Reviews - Firehouse

[kport]

Newburyport's Firehouse Theatre is a gem of a modern theatre, located on the top floors of an old firehouse on this quaint New England town's Merrimack River. The location alone merits a visit to see Billy Elliot here. The theatre seats 191; every seat has a fantastic view (note: the theatre has no handicap parking adjacent; a walk from the nearest car park is about 1000 feet. There is an elevator to reach the theatre in the Sea Level Oyster Bar on the ground floor.)

From the opening newsreel to the finale, this show is unlike any I have seen before, due in part to the fact that the Director never saw the show anywhere else (she did audition as a Ballet Girl for the Broadway Show in 2007, but never made the cut!). Thus it does not try to copy, emulate, recreate or try-to-live-up-to any other production. That gives her, and the cast, great scope to reinvent the choreography and focus on telling the story. There are some cast cuts - there is no Small Boy (unless he has become a wooden stool with a radio on it seen at the opening), and no Older Billy. More of the latter, later.

The stage, approximately 36' wide and 24 feet deep, is not large enough for a large cast; hence the Ballet Girls are limited to four, as are the number of police and miners in the large pieces such as Solidarity. There is a live orchestra of six, plus three tracked instruments for the larger numbers, off stage to the right. The set is appropriate, inventive and flexible.

As with any opening show, there was a glitch. At the start of Shine, Mr Braithwaite's boombox would not work. After several minutes of hunting for another tape, all was well (the boombox never made a sound; I think something went wrong in the orchestra). The Ballet Girls continued their warm ups as Billy watched quizzically their fumbling. No foul; the show resumed and there were no other issues.

The cast does a fine job. I did not see, nor did I hear, any mistakes, pauses, uncertainties or missed cues. Everyone seemed to understand their role. The singing is really strong and tuneful. I am impressed by the confidence and comfort displayed by every member of this cast.

Probably the biggest change is the choreography. If you want to see BETM as it was on Broadway, this show might not suit you. If you want to see how a creative team made it work for a cast of regional actors on a stage, you might be pleasantly pleased.

I certainly arrived with an open mind. After Seacoast Rep's local success, I know that comparing apples with golf balls is pointless. So I entered asking three questions: Is the cast enjoying it? Is the cast telling the story? And is the audience enjoying it?

In the case of the production, the answer to all three is affirmative.

The major adult roles are all performed very well. In particular, Grandma's song is stellar. Also wonderful are The Letter, Deep Into The Ground, and The Letter (Billy's Reply).

Michael is played by Wade Gleeson Turner, who Seacoast Rep attendees will recall played Small Boy/Posh Boy. He does a fine job with a role slightly diminished, in that Billy and Michael do not tap in Expressing; instead four adults come on stage in dresses to do the tapping for them to watch. It works, but it is not what I expected.

Billy is played by the remarkable Ryan McCann. Ryan will be a high school freshman next month, and he hits all the high notes as well as any Billy I have seen (or heard). His dancing (what we can see) is very good, but the reduced choreography does not stretch his talents very much. Then again, Billy is only a novice dancer; why should he be stretched like a budding Baryshnikov?

What astounds me is the Angry Dance I saw. It has been some time since I have seen an all-out tap explosion happen, and Ryan gave that to us on the first evening.

But in the most heartfelt moments, such as The Letter, he sings with such simplicity and emotion that moves the heart. He is a fantastic singer, perfectly suited for this role. His facial expressions and reactions to the words of others are spot on.

Some of the action occurs in the aisles of the theatre, and especially in a box to the left of the audience - where Val and Doreen's Political Puppets get up to some shenanigans reminiscent of Avenue Q; and where Billy and Michael sit and talk like the two old men in The Muppets after Deep into the Ground.

Enough. I am sure I could write more after seeing it a second time, but for now I will recommend this show to everyone who can make it. It is unique. Put aside all memories of previous shows and approach this one for what it is: a first rate presentation of this important musical, honestly presented.

And before I forget - I began by mentioning that there is no Older Billy. I recall seeing a notice asking for an actor/dancer to play this role several weeks ago. Perhaps no one could be found, but what has been inserted instead took my breath away. In Dream Ballet, Billy starts dancing by himself, really quite beautifully. And then, on come Mrs W, Tony, Dead Mum and Jackie, standing still at the back of the stage in darkness. Billy then turns to each for a moment of dance together: Mrs W as the teacher; Tony as the pugilistic brother; Dead Mum as the heart and soul; and Dad as the man who transforms from anger and rejection, to a loving embrace, before telling Billy as Swan Lake dies: 'Go home, Billy. Go home..'

It was one of those gotcha moments, when you ask 'Why didn't someone think of that before?' And suddenly, Dream Ballet made sense in an entirely different way.