Columbus Reviews

[BEtourfan]

The moral of the story is "go see the tour". No matter which Billy you see you can't go wrong. If you have the opportunity to see 4 consecutive shows and see all 4 Billys you are seeing 4 very different great shows. You'll be sorry if you miss any of these 4 guys. The tour is very fortunate indeed to have this Billy lineup.

Thanks for sharing this ... great review!!

[inspired]

I was one of the forum members present for the weekend in Columbus. I don’t have reviews per se, but would like to offer several impressions and observations, two weeks later.

- It was wonderful being around the group and meeting forum members in person, being with others who have this crazy passion. Wouldn’t it be great if we all had that opportunity every time we saw a show, no matter what city?

- For the Saturday evening show (Kylend/Cameron) I took three friends from the Columbus area to see BETM for the first time. They were all blown away. You can tell if someone gets it their first time after the lights come up for intermission. My friends turned to me with that look of stunned wonderment and their mouths agape that took me back to the awe I felt at my very first production (Tommy/Keean). One friend said that she would give the show an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. They couldn't stop talking about it. At the stage door they just gushed over Kylend and Cameron (how could you not??)

- The audiences for the three shows I saw were all great. The “esquire” line in one show had much of the audience breaking out into applause, which I’d never seen before. Columbus was much more receptive than the Pittsburgh crowds I’d been a part of for two shows the month before – they were rather dead.

- I love the way Jacob Z. plays Michael. He does all the requisite funny characterization that we expect, but he also knows how to play the serious parts seriously, and on his bike at the end he shows a sad tenderness in his goodbye to Billy that I prefer much more than the chipper goodbyes some Billys receive.

- Even though our seats were midway back on the floor, Kylend’s emoting came through very clearly (you’ve already read from others about his outpouring of tears). We couldn’t see tears, but heard them in his voice. I also thought that Ty was also very emotional in his performance.

- Something funny happened to me after Sunday’s matinee. I’m a junior high teacher, and my stock line to others when trying to impress on them how advanced/talented/awesome all these kids are in the show is, “I can’t even get my students to put their names on their papers!” At the stage door, two women were getting their picture taken with Ty, and they remarked that they were both teachers and the show was very inspiring to them. I said that I, too, was a teacher, and felt the same way. One of them replied, “You know, I can’t even get my students to put their names on their papers!” I shouted, “Hey, that’s my line!” I just loved hearing that.

Anyway, I was very charged up as I drove home to Cleveland after seeing three great performances and meeting up with everyone.

Mark

[ERinVA]

- Something funny happened to me after Sunday’s matinee. I’m a junior high teacher, and my stock line to others when trying to impress on them how advanced/talented/awesome all these kids are in the show is, “I can’t even get my students to put their names on their papers!” At the stage door, two women were getting their picture taken with Ty, and they remarked that they were both teachers and the show was very inspiring to them. I said that I, too, was a teacher, and felt the same way. One of them replied, “You know, I can’t even get my students to put their names on their papers!” I shouted, “Hey, that’s my line!” I just loved hearing that.

I think that BETM has a very special appeal for teachers. And as a retired teacher myself, I can sooooo relate to the bit about the names on papers!!

[Todd]

Another thought from a junior high school teacher (I teach 8th grade math) . . . . ..

Although many of my students are quite talented in various areas (athletics, academics, artistic, etc), I can't imagine any of them performing on stage at a level that the kids do in Billy Elliot. And as anyone who's worked around 12 to 14-year-olds has probably observed, one of their main concerns at this stage in life is trying to make sure they come across as "cool" and that they don't embarrass themselves publicly.

The fact that the kids in this show are willing to get up on stage and lay it all on the line with singing, dancing, and dramatic acting certainly indicates a special type of person. I'd have the same concerns at my age (about public embarrassment on a stage in front of 2000 people). But the way that these kids do what they do - all while going through the self-conscious and fragile period of early adolescence - requires a very special and talented person. More evidence, I guess, that these kids - as one of the casting directors has called them - "are like gold dust."

[gpcolo]

... But the way that these kids do what they do - all while going through the self-conscious and fragile period of early adolescence - requires a very special and talented person. More evidence, I guess, that these kids - as one of the casting directors has called them - "are like gold dust."

I agree 100%. After teaching middle grades myself for twenty years I now counsel and mentor this age group and their families. Growing up in this technology rich world is a challenge for each one as they attempt to gain a better understanding of themselves and how they fit in.

The kids who become a part of the Billy Elliot family have discovered their niche early on and are going to be stronger adults because of the support they have received. They truly are 1 in 1,000 and I am anxious to see their special talents displayed again in L.A.