November 2014 Reviews - London

[ERinVA]

November is here already!

[patc]

Thursday 6th November – all day

I heard a discussion on radio during the week regarding Les Mis. Colm Wilkinson played the original Jean Valjean and, following his success, it was deemed that all subsequent Valjeans had to be played exactly the same. I’ve seen it multiple times but stopped going for that very reason – despite its top notch songs it’s always played the same – just different faces.

No such rules apply to Billy and this was clearly evident in Thursday’s two shows masterminded by Bradley and Elliott. Both of these experienced performers in the title role have, over time, intriguingly and intricately woven their own unique patterns of Billy fabric and observing both on the same day reveals a kaleidoscopic canvas of excellence that is instantly not just pleasing and therapeutic to the eye and ear but a mover and shaker of all human emotions. Metaphorically speaking, neither could wear the other’s clothes yet the viewer exits the theatre equally enthralled, inspired and fulfilled. It was magnificent stuff on the double.

The two MOTD’s (Michaels of the Day), Todd and Tomi, gave sterling support with some great dancing mixed with so much fun and inviting more than a tear or two at final curtain.

Chris Jenkins (standing in for Chris Grahamson) pulled out all the stops with an excellent and very believable Tony and Mark John Richardson gave us two lovely Dream Ballets with both Billys. He was the only Older Billy in town yesterday and also played his usual stonefaced but hilarious Adult Dancer.

Debbies, Dayna and Kyria, and their Ballet Girl team were on their toes (metaphorically and literally speaking) for the duration.

David Muscat as Mr. B continues to provide not only the laughs (plus a haunting accordion accompaniment for Deka) but, whenever he is on stage, his eyes, posture and facial expressions provide a silent running commentary on stuff that’s going on around him. Fascinating to watch.

According to some interviews she has given, Ruthie is having a ball in the role of Mrs. W and the paying public is reaping the benefit. Between Shine (I’m constantly struggling to keep my feet still), the enraged encounters with Dad and Tony (but never becoming a virago), the energy-sapping Born to Boogie and her utter dedication to Billy’s progress plus the emotional goodbye, this is the epitome of a tour-de-force. Miss it at your peril.

Claudia Bradley is the perfect Dead Mum with gentle speaking voice, a gorgeous singing voice, a wonderful stage presence and appears to just glide across the stage in the Letter.

We also had two genuflections, two F-a-D’s and two “Don’t go’s”. I still don’t quite understand what the former is about but the latter two are mega in terms of laughter and tears respectively.

With a main cast and Ensemble that's on fire and music/song to die for you couldn't ask for more.

When pitted against the new cinema releases "Billy Live" won hands down so forget Interstellar and head for the VPT instead. BE has been such a success story that London Tourism are inclining towards selling the Victoria area as The Best End and there is a strong rumour that London Underground is considering renaming the Victoria Line to the Jubilly line.

Pat

[kport]

I, too, have been puzzled by the 'genuflection'. I can think of two interpretations:

-a 'bow' of respect to the Union, like the lifting of glasses during 'Deep in the Ground';

-a concession to the looming defeat of the union, such as in this quote from The Guardian:

The Guardian: Bob Crow is right to fight, not genuflect: ‘witness the rewards for failure at Shell’

http://royaldutchshellplc.com/2004/07/0 ... -at-shell/

Or a mixture of both: a farewell of sorts to Union Power, and the Past.

[angelenroute]

It sounds like the genuflection isn't doing much more than coming across as weird at worst or esoteric at best, so I imagine they'll take it out again if that's all they're getting from it. I think it's cool, but no sense slowing down the moments of the end of the show further if it's not accomplishing much in audience response.

Sean

[Terpsichore]

Chris Jenkins (standing in for Chris Grahamson) pulled out all the stops with an excellent and very believable Tony and Mark John Richardson gave us two lovely Dream Ballets with both Billys. He was the only Older Billy in town yesterday and also played his usual stonefaced but hilarious Adult Dancer.


Pat

I saw those 2 shows aswell, booked my trip to London as soon as I heard Mark John Richardson was filling in for the week! He only had played it once before in June before he got put on last week, so I was most curious to see him dance and kudos for a brilliant week as older Billy.
I must say it was totally worth it, loved seeing his dream ballet together with Elliott especially, both being such strong and skillful dancers... it really made me believably see Billy's future as an amazing dancer!
One of the most beautiful dream ballets I've seen so far.

I also loved the little look they exchanged when Billy's name gets called and the dancer leaves the audition stage, Billy seeing his potential future as a dancer... it was really heartwarming, never seen it that intense before.


It was also nice to see Chris Jenkins again as Tony, it's a slightly different take on it but equally exciting and emotional!

2 amazing shows, can't wait to be back!

[kport]

Today was my first time back to the VPT since the start of June. In between I saw BETM a few times in Ogunquit, the first regional production.

*Takes Deep Breath*

The cast really had to work hard today. The weather has been dismal all week. The audience was sparse and commensurately unresponsive. I may be wrong, but with no other info I have to assume some of the Ensemble are new. There were a few mic issues and a few lighting issues. Some of the more important lines were missed or simply did not register with the audience. I would have to say that the first ten minutes were not happy. Some of this may have been due to a non-responsive and sparse audience.

Then something happened. The cast woke up and decided to take charge of the problems. The first ones to do so were the ballet girls, who upped the ante for the whole cast with a great rendition of Shine. Still, the audience was sitting on its hands when it should have been applauding. So the cast got on with it, delivering a performance that got better and better, and slowly the audience woke up. Still, though, after a great Angry Dance, its reactions were still restrained.

It did not really wake up until Bradley's fantastic street rendition of Electricity, and even this took a huge effort from him. When it ended, he stood and half turned to the audience, smiling a broad grin, arms outstretched towards them, hands gesturing 'Come on', and he did not move from that position for quite a while, until he DID have them quite figuratively eating out of his hands. It was an immensely mature way to deal with a crowd that simply had to be brought out of its shell, and Bradley did it. That is what comes after nearly a year treading the boards in a show. And there WAS a standing ovation at the end. Bravo!

Dayna continues to amaze and amuse; and the Ballet Girls today were on cracking form. Tomi hammed it up brilliantly; my only comment is that he and Bradley seem to be quite different ages; like a Year 8 with a best friend in Year 6. Which is fine, but slightly reduces the possibility of dramatic intensity in a few key scenes. Just my opinion.

Today was a day that required the cast to make an extra effort to reach the audience, and it did so with aplomb. They deserve so much better but - hey - you take the good with the bad, and in its own way today was a nice little triumph, especially for Bradley. Well done!

[patc]

Thursday Matinee 13th November

Just a short review as tomorrow is a hectic day before dashing back to London on Saturday morning.

Another Thursday Matinee. Another set of Bradley style fireworks with lashings of great dancing, acting and emotional twists and turns in a masterful display of Billyship. Oozing so much confidence and self-belief he delivered on all fronts. His singing voice is still in great shape, too, and his rendition of “Oh the Winter wind can blow me colder” was as good as I’ve heard with all the notes being held in perfect pitch. Magnificent Angry Dance, a foot-perfect and absolute beauty of a Dream Ballet with Barnaby and a stunning street Electricity that sent thousands of volts into the Victoria Line live rail ensuring that the early evening commuters got home well ahead of schedule. Then there was that mega smile back to the audience – that extra feel-good moment in the show.

Having been away from the show for a few weeks Tomi came back with a bang and conquered new heights this afternoon. All his exotic body shapes were thrown with abandon in Expressing with a devilish smile to boot and had Bradley glowing with admiration. The tutu routine was hilarious with a well-timed nutcracker. I was really impressed with his handling of the tender moment in the Winter scene and the final curtain poignancy was heartbreaking for the watcher. I appreciate the point that kport (great to see you back at the VPT again ) has made in relation to age difference. Ever since the Michaels (and, indeed, the Debbies) started being younger and smaller than the Billys this point has been much discussed among fans in the sense that, in the film, the three young cast were, at least approaching their teens together at the same time and were in the same class. However, I found it easy enough to get used to the idea and made my mind up just to enjoy it and I sure enjoyed Tomi’s interpretation to the full. BTW, I wonder if Tomi is the first Michael to stand over the bike’s crossbar rather than sit on the saddle at the end?

I had to check through records to see when I first saw Dayna and it was February 2012. What an absolute star Debbie she has been all this time. That wonderful cheeky face and stubborn demeanour has left a lasting impression at the VPT. A great little actress who can go as far as she wants.

This seems to be a leaving week for all the magnificent Ballet Girl groups although there will probably be some of the younger girls staying on. All three groups have been top of the range and I hope that those leaving will go on to other great adventures secure in the knowledge that all Billy fans appreciate and thank them all for their magnificent contributions to this great show.

I waited a long time to see Barnaby as the Male Ballet Dancer from Scotland and it finally happened (except he was from Sheffield). You can’t beat BETM for the unexpected. There’s always something extra for the fans.

This was supposed to be a short review but I got carried away. Couldn’t help it ‘coz I enjoyed the show so much and am still basking in its excellence. Thanks to Bradley/Tomi/Dayna and an amazingly dedicated and talented cast plus, of course, Mark and his merry band of musicians for such rich and rewarding entertainment.

Pat

[dancingboy]

( Apologies for the lateness of this review, since it relates to the show on Tuesday 11 November)

From ACE to Z. ( or the Zach and Zecca show)

There are certain shows you see, after which you just know you have to write something and the show on Tuesday evening was one such.
We can all recall Matteo's first couple of shows which were unfortunately, blighted by the fact he did not complete the shows as he was unwell. His progress since then has been fantastic, such that his Confidence is now sky high. To me Matteo is a born Entertainer who plays the Billy role with great Enthusiasm. His Acting Ability, with excellent Enunciation and intonation in his voice helping to bring out the meaning of his words, was there for all to see.
This performance also saw Matteo's dancing Ability and Agility to the full, with some expert Acrobatics during Electricity, thrown in for good measure. His spins and pirouettes performed at speed during this number were quite breathtaking.
The Expresing Yourself duet with the brilliant Zach was quite the funniest I have seen for some time. It was clear the duo had a great rapport and literally 'bounced off' each other, with plenty of words and gestures between the two of them.
It would be wrong of me not to mention the Kiverton team Ballet girls, some of whom were performing for the last time. They certainly helped the show move along at a pace and, as usual, did their utmost to torment Billy during the ballet classes. Plenty of tears could be seen from them during the Finale. All I can say is ' Well Done' girls and ' Good Luck' to those whose last show it was. ( .....and to the Dunbar and Littleton girls leaving this week).
This was a thoroughly Enjoyable show with terrific Enthusiasm and Ability from Matteo and Zach showing through, thus the audience were very Enthusiastic with their Appreciation.

[patc]

Saturday 15th November – all day

What an absolutely brilliant double bill of top quality entertainment with two massive adoring audiences captivated for every second.

Starting off at the Matinee, Matteo blew everyone out of sight with a Billy performance of most magnificent excellence. What this boy has done since he arrived in May to take over this role is almost unbelievable. In football parlance this was Roy of the Rovers stuff except, unlike Roy, Matteo is for real. The doyens of showbiz who do the child casting in this show have an unerring habit of getting it right and to say that Matteo has justified their belief in him must be the understatement of the year. Blessed with a superb stage presence, a haunting voice, acting to die for and wonderful dancing skills it was totally appropriate that the entire theatre upstairs and downstairs was on its feet at the end. I found it emotionally uplifting from the viewpoint of both Billy and Matteo himself to watch it unfold. By the time we got to Electricity I was ready to evaporate and, when emotionally-charged Deka leapt from his seat to acknowledge what he had just seen, it was all too much. The tears streamed from my eyes.

Getting back to that Electricity it was quite something. Graceful dancing, the floating-Tornado-like spin near the end, the raised-arms-while-spinning plus the smile after it, that all-engaging smile that almost says, “bloody ‘eck was it that good?”.

Todd threw his body, heart and soul into presenting us with his unique interpretation of Michael and came out with glowing colours, not just in Boxing and Expressing, but in the more poignant moments he showed some lovely touches and facial expressions that conveyed his feelings towards Billy. The piéce de résistance, though, was his vital final curtain scene where he absolutely nailed Michael’s desolation in a manner that I have not seen bettered in my time seeing the show. It was gut-wrenching to watch amidst total silence and respect from the audience – that is, until some idiot with an extremely loud single clap (and a half) decided he/she wanted to spoil it and managed to persuade some others to follow suit. It is beyond me why someone in a theatre audience feels the need to draw attention to him/herself by this sort of thing. Not dissimilar to those concert-goers who insist on clapping after the Third movement of Tchaikovsky’s 6th – they completely misunderstand what is going on. Luckily, Todd wasn’t fazed and continued his moving performance until he disappeared from view.

Kyria has also just completed six months in the show. Right from Day One she showed she has what it takes to project Debbie's personality onto the stage. I'm never quite sure how you would actually describe Debbie's personality in words but, whatever it is, Kyria got it in one.

As if all that wasn’t enough the evening show was performed by the same cast as I saw on Thursday Matinee, Bradley/Tomi/Dayna. I already did a review of that show two days ago and yesterday’s performance was just as brilliant and uplifting and, yet again, a magnificent standing ovation from all.

Barnaby, in addition to delivering his usual two magical Dream Ballets, was called upon in the evening show to do his Ballet Dancer from Sheffield routine (mic working this time, thankfully) and he passed with flying colours. I enjoyed it immensely. Oh, Nic, where are you, LOL?

I had been disappointed by there being no announcement of leavers before the show but never fear, Mr. Walmsley was here. After the Finale he stepped forward and gave a most welcome and endearing farewell to all three Ballet Girl Groups and then brought Dayna forward to announce her retirement from the show after three fantastic years. Even by Dayna’s high standards she had kept the best wine ‘til last and her final performance at BETM was one that will long live in the memory. My grateful thanks to all the girls. There were some tears but, outside afterwards with their folks, they had the proverbial ball with songs and photos.

IMHO, there is no better person to do these honours than Deka. You can feel and hear the sincerity in his voice. You know he really is going to miss them.

The Adult cast and Ensemble are extraordinarily talented. Even when some are missing someone always effortlessly steps in to take their place in most convincing fashion.

I thank my lucky stars that I am in a position to see this show often. But Billy Elliot is not just a show. It is an experience - an incredible human experience of monumental proportions. Even if you never wanted to be a ballet dancer there is so much in there that is so true to many ordinary people’s lives.

With the current cast and music maestros the magic just goes on. In the original film, I think the final (adult) Michael’s comment was on the lines of “I wouldn’t miss it for the world”. That sums it up perfectly.

Pat

[Westletonion]

I was also priveleged to be at both shows on Saturday and wholeheartedly endorse Pat's comments. They were simply incredible performances. It was the first complete performance I had witnessed from Matteo. For a change I sat at the back of the Stalls, row O, and can really recommend this for a change. It is almost like seeing a different show and you get such a great perspective of the whole stage and the cast.