Cincinnati Reviews

[porschesrule]

Not a horrible review at all, lindsayxxbe! I enjoyed reading your insights. Please don't hesitate to write in the future. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[porschesrule]

Here's a review from the University of Cincinnati student newspaper, the News Record:

http://www.newsrecord.org/index.php/art ... s_to_cincy

A generally positive review, though the writer erroneously places "Dream Ballet" in the first act.

[rickyfc]

I liked your review, too, lindsayxxbe. As for the woman who threw the fit, I've heard of people walking out of Book of Mormon because they couldn't deal with the sacrilege but Billy Elliot? REALLY? In the year 2012? To those who can't get passed that element of the story I say good riddance.

[kport]

Here's a review from the University of Cincinnati student newspaper, the News Record:

http://www.newsrecord.org/index.php/art ... s_to_cincy

A generally positive review, though the writer erroneously places "Dream Ballet" in the first act.

The writer misspells Rich Hebert's surname, too. But it is generally positive.

[Rich B]

Thanks for the review, lindsayxxbe.

1. When small boy walked up the aisle with his boom box, the lady next to me started complaining that his mom needed to control her child haha.

3. During Express, before the actual song started and Billy and Michael were just talking, the girl next to me through a fit. She stood up and dragged her son out to the aisle talking about how disgusting what they were doing onstage was! She kept going on and on about how it was a disgrace and she didn't pay to see boys do that. She never came back. Her loss.

Let me guess - same person???

Imagine her reaction if she had stuck around for the winter scene.

[Todd]

As for the woman who threw the fit, I've heard of people walking out of Book of Mormon because they couldn't deal with the sacrilege but Billy Elliot? REALLY? In the year 2012? To those who can't get passed that element of the story I say good riddance.

I'm still not real clear on what it was about that scene that the woman was upset about. The way it's presented couldn't be any more lighthearted or fun. It might be one thing if they were having a serious, solemn discussion on why guys should wear women's clothing. But to have it done playfully among kids seems like a strange thing to get upset about. Maybe it was Michael's line of "It's f***ing weird if you ask me" that proved to be the final straw for her. I could see that being an issue for people (kids using the f-word on stage) more than I could kids having a bit of fun by trying on funny clothes.

[BEtourfan]

Not a review, but this was posted on the Billy Elliot Twitter site: (http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23Billyelliot)
"Fireman escorted someone out during the Dream ballet number in #Billyelliot tonight. My thoughts and prayers are with them.
26 Jan"

[kport]

Thanks for the review, lindsayxxbe.

1. When small boy walked up the aisle with his boom box, the lady next to me started complaining that his mom needed to control her child haha.

3. During Express, before the actual song started and Billy and Michael were just talking, the girl next to me through a fit. She stood up and dragged her son out to the aisle talking about how disgusting what they were doing onstage was! She kept going on and on about how it was a disgrace and she didn't pay to see boys do that. She never came back. Her loss.

Let me guess - same person???

Imagine her reaction if she had stuck around for the winter scene.

You wonder how she managed to have a son. Immaculate conception perhaps?

[muck912]

Sunday January 29 - Evening

Final Performance - Lex Ishimoto

It was a monumental week for Lex Ishimoto. He gave his 100th performance as Billy on Tuesday and gave his 101st and final one on Sunday night. And what an evening it was.

This was only my 2nd time seeing Lex. The first was in December in Rochester. In that show I saw my first street Electricity and was blown away by it. I reviewed that show and wrote that that scene alone would get me back to see the tour and Lex. And it did. When the tour hinted that Lex was leaving after Cincinnati I decided that I needed to take action. I burned some frequent flyer mileage and saw 4 shows with the emotional highlight being Lex's goodbye to Billy.

1700 people were in the house. All of the people sitting around me were season ticket holders seeing BETM for the first time. I wasn't sure that this was a final show so I didn't say anything to my neighbors. An announcement that this was Lex's final show would have added to the enjoyment of all of the newbies, especially if the announcement said that Lex had been a Billy for well over a year and for 101 performances. But this is BETM, Inc and we've come to expect the least when it comes to special nights in remote outposts. And the least is what we got. No announcement before, during, or after. 98% of the patrons left the theater with no idea of what a special show they had just witnessed. The patrons sure felt the emotion of the night. They probably left the theater thinking that every BETM was this good, this emotional.

Whenever I am at a final performance and the Billy starts "Take me up and hold me gently" I appreciate how Lee Hall's words to that song fit the special night: "we will find a new tomorrow, when we come to rest at last, and we will stand there proudly, and we will never walk alone, and we will be returned, back to our home."

The show was moving along brilliantly through Solidarity with nothing out of the ordinary. Lex seemed to really enjoy Express with his long-time Michael, Jacob Zelonky. I was beginning to think that maybe this wasn't a final performance. Then came Mum's Letter and I knew that this was no normal show. Before Mum ever appears on stage tears are streaming down both of Lex's cheeks and onto the stage. Niagara Falls doesn't have this kind of flow. An upset Lex speaks instead of sings many of the lines of the song.

Early in Born 2 Boogie Lex does some street moves. I don't know if Lex added these just for tonight, but I don't remember seeing them in Rochester. Of course, Lex finishes B2B with a perfect piano flip.

Lex's last Angry Dance was one for the ages. I am a conniseur of fine Angry Dances and this one was off the charts: fantastic tap, frenetic movement, plenty of screams. When an Angry Dance for the ages ends you realize that you just saw a kid give everything he's got for 4 minutes. Lex had nothing left to give when it was over.

And what an Electricity. The emotion of the night caused Lex to speak half of the song and sing the other half. But the dancing was extrordinary!

During "Kings" Rich Hebert (Dad) gave Lex a little kiss on the forehead after taking his helmet off of Lex's head. That surprised and shook Lex. He had to wipe away tears a couple of times right afterwards.

Many more tears during "Billy's Reply". But the emotional highlight of the evening was when a visably upset Jacob rides his bike onstage and calls to Billy. After Billy's goodbye kiss it's: "See ya Jacob. Ya, see ya Lex."

When the cast comes out and waves Lex back from the lobby todays Tall Boy, Ty Forhan, among others, is in tears. But Lex is upbeat and smiley throughout the Company Celebration. After another standing ovation the curtain goes down. "Happy Trails" can be heard.

This show joins Marcus Pei's final show last September as the most memorable I've ever seen. I'm so glad I decided to make the trip. I'm so glad that the tour is thriving and is as good as what we had in Toronto or New York.

[BEtourfan]

Sunday January 29 - Evening/Final Performance - Lex Ishimoto

What a great review--it was almost like being there. Thanks so much!!