Theatre Calgary, Calgary, AB - 04/09/2019 - 05/12/2019

[kport]

TC’s main stage season at Arts Commons Max Bell Theatre will close April 7 to May 11 with the musical Billy Elliot, directed by Arima and choreographed by Yukichi Hattori, who recently retired as principal dancer with the Alberta Ballet Company.

“Yukichi and I are going to showcase the incredible dancers we have in this city.

“This is not going to be a copy of any Billy Elliot before it. This will be a Calgary Billy Elliot,” insists Arima, who feels personally connected to the story of a boy fighting for his dream despite naysayers around him.

“The message of Billy Elliot is the story of the dreams that exist in all of us. Billy didn’t want to box. He wanted to dance. People told him he shouldn’t and that he couldn’t, but he wouldn’t listen.

“That’s what people told a young Stafford Arima when he said he wanted to direct on Broadway one day. Like Billy, I wouldn’t let people destroy my dream and I know there are countless people out there who have had a similar experience.”

TC’s main stage season at Arts Commons Max Bell Theatre will close April 7 to May 11 with the musical Billy Elliot, directed by Arima and choreographed by Yukichi Hattori, who recently retired as principal dancer with the Alberta Ballet Company.

“Yukichi and I are going to showcase the incredible dancers we have in this city.

“This is not going to be a copy of any Billy Elliot before it. This will be a Calgary Billy Elliot,” insists Arima, who feels personally connected to the story of a boy fighting for his dream despite naysayers around him.

“The message of Billy Elliot is the story of the dreams that exist in all of us. Billy didn’t want to box. He wanted to dance. People told him he shouldn’t and that he couldn’t, but he wouldn’t listen.

“That’s what people told a young Stafford Arima when he said he wanted to direct on Broadway one day. Like Billy, I wouldn’t let people destroy my dream and I know there are countless people out there who have had a similar experience.”

Arima wants Theatre Calgary’s production to be more than just another show; he wants it to be an event.

http://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/ ... new-season

[CJ-Rochester]

This is great news for Canadian fans. Here is the listing on the company's website:

https://www.theatrecalgary.com/2018-19-season

[CJ-Rochester]

The dates have been adjusted slightly from the original announcement. They now run April 9 to May 12, 2019. Tickets are already on sale.

https://www.theatrecalgary.com/2018-19/ ... ot#tickets

[porschesrule]

The cast has now been announced for the Calgary show:

https://www.theatrecalgary.com/2018-19/ ... rr3aI#cast

[kport]

Theatre Calgary has produced a short video about finding their Billy and Michael:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjq5_ykMlbs

[andrewcraig]

Billy Elliot, The Musical to feature 2 young Calgary leads

https://globalnews.ca/news/5099831/bill ... ary-leads/

WATCH ABOVE: Deb Matejicka goes behind the scenes at Theatre Calgary to talk to the two young Alberta actors who will be sharing the title role in the upcoming production of "Billy Elliot The Musical."

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Stafford Arima knew finding the best kid to play lead role in Theatre Calgary’s production of Billy Elliot, The Musical wasn’t going to be easy.

After all, he needed someone who could not only act; the right “Billy” would also need to know how to sing and dance. He also had to be around a certain age.

“It’s not just a triple threat; we’re looking at a quadruple threat,” said Arima of the skills the perfect actor would need to possess.



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Close to a 15 kids showed up to the open auditions, hoping to win the role of Billy Elliot, the young boy who defies expectations and social norms to pursue his love of ballet.

“I felt like… you are Billy Elliots,” said Arima, recalling how he felt when he saw how many young performers had turned up for the audition.

“Everyone in this room is a Billy Elliot because… still to this day, boys or young men being in ballet is not the common thing.”

“Here in Calgary, where a lot of the youngins that are growing up are going to be hockey players, but to see this young group of young gentlemen who really have been focusing their time at this young age in the world of ballet, it really… warmed my heart,” said Arima

In the end, the head of Theatre Calgary chose not one, but two Billy Elliots.

Fourteen-year-old Rhett Udsen and 10-year-old Dex Drewitz blew Arima away with their ability to capture “the essence of Billy Elliot.”

“What they both brought in the audition was a very unique and individual understanding of what it means to be a young person with a dream.”

Physically, the two are about as far apart as you’d expect a 10- and a 14-year-old to be but it’s that shared understanding of what Billy must endure to realize his dream that helped them win the role.

“I’ve been dancing for a long time,” said Udsen. “And there has been ridicule in my life before for dancing so… it’s been very nice.

“It feels like…a part that’s very close to my heart.”

“The story of Billy Elliot is about following that instinct inside of you and making it happen,” explained Arima of his choice. “And you could see that in Rhett, you could feel that in his energy as he was auditioning and Dex, the exact same.”

The duo also share a certain fortitude required to handle the rigorous and demanding schedule a production of this magnitude entails.

“Everyday in rehearsal it’s amazing watching them work with (choreographer) Yukichi Hattori and how they keep pushing themselves further and further and further,” Arima said.

Rehearsals run eight hours per day, six days per week for four full weeks. It’s a lot for an actor of any age but the two young Billys push each other.

oops
did not want to put all this here but they are excited

[kport]

Amber Bissonnette Talks About Dancing Her Way Through BILLY ELLIOT at Theatre Calgary

https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/a ... y-20190329

[kport]

Preview: Musical Billy Elliot a universal story of staying true to yourself (Calgary Herald):

https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment ... o-yourself

[andrewcraig]

https://betm.theskykid.com/meet-billy-e ... 1ozMJ2sCx8

The Stratford Festival will present a regional production of Billy Elliot the Musical (BETM) at the Festival Theatre in Stratford, Ontario, from April 16 to November 3, 2019 with an official opening night on May 28. This production is set to do more performances than any other North American regional production of BETM to date, with a staggering 104 performances scheduled

includes video of cast rehearsing incl a Billy

[porschesrule]

Theatre Calgary's production of BETM has won five Betty Mitchell Awards:

https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment ... ell-awards

Congratulations to cast/crew/creative team!