Des Moines Reviews

[Billy Whiz]

Thanks for the terrific reviews.

It's whetted my appetite for Louisville in 13 days - not that I'm counting

[porschesrule]

A solidly positive review submitted by a Broadway World writer in Des Moines:

http://broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Re ... s-20120615

[Todd]

Friday, June 15, 2012

Billy - Kylend Hetherington
Michael - Jacob Zelonky
Mrs. Wilkinson - Susan Haefner
Tall/posh boy - Cameron Clifford

All other cast were regulars

I suppose it was fitting that I ended my 4-show visit in Des Moines with the pair of original 2nd tour Billys & Michaels: Kylend and Jacob. Just as they did two nights ago, the two of them led the cast in a masterful performance in front of another big and appreciative audience at the Des Moines Civic Center.

I wondered if maybe Jacob might have had some friends and/or family on hand tonight, as he got an especially large amount of whistles and cheers from the left side of the auditorium. "Express Yourself" was a treat, as the two of them were clearly enjoying the moment and each other's company on stage. And Jacob's "nutcracker" line drew probably the biggest laugh of the night. When he does the splits just before that line, he lets out a piercingly high scream which adds to the humor of the situation.

With his final show being in a couple of weeks, this will be the last time I see him perform as Michael. He's had a good, long run in the show and has been a valuable and loyal member of the company. I'll always remember him from the opening weekend of the tour back in October, 2010 in Durham, NC when he came out the stage door in a Halloween costume with cereal boxes attached to himself and holding a fake dagger. A "cereal killer," of course, was what he said he was. Ever since then, I've always thought of him by that name.

Kylend turned in yet another spot-on performance, as did the rest of the cast. He's definitely at the top of his game these days.

Despite the long rows at this particular theater (shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYVMwEb_ ... ure=relmfu), it gets high marks for leg room and for sound. The stage door is also conveniently located right next to the main doors. Surprisingly, despite the cast coming out right alongside the audience, very few - if any people - have stopped by the stage door to meet the cast in the 4 shows I've attended. It's basically been family/guardians to pick up the kids in the cast, and me. Consequently the cast has been coming out and heading pretty much straight to their hotel afterwards. Maybe they had heard there was some nutter outside there several days in a row and decided to start making a run for it ! (ha ha)

It's been a fun week and I've enjoyed getting to discover the fine town of Des Moines - a place I'd never been despite its 3 hour proximity to my home. For those of you planning to see the tour show this summer, all I can say is that you're in for a treat !

[porschesrule]

Here's yet another very positive review from the blog "Hoopla". It's of the opening night show with Zach as Billy:

http://hooplanow.com/tag/billy-elliot-the-musical/

[Billy Whiz]

Maybe they had heard there was some nutter outside there several days in a row and decided to start making a run for it ! (ha ha)

Yes, I'm sure that's why

[Mike]

Maybe they had heard there was some nutter outside there several days in a row and decided to start making a run for it ! (ha ha)

Yes, I'm sure that's why

they were just getting in some practice for Louisville when you & Johnny C will be there David.

[Billy Whiz]

Maybe they had heard there was some nutter outside there several days in a row and decided to start making a run for it ! (ha ha)

Yes, I'm sure that's why

they were just getting in some practice for Louisville when you & Johnny C will be there David.

I'd like to get really annoyed with you over those comments - but you're probably right

[accessmenj]

Broadway World and the blog Hoopla seemed to get what many reviewers around the country missed when they said that Billy Elliot The Musical did not have any "hummable" tunes. Elton John did a masterful job of not overwhelming the plots with the songs, but giving power to the plots.
Congratulations to these small-town reviews that showed more sophistication than some big-city experts.

Broadway World-
"The marquee name tied to Billy Elliot is Elton John. This show is a repeat trip down the Great White Way as John previously wrote music for Aida and The Lion King. He is largely successful in creating a mood that fits each scene and character. He wisely wrote a score that is big when it needs to be but also allows it to be an undercurrent to allow the dancing to be showcased. The cleverly dispersed up-tempo numbers prop up the show when the story hits the occasional slow spot, of which there are a few, resulting mainly from crafting a mining strike as the backstory for a musical comedy."

Hoopla--
"Elton John’s much-lauded music is so powerful, so strong, so visceral that it just seems to be a natural extension of the story’s many layers of turmoil. The same goes for Peter Darling’s brilliant choreograph"

[Todd]

Broadway World and the blog Hoopla seemed to get what many reviewers around the country missed when they said that Billy Elliot The Musical did not have any "hummable" tunes. Elton John did a masterful job of not overwhelming the plots with the songs, but giving power to the plots.

One of the things that caught my attention at one of my shows this week - when I had a close-up seat near the orchestra conductor - was how impressive the piano part is to many of these songs. I've noticed that when Elton John performs, his piano playing "accompanies" his singing through chords and fills, rather than simply playing the melody of the song.

For example, "He Could Go and He Could Shine" has never been one of my favorite songs in the show. But focusing on the piano part that (I believe) the conductor was playing, I realized how there was beauty to it not unlike a Chopin piece. The melody taken by itself is nothing to write home about, but the chords and treble hand of the piano part are actually quite beautiful when listened to apart from the rest of the orchestral arrangement.

[ActingDude17]

Yes, it was nice to see Elton's fantastic score praised instead of criticized as it often is. For some reason reviewers sometimes don't know that the purpose of a musical theatre score is to explore the plot, characters, and themes, not provide catchy tunes. If you want "hummable music" (the very phrase makes me cringe) go turn on your local pop radio station. The theatre is something different.