October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

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CJ-Rochester
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by CJ-Rochester »

gpcolo wrote: I headed back to the stage door to witness the final exit (some it captured in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e53EIpV5QN8 ).
Thanks for posting the video gpcolo. We will miss Tommy's great smile. I spotted a couple of our NY friends as the camera panned the crowd. I take it the Billy binder he was holding at the end is the "leaving card" that StevenKing assembled?
:/
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by gpcolo »

CJ-Rochester wrote: I take it the Billy binder he was holding at the end is the "leaving card" that StevenKing assembled?

That it was and a super job StevenKing did on the final product. He said he would be posting each page of the book soon on the forums so we can all enjoy.
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by Todd »

Thanks to everyone for the fine reviews of Tommy's final show as Billy. Having enjoyed his performance in New York a year ago and in Chicago this spring, I knew I wanted to be there for his final performance.

As others have said, Tommy definitely went out on a high note, as it was one of the very best performances of the show I've ever seen. One of the things that caught my eye from the first time I saw him in New York was the attention that he pays to detail in his acting. His facial expressions and the subtle gestures are perfectly played. Even though this was his final time to play Billy, the reactions he gave seemed spontaneous and fresh - as if he was experiencing the things in the show for the first time. The standing ovations he got at the end of "Angry Dance," "Electricity," and twice at the end of the show were certainly well-deserved - not only because of his excellent performance, but as a culminating appreciation for all he's meant to the show these past two years.

Tommy appears to be one of those rare few who are a "triple threat," as his dancing, singing and acting are all excellent. He also had the benefit of experience, as you knew the show was in good hands when he was Billy. I've specifically noticed myself being aware of that in several other performances I've been to where a veteran Billy was performing - Liam Mower and Leon Cooke in London, Trent Kowalik in New York, and Tommy in Chicago. Even though there might have been some new actors playing certain parts who hadn't been in the show very long, you had a relaxed, confidant feeling throughout the show knowing that the lead actor was in complete control and at the top of their game. This was also very evident during "Express Yourself" when Tommy and Keean did perhaps my all-time favorite performance of this number of any BETM show I've seen. They were clearly having a ball up there, and looked so comfortable together, as they do seem to be a natural team - having come up through the ranks together over the past 2 years.

I found this to be one of the most emotional BETM shows I've been to, maybe because it felt like the end of an era of sorts with Tommy - the last Billy from the original Broadway cast - taking his final bow. This was also most likely the last time I will see Keean Johnson, making it a farewell for another Broadway original too. It's a testamant to the amazing talents of these kids that they were able to hold it together and not get caught up in the finality of it all. It would be tough enough for a veteran adult performer, but it's all the more remarkable considering the young age of these actors. Special mention should also go to Maria Connelly, who does a great job as Debbie, and Spencer Milford - the tall/posh boy - who has played that part very well at every Chicago performance I've seen. He's a real pleasure to visit with at the stage door and is a true blue fan of his St. Louis sports teams !

As much as I'll remember the three times I got to see Tommy Batchelor perform as Billy, another thing I'll always remember about him is the genuine appreciation and good cheer that he showed to the fans of the show. There's no telling how many photos he's been asked to pose for or programs he's been asked to sign, but he always seemed more than happy to oblige . . .and always with a laugh or a smile. As talented a performer as he is, he's also an equally humble, polite, and good natured person. These characteristics - along with his many performing talents - will bring him much success in whatever he decides to pursue in the future.

Sadly, this may have been my final opportunity to see the show in Chicago before it leaves there in 3 months. If it was, then my final memory will be taking advantage of the nice weather and joining several Forum members to watch the kids in the cast play a game of touch football at Millinneum Park after the show last night. I was struck at how they seem to thoroughly enjoy each others' company. If you didn't know they were cast members from a hit musical, you might think they were just a group of best mates who decided to get together for a game in the park. Suffice to say there was plenty of laughing, yelling, running, and all-around enthusiasm . . .even after performing a 3 hour show (don't these kids ever run out of energy ? !)

I had the pleasure of meeting several of the moms of the young cast members, all of whom were a delight to visit with and who made us Forum fans feel like part of the family. It's easy to see where the kids get their good nature and their solid foundation, as all of the parents of the BETM kids who I've met have been - without exception - real nice people and fun to talk to. Thanks to everyone involved with the Chicago production for making this such a fun and memorable weekend, and for the nice group of Forum folks I had the pleasure of enjoying a late dinner with at Portillo's restaurant at the end of the evening.
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Re: Tracking Billies

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Looking for an immediate update as to the tracking Billies, particularly through last night, Tues., 10/12. Can anyone supply that information for me? My appreciation, Colin, from North Central Indiana
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CJ-Rochester
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by CJ-Rochester »

allthatsknown wrote: From my seat, I had a great few of Keean. I noticed he was sniffling and kinda crying during the final part of the song.

Tommy and Keean’s Goodbye - ... But just the emotional upheaval that came during this scene between Tommy and Keean was something that will NEVER be repeated again... Keean’s look as Billy left the stage for the final time was indescribable...
Keean has been through more "leaving" shows than any other boy, at least in the US. He was there for Kiril, David, and his own in NY, and now Tommy's in Chicago. Poor kid has been through a lot and always bounces back.
:/
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by Billy Whiz »

Thanks for the reviews everybody.

It seems unanimous that Tommy's leaving show was "pretty good" :D :D ;)

With regard to the using of the last names. It personally didn't bother me all that much. To me the most important thing was that the Resident Director came on stage and gave Tommy the recognition that he so rightly deserved - and the RD should be applauded for that.
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Billy Whiz is the Gallery Admin. Please send your photos, articles etc to forum.gallery[at]billyelliottheforum.me.uk Please replace [at] with @

In the email can you also please let me know the date where and when the photo(s) was taken, who is in the photo(s) as well as your forum name.

When you send photos to the gallery can you also please PM me to let me know that you have sent them. If I don't receive them after a couple of days I can then chase them up.
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by Todd »

allthatsknown wrote:I just found it really REALLY strange with the whole “flipping” line change at the beginning... I love how some people can get all ultra bible-belt and make them change things that have been around for years... Takes one person to ruin it for everyone...
Not sure if this line was changed due to "one person" complaining about it (I kind of doubt one disgruntled audience member has that much power !) I just kind of assumed that they thought it might be an issue in other parts of the country that aren't known as Broadway-going communities . . . and maybe aren't used to hearing kids curse in the shows that come through town. So maybe they decided to be pro-active and cut back on some of the swearing before anyone had a chance to complain about it on the national tours.

It is funny how you get used to hearing certain lines and then it seems almost startling when they're suddenly replaced with something else, as they've done with some of the f-words in Chicago lately. The "flipping hell" line didn't get any audience response at either the Saturday night or Sunday shows that I was at. But to be fair, the original "f***ing hell" line never got much more than a few chuckles at the shows I've seen in New York or Chicago. This seems to be a line that works much better in London than it does for U.S. audiences for some reason, as it usually gets one of the biggest laughs of the entire show when I see it over there.

I'd be tempted to re-work it so that rather than Billy screaming "flipping hell !" have him, instead, stop and look rather taken aback, and then more confused than anything say, "What in the hell . . . " Sometimes the "less is more" approach works better, as an off-handed comment can get a bigger laugh at times than hitting the audience over the head with a shouted line. Guess that was one of the things I never liked about the "Kevin F***ing Keegan" line that Michael would shout into the microphone in the London show. Kind of sensory overload, in my opinion.
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by KR200 »

OCTOBER 1, 2010
Billy: JP
Michael: Dillion
Small Boy: Mark
Seat: ORCH-R, Row R, Seat 10

This show was originally posted as Cesar, but changed to JP. I was trying to outsmart the Billy rotation in hopes of seeing Tommy. FYI as of today, Myles E is officially listed in the Playbill as a Billy and would expect his debut upon Tommy's departure. I had not seen JP in this role, so was happy to get to see someone new. I think JP acts the role very well. While he did not miss a step, I think his short stature makes it hard to tell just how good his ballet really is. He doesn't have the longer lines when he dances. Overall he did a great job. One random observation is that JP is the only Billy I've seen that wears green trainers (rest wear blue or black)! I got to see a lot of the new cast changes with this show Ms W, Mr B, Big Davey, Mum...overall, there was nothing that would make you think you were seeing a new cast of characters. All the numbers were great.
Express- Dillion's tapping is top notch, but I didn't think his voice was loud enough when he was singing..maybe an issue with the mic? I know the character of Michael is over the top, but maybe Dillion was a little too over the top with some of his line delivery.
Letter-JP really connects with this song. Very vunerable.
B2B- JP landed the piano flip dead on..no steps or hops. Huge smile and huge applause.
Angry Dance-Again, I think his smaller size makes him lack a little power, but the execution of the dance was great.
Christmas scene- was really funny with JP and Dillion. JP takes Barbie by one leg and twirls her around his hands like one of those helicopter toys. (Oh, that reminds me that Giuseppe banged Barbie's head on the beer can during this scene)
Swan Lake- pure joy in JP's face as he flew above the audience
Electricity- did a really nice no-handed flip at the end before the pirouettes
Chicago
Billy: Giuseppe x1, JP x2, Marcus x2, Tommy x1, Cesar x2
Michael: Keean x4, Dillon x3, Jack x1
Debbie: Maria x8, TB: Spencer x6, Kennedy x2, SB: Mark x6, Elijah x2

NYC
Billy: David Ax1, Tanner x1, Trent x1
Michael: Keean x1, Frank x2
KR200
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by KR200 »

OCTOBER 6, 2010 (Mat)
Billy: Marcus
Michael: Dillion
Small Boy: Mark
Other cast changes:Tony- Jason Babinsky, Pit Supervisor/Postman - Nicholas Daum, Tracey Atkinson - Brittany Nicholas, Mum - Kate Marilley
Seat: ORCH-R, Row L, Seat 30 - This seat was sold as a $25 limited view seat. The theater was about 1/2 empty so I was able to move up to ORCH-R, Row J, Seat 12. I wouldn't count on being able to do this though. Everyone was moving around because there were so many open seats.

For some reason, even though the theater was half empty, this was the most responsive audience I've been a part of in Chicago. I personally did not connect with Marcus in this role. I have read other reviews on him and most people really seem to enjoy him. I will say that he danced the role to perfection, but I did not connect with his acting. One tiny mistake I noticed is that in the beginning when Billy is teasing SB with the sucker, Marcus went to jump up on the chair and almost fell over. He went right on and if you were further away you probably wouldnt have noticed. Again, I got to see a a lot of understudies. I much liked Jason in the role of Tony.
Stars look Down- I think Marcus was a little too graceful with his movements while singing. It looked like he was dancing instead of a kid kind of moving around.
Shine- OMG, love Brittany, the swing, as Tracey Atkinson. She got a lot of laughs from the audience and was right on step. I like to mention a great performance by an u/s because I don't feel they always get enough credit for their hard work.
Express- Dillion is growing on me. I still think he sings a little too soft. He does this thing where he sniffs the robe before holding it out for Billy that is strange, but funny (not sure if other Michael's do this because I've only seen a handful of shows).This kid got such a great response from the audience. He performed well with Marcus and think this was the first time they were on stage together in this combo. Michael beat Billy in putting on the tap shoes (Michael rarely wins!).
B2B- No big flip off the piano, Marcus does a cartwheel move off of it. I would rather have the kids wait until they are ready to throw in the acro tricks than to hurt themselves, so no biggie. If I hadn't seen the show before I wouldn't have noticed. I read in a prior review that Marcus has some slips while tapping, but I did not notice this. The jump rope was flawless. I also really enjoy Will Mann as Mr. B.
Angry Dance- I like Marcus' version very much. He is a good dancer and the brush off at the end resulted in a standing O.
Swan Lake- Marcus and older Billy were very in-sync. This was beautiful and Marcus is an outstanding ballet dancer. One of the best dream ballets I have seen.
Electricity- no big acro tricks, but still well done. Marcus has a good voice.

I enjoy the Chicago production very much. I know some people have commented how they took out a lot of the bad language. I did notice this from when I saw it in Sept to now. They swearing is less from the kids but is the same from the adults? I can go either way...yes that is how people talk, but at the same time I understand that they want to make it more accpetable as a family show.

I wanted to comment on the professionalism and the outstanding performances of the child cast. The ensemble actors do not get enough credit. SB Mark is adorable in this role (haven't seen the other SB yet). I also wanted to give a special note to Maria Connelly as Debbie, another broadway veteran. She plays the role very well. I personally like when they have a little older Debbie because it makes the whoo-hoo scene less weird (think of Izzy and David A. right before he left).
Chicago
Billy: Giuseppe x1, JP x2, Marcus x2, Tommy x1, Cesar x2
Michael: Keean x4, Dillon x3, Jack x1
Debbie: Maria x8, TB: Spencer x6, Kennedy x2, SB: Mark x6, Elijah x2

NYC
Billy: David Ax1, Tanner x1, Trent x1
Michael: Keean x1, Frank x2
KR200
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Re: October 2010 Reviews - Chicago

Post by KR200 »

October 10,2010
Billy: Tommy
Michael: Keean
SB: Mark
Others Tony-Tony Clarno
Seat: ORCH-C, Row C, Seat 113

I echo everything else that has been said about Tommy's final performance. It was fantastic and I felt very special for being part of this moment in his life. As mentioned, there was an announcement make crediting Tommy for being with the show since it started in Broadway. They also recognized his parents and grandmother who were in the audience. As a side note, the Batchelor family truly are wonderful people. They were very gracious to us for all the support Tommy has gotten throughout his Billy run. Great Family!

I also wanted to mention that I love Tony Clarno as Tony. He plays it just right. I think some of the other actors play the character by just yelling, but I really feels he brings out the soft side of Tony when he said the "We can't all be f---in' dancers." It wasn't a snide remark like the other Tonys. It was more of a sadness. Anyways he was great and I hope he gets more time in this role.

Not sure what else to review about this show because it has mostly been done so I will just point out some random obvervations.
-Express yourself with Keean and Tommy was quite the show. Keean really got him with the lipstick. Tap dancing was great as expected. These guys were just two friends having the time of their life up there,
-Tommy's angry dance gave me chills. I have not seen a performance with this much emotion and power. Randomly he had a big spot of something on the leg of his pants (Tony's "blood"?). At first I thought he tripped and skinned his knee under the pants. But he danced wiht no problem. (Standing O)
-Tall boy took a drag off one of the ensemble member's cigarettes during the Christmas scene.
-Tommy did everything he could to try to get barbie shoved into that beer can
-Dream Ballet was beautiful.
-Electricty - Wow....Tommy has a fairly unique number. He gave it his all and it showed. Second standing O, Tommy broke the pose and everyone was still clapping. He just looked around at them with an appreciative smile, taking it all in. This was a very long standing O and was well deserved.
-Final bow as Billy: Tommy did a signature "tommy dance" before bowing to the audience. Very cute.Chicago
Chicago
Billy: Giuseppe x1, JP x2, Marcus x2, Tommy x1, Cesar x2
Michael: Keean x4, Dillon x3, Jack x1
Debbie: Maria x8, TB: Spencer x6, Kennedy x2, SB: Mark x6, Elijah x2

NYC
Billy: David Ax1, Tanner x1, Trent x1
Michael: Keean x1, Frank x2
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