Electricity-
As Todd said JP is an excellent dancer. He has great facial expressions in the song portion of this number. He did a no-handed flip in the first set.

The final goodbye scene with Billy and Mrs. W was very touching. Emily is great at showing Mrs. W's conflicts and finally her affections for Billy.

We met JP and Gabe at the stage door. They happily signed our programs and posed for pictures. JP remembered that we were the ones sitting in the front row. He was very personable.
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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by porschesrule »

Thanks for all the recent reviews from Chicago. It's especially nice hearing about JP Viernes' performances. As I've said before, I think he sort of flies a bit under the radar compared to some of the other Billys. Maybe it's his small stature :lol: From what I'm reading about him, it certainly seems like he's doing a great job.

It was also nice to see some remarks about Gabriel Rush's Michael portrayal. Again, my observation is he's operating under the shadow of the huge talent of Keean Johnson (much like the Michaels who rotated with David B. in NY) and his talent and contributions don't get noted as much.

Great job JP and Gabe!!
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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by gpcolo »

porschesrule wrote:It was also nice to see some remarks about Gabriel Rush's Michael portrayal. Again, my observation is he's operating under the shadow of the huge talent of Keean Johnson (much like the Michaels who rotated with David B. in NY) and his talent and contributions don't get noted as much.
I have to agree about Gabe and my comments from seeing him twice in May sums up my feelings towards his performance:

Gabe as Michael was pure joy to watch. Could we be seeing another gifted performer in the likes of David Bologna developing here? I would say a definite YES! I heard many audience members discussing this boy's take on the character. His timing was spot on and he exhibits an excellent singing voice. He has this devious little grin that shows itself in Expressing Yourself and it helps to make his character portrayal so believable. His mini finale at the end of Expressing Yourself is fantastic. He blows on his “too hot” index finger as if it is a torch and then shaking his shoulders he comically displays a hilarious expression on his own face bringing in howls and screams from the crowd.
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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by ERinVA »

I agree that JP and Gabe haven't seemed to have as many reviews/comments as some of the others. I saw them together during my recent Billython, and both are excellent. JP is simply adorable! :D He comes off as a young, sweet Billy despite the fact that he is actually 14. He is so tiny that he could easily be a small boy if it came down to it, so the "young, sweet" characterization seems completely appropriate. But don’t let the “young, sweet” part fool you! JP is a very accomplished dancer-- much stronger than you might expect from one who appears so young and tiny. And he has a lovely voice as well. Quite a triple threat in the making.

Gabe has certainly made Michael his own with several touches. One that stood out for me was his "Olé, Baby!" He comes out with a deep, booming voice on that line, not unlike Joe Caffrey's "So where the hell're you from?" in his exchange with the RBS dancer. Another thing that stood out as well was the fact that Gabe's "little bit of ballet" dance shows quite a bit of potential. He actually does some great pas de chats, and his moves are very fluid and graceful. I think he probably has had a good bit of ballet training himself.

While I am on a roll, I suppose I should just go ahead and make this my one overall review of the shows I saw in Chicago. As I commented before, the show is in great hands there.

I have already commented briefly on Cesar, but I will add a bit more here. I am glad I got to see him a second time after my earlier abbreviated performance on the night of my arrival. That gave me the chance to really settle in and pay attention to what he was doing. Cesar is a terrific actor, and his interpretation of Billy is not like any of the others I have seen. He has his own unique take on the delivery of quite a few of the lines, and his facial expressions are wonderful. For example, the eye/head roll when Mrs. W. announces that Billy has an audition is so classic that I would call it perfection, and then he punctuates Billy’s exasperation even more by not just tossing his bag to the floor but literally slamming it down. I don’t think I have ever seen this sequence of business done better in all the shows I have seen. It goes without saying that Cesar is an excellent dancer with very strong technique. It seems that the Canadian National Ballet School is turning out some prime talent, and Cesar belongs in that category. Oh, and did I mention that the kid has an excellent singing voice too?

Keean! So what is there to say about Keean but Wow!? When he finally moved into the role of Michael on Broadway, it was such a revelation. He was so good then, and he is even more so now. As I said before, he has added little things to his interpretation, such as running the pink dressing gown under his nose as he opens it up for Billy to tumble into. You can just see “experience” written all over his performance as Michael, yet nothing has become stale. He simply commands the stage when he is on it.

And speaking of experience, let’s talk about Tommy… Tommy really embodies everything I think of when I think of Billy. You know when you see someone and that person looks exactly like what you picture for a character? Well, for me, that is the Tommy/Billy connection. Tommy is Billy, pure and simple. I know whenever I see him that the dancing, the acting, and the singing are all going to be topnotch, no question about any of them, and in fact, since I first saw what a great Billy Tommy was on Broadway, he has just continued to improve. But then there is that other thing—let’s call it “Billyness.” Whatever “Billyness” is, Tommy has it—in spades! So to see him now, when I would say he is at the top of his game, was an absolute joy! And to see him paired with Keean just doubled the pleasure.

Now I can’t forget to tell you about Giuseppe! At 12, he is the youngest of the lot, but he holds his own with great aplomb. I saw his show from a good seat in the loge instead of the orchestra. I had wanted to see one show from up there to observe the tech part of the show—wagons coming on, set moving, etc., as this is always fun. But unfortunately, as large as the theater is, this meant I did not get the pleasure of seeing Giuseppe’s facial expressions as well as I would have liked, but I can tell you that his vocal delivery was absolutely spot on for every line. Clear pronunciation, excellent accent, and exactly the right inflection for every situation. I wanted to remark on this especially, given, of course, that English is not even Giuseppe’s first language. I was impressed! Also, dear sweet Giuseppe surprised me with the fact that his Billy was not exactly the sweet little kid I might have expected. As for his dancing and singing, both were excellent. I was very interested to see what Giuseppe would do with the Angry Dance, and let me tell you that he nailed it. Of all the Billys in Chicago, Giuseppe was the most vocal during the dance, letting fly with a multitude of agonized screams.


So what about the other cast? As I said, the Chicago show is in good hands.

Let’s start with Maria Connelly as Debbie. Again, we have a very experienced performer in Maria, since she came over from the Broadway show, and she does an excellent job. Her timing in the toilet scene is impeccable, and her line delivery of “Are you nervous for your audition?” is great. She draws out the word “nervous,” which makes it quite funny.

Some people said early on that they thought Armand Schultz’s Dad was a bit too harsh. I don’t know if his interpretation has changed since the opening, but I thought he was wonderful. He is a serious kind of Dad, it’s true, but I would not call him harsh. I felt great sympathy and connection to his character. If I had to make a comparison, I would say that he reminds me of James Gaddas’s Dad, both in looks and interpretation.

I very much liked Emily Skinner as Mrs. W. as well. She did not come across to me as quite as “world-weary” as some of the Mrs. W.’s I have seen, and she seemed warmer toward Billy from the outset than some of the others have been, but I liked her interpretation of the character.

Cynthia Darlow is a wonderful Grandma. She has a great voice, and her “big number” is excellently done.

Patrick Mulvey is certainly a worthy Tony. He tends to play scenes where Tony is angry with a kind of sardonic smile, which some viewers might find a bit confusing, but I found that it worked fine for me. At the stage door, he told me he had spent the last 5 years studying in England and Scotland, so no wonder his accent is good, and he also has a wonderful singing voice.

The ballet girls in this show are right up there with the London and NY teams. Because there is only one group, they do eight shows a week and give it their all. The team is smaller in the Chicago show, but their impact is just as big as in the other productions.

The ensemble members in this production are excellent. I think someone else mentioned in an earlier review that he thought the sound of the men’s choral singing was better than it is on Broadway, and I would have to say that I agree. They have a wonderful sound.

Last but not least, I want to give a big shout out to Will Mann, who played Mr. B. for every performance I saw. He was just a complete hoot! He is a big guy, but that did not stop him from making some major moves! The funniest part of his dance routine, I thought, was when he stopped and took his pulse as if he were in an aerobics class. Such a funny bit!

Well, it has taken me long enough to get around to this review, but there it is. Hope you enjoy it.

PS I met Giuseppe’s dog. He is a cute Westie, named……….. BILLY! :D :D
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: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by CJ-Rochester »

Excellent review Ellen! I did not get a chance to see Cesar during my visit, but pretty much agree with everything else you mentioned. Both Keean and Tommy shine from their Broadway experience, and have become even better.

Armand plays Dad more serious than others I have seen (Greg, Phil), but I too felt a "sympathy and connection to his character".

I still have one more review to write, and it's going to be a good one. :)
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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by porschesrule »

I'm loving this sudden spate of great reviews of the Chicago show!

Ellen, I know you've said before that writing reviews isn't your thing, but it really should be! I felt like I was reading the review of the New York Times theater critic :lol: Seriously... very well written, great detail and some very astute perceptions.

Again, I'm loving hearing more this week about the performances of the Chicago cast than I've read since the show opened for previews in March. It's very heartening to hear the show there is in such good, professional hands.
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Re: June 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by gpcolo »

Ellen- My wait is over as I have been anticipating your review of your Chicago mini-marathon. Excellent observations all around especially your take on Tommy, Guiseppe, J.P. Cesar, Keean, and Gabe. The talent the producers seem to find is unbelievable.

I also laughed at you meeting Billy the dog! Someone too must have a cat named Michael. :D

Thanks again for taking the time to share as I read your review twice! I will be back in September to have another look at the Chicago production.
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