Billy Elliot the Forum

Pat, Phil Snowden played the skipping Mr Braithwaite tonight.


Cheers
Keith.


Keep the opinions & reviews coming folks.

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Billy - Ollie
Michael - Connor
Debbie - Emily

I know that B2B has been altered but let's not that detract from the fact that we had Genevieve Lemon start as Mrs Wilkinson tonight. I was very pleased with her first performance as I'm sure everybody in the audience were. She has a strong singing voice and is a great actor. Some of her outfits were outlandish to say the least Joanna is going to be a hard act to follow but I'm sure Genevieve will do a grand job.

Congratulation to the new ballet girls tonight. Nobody would have known that for a lot of them it was their first night. Well done girls. The girl that plays Allison Summers has the loudest scream I have ever heard - WOW! I noticed for the first time last Friday that Alison Summers starts gesticulating to Keeley Gibson after she takes her coat off. Alison Summers did it tonight as well. Is this something that has just been added recently or have I been asleep during all my visits?

We also had new Small and Tall boys in Paddy Hewitt and Isaac Gryn. They both did a great job. Look out for Isaacs use of the scythe as a guitar in Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher - it's hilarious. They are two great additions to the cast.

All in all a great show.

KeefyM wrote:Phil Snowden played the skipping Mr Braithwaite tonight.

Thanks, Keith. Phil cracks me up every time so I expect on Thursday I'll have to be carried out of the theatre in hysterics.

Pat

Toms last show was incredible.
Great to hear about the new cast tonight.
From what i have seen previously i also dont like the B2B with ropes etc(except where they are dancing with the gloves on at the beginning, clever) and i dont understand why they gradually seem to be changing everything towards the American version(not that i have a problem with the American BE)
I think it is nice that all the different shows have some of the scenes different(e.g B2B, EXPRESS,AD,MTetc) , it makes each show more unique and interesting.Why do they have to clone them all.

Billy Whiz wrote:Stop press: We now have the New York version of Born to Boogie complete with boxing gloves and skipping ropes - AGGH

WAIT...got to get some popcorn to enjoy the following b2b reviews...ok GO!!

Steven

KeefyM wrote:Yes we now do have the god awful U.S. version of Born to Boogie complete with skipping ropes, boxing gloves, a few shoe changes for Billy,
Billy doing an uneccessary hand gesture to Mr B

I agree with Ellen that this version of Born to Boogie isn't bad, it's just a different way of doing it. The basic premise is the same - same song, same characters involved, etc. If I agree with anything in the above comment, it would be Billy's hand gesture to Mr. B . . .. a sexually-oriented hand movement that seems a little inappropriate for a child actor to have to do on stage. The scene would lose none of its value if the gesture was left out.

I just saw the London show two weeks ago, and in the original version of B2B Billy and Mr. B give each other the finger (or in some cases the two-finger sign) while being "kept apart" by Mrs. W, and Billy even tells Mr. B to "f**k off," so I don't see what the problem is. I really don't recall any other hand gesture being used by Billy in the B'way version, or have I completely missed something during my visits to the B'way show? I haven't seen the B'way show since March. Has something been added?

If anybody is interested Genevieve Lemon started as Mrs Wilkinson last night.

So, the picture of Joanna Riding in her blue frilly top and hot pants has been removed from outside the Victoria Palace, but Genevieve’s picture has not arrived yet (no excuses, really, as she has played the role for 18th months already); anyway, Genevieve certainly has arrived.....

My gripe last week about Caroline Deveril’s Mrs Wilkinson was that Caroline didn’t have a huge stage presence. Genevieve has it is spades. To my mind, she dominated every scene she was is. Her Mrs Wilkinson seems as much a misfit in Easington as Billy is; she comes across as slightly eccentric and a tad world-weary. She is less fierce than some and so I’m not sure that you see the softening towards Billy that some other actors have showed. She is not the greatest dancer to have played the part, but she is a tremendous actor and sings well. She has brought with her a gaudy array of outfits from Australia. She starts in a polka dot skirt, sparkly top with the tracksuit jacket over it. In the middle of Shine she takes off the tracksuit top and Mr Braitwaite zips her into the bottom part of the sparkly dress. This meant that there was no taking a tablet with beer. For the first part of Solidarity she wore a sort-of denim cowboy dress, she also instructed the girls whilst walking around the stage reading a magazine. I have no idea if this is something she’s imported from Australia or a new direction. In the toilet scene with Billy she didn’t light a cigarette, instead upwrapped a piece of gum which she chewed.

The children were on top form, perhaps helped by the fact that a fair few ballet girls were in the audience; I think that some of them had booked tickets expecting it to be Aaron’s debut. Ollie did look at them and make eye contact at the end of Electricity. Michael, not sure who it was - not Jake, was fabulous. And the new Tall and Small Boys did well, too.

David Bardsley was on as Dad. He sings Deep Into the Ground So well. I love his sense of despair after He Could Be A Star - in the hall he just looks down. The ensemble were fuller tonight, largely because the females were back. Still a few male members missing, in addition to Anthony, both Shaun Henson and Sean Kingsley were off. It was Phil Snowden who was the first Mr B to perform the new B2B in London. Actually I had no particular problem with it.

A great show, I hope to be back seeing our new Mrs W again soon, she is a serious talent and the role is in safe, if very different, hands.

patc wrote:Just got a text from VPT that B2B tonight was the US version with boxing gloves, skipping ropes, etc.

Ollie, Connor and Emily are on.

Pat

Why do they do this. The UK version is fantastic as it is. From what I've heard about last night - the jury is really out!!!!! And possibly well out!!!However, will see for myself on Thursday.