Washington, D.C. Reviews

[Cherri]

Thank you all for your encouragement! I shall surely try again!
Cherri

[dongringo]

Thanks Cherri for your excellent review. I just love hearing about other's first time experiencing the show.

[maria]

Well done indeed Cherri!

OK, on the eve of my departure to Broadway and what promises to be a very emotional weekend, I do need to put down a few thoughts about the last 3 DC shows I saw, before they are overwhelmed by this weekend...

My three shows were:

Wednesday, December 21, matinee with Ty, Ben and Kylend as Tall Boy
Thursday, December 22 with Kylend, Ben and Ty as Tall Boy
Friday, December 23, matinee with Lex, Ben and JP as Tall Boy

The middle one was a last minute decision, just because I could do it!

At all three shows, we had an understudy Ms. W (I believe it was Susan Haefner). She was terrific and I thought she had a wonderful rapport with each of her young leading men.

Ty once again gave a fine performance. When Toronto closed I thought I would never get to see this young man, and now I have been lucky enough to see him three times! Hurray for the tour and Ty's decision to join it! I covered my thoughts about his interpretation of Billy in a prior review, so I will not repeat them. Let's just say it works, and he gave a fine performance. I am always impressed at how comfortable and natural these youngsters are on stage. He gave another flawless performance.

This was my first time seeing Kylend as he eluded me in Durham. (I don't think he started there, because they never got to do a "put in" for him before it was time to move on). Kylend has his own unique take on Billy, and it works really well for him. His Billy tries to be tough on the outside, but it is not really in his nature. Let's just say it works ( ). So he shouts and gets angry and is ornery, but somehow you sense that all that bravado is hiding a very sensitive nature. And then that sensitive nature finds ballet and really begins to blossom. Loved Kylend's performance.

And then there was Lex. Wow, this kid is amazing! I had seen him from the second balcony in the show with my folks the week before, but I was so glad I got to see him "up close and personal" from front row, center! He has developed into quite an actor since I saw him in Durham, and he did a great job with timing - he has really learned to "play" the audience, timing his responses to Debbie's offer, for example to draw laughter out of the audience. And his step back and facial expression when he asks Ms. W. if she fancies him was priceless. As for his dancing, it was breathtaking from up close too. What I find incredible about Lex is that his specialty is street dance and hip hop, and yet his ballet and tap are equally amazing. Dream ballet was beautiful, elegant and completely in sync with older Billy. And he smiled a lot during it, which is something I love to see! The tap in Angry Dance was right on! And Electricity - well, you just have to experience it!

I had to return to work this week ( ) and so had to take a break from BE in DC. Plus I have had to prepare emotionally for the weekend in NYC... I do have tickets for the final show in DC next weekend, and if I can, I may squeeze in another show next week, just because I can. It's great having the show so close by. Now if only the tour added a stop in Baltimore, I would probably be there every night!!!

[porschesrule]

Here's a review from a blogger who saw the tour production in Washington:

http://araminta18.livejournal.com/42226.html

[ERinVA]

That's a good example of why keeping yourself purposely ignorant of what the show is about before going to see it and then writing about it makes you look, well, ignorant.

[accessmenj]

The pattern continues! Those who know what is going on in the show think that it is one of the best shows that they have ever seen. Those who don't know what is going on think that Act I is actionless and weak. They often think that Billy's average dancing in Act I is because he is only an average dancer. They think that Elton John's songs are not memorable. These people are surprised when Billy's dancing improves (with the plot) and Elton John's songs perfectly fit the action, without overwhelming it. Luckily, the professional reviewers understand this, especially in a more sophisticated market. The reviews from the experts in Washington,DC have been generally excellent because they are knowledgeable.

[BEtourfan]

Amazing how those Billys and Ballet Girls seem so clumsy at beginning of the first act, and then dance up a storm by the finale!

[angelenroute]

Amazing how those Billys and Ballet Girls seem so clumsy at beginning of the first act, and then dance up a storm by the finale!

They learn so fast, don't they?!

Love them all! The ballet girls on Tour are all awesome too!

Sean

[ERinVA]

Talked with my brother last night. Despite some illnesses that could have sunk the trip to the show, all family members made it to the Kennedy Center on Sunday evening as planned. Everyone liked the show, which they saw from the mezzanine. My brother said he felt that the show was right up there in quality with what he saw in London. The only minor complaint he mentioned was that he felt the clipboard lady's bit was too over the top (and I can agree that it is easily over-played). Other than that, he thought it was all fabulous, and he was amazed at Lex's dancing. His girl friend loved the show and loved Lex as well. She said that not only was he a fabulous dancer, she also thought he was a very good actor.

[waltb]

Matinee (Kennedy Center) Wed 11 Jan 2012

Billy – Ty Forhan
Michael- Jacob Zelonsky
Mrs Wilkinson –Susan Haefner


This BETM show is the last of four that I have seen at the Kennedy Center on this US tour and Ty has played Billy in three of them (Dec 13 and Dec 21). However, I have seen the show in London a little over 50 times since it began in 2005 (Liam Mower was definitely my favorite Billy dancer from the London shows-he could display amazing grace a cut above his BETM dancing peers). Although all the boys who play Billy are extraordinary all-around performers, I'm especially moved/impressed by Ty's very expressive eyes and face and his beautiful singing voice.

Ty has a rather slight/wispy physical frame and the strain/stress of doing Billy may be starting to affect him. In this show, in Act II, before his audition, I suddenly noticed that he was wearing some brown gauze-like bands around his wrists. After the performance, he did not appear at the stage door. After asking, "Grandma" (in BETM) explained that Ty had been experiencing strains in his wrists so that what I viewed were support bands. Also, because of that strain, he is sometimes scheduled for physical therapy on his wrists backstage which was probably why he did not appear at the stage door after this performance. Well, as far as I could see, his wrist strains did not seem to in any way degrade his brilliant physical maneuvers because he exhibited some of the best grace and timing in movements I had seen any of the (3) BETM shows I saw him in.

I will only mention points that especially impressed me in this matinée performance:
(1) The spins/pirouettes Ty did at the end of "solidarity" were especially impressive and graceful, with an especially superb finish.

(2) Ty's singing of "the letter "was especially beautiful while still conveying the emotion of the moment in both sound and facial expression.

(3) During "Born To Boogie", Mr. Braithwaite clearly was having trouble anchoring the piano because he made yourself visible only just before he had to deliver his “Ballet Russe” line. When the number was nearing the end, as Billy was climbing onto the piano for his backflip, Mr. Braithwaite , instead of being on the floor, stood fixedly gripping and holding the piano in place while Billy/Ty prepared his backflip. No problem since Ty executed one of the most perfect backflips I have seen -it ended with a perfect landing.

(4) When Ty/Billy is placed on the table by Tony and told to dance, his anxiety is impressively portrayed in his physical stance and movements which seem to include a slight authentic trembling. Ty shows strong emotions conveying authenticity as well as power.

(5) I'm not wild about the way the US tour stages the angry dance, but Ty exhibits truly impressive energetic movements when he has most of the stage to himself at the last stages of the dance.

(6) The "Swan Lake" sequence unfortunately used way too much dry ice/smoke. The aerial movements started with some alarmingly high/wide swings, but it didn't seem to bother Ty. His static poses while being held aloft during the aerial movements were especially graceful and the position changes were done in nice quick/snappy fashion.

(7) Ty did his usual brilliant "Electricity"-his extraordinary singing voice and graceful leaps are particularly noteworthy. For me, it is the slight pause at the top of a balletic leap that makes it extraordinary.

(8) During the collection by the miners for Billy's bus fare, the boxing instructor got a significant round of audience applause right after he responded to the "That (money) was supposed to go for the punching bag" line with "Well, we'll be supporting the arts." (This applause was before the following line "We aren't just a bunch of Palestines.") I guess that just reflects the artistic sensibilities/sensitivities of Kennedy Center audiences.

(9) As Ty was leaving the stage at the end after he said "So long Michael", I could clearly see some tears streaming from his left eye as he passed (I was five seats away in the front row). Ty not only projects strong emotions-he clearly feels and experiences them.

(10) Some may have speculated that Ty could smile a little more. However, I consider his emotions well portrayed and appropriate. I noted when he was smiling in Act II. Because he has a relatively small mouth, he doesn't have a wide smile. He definitely smiled as he said "Take this" as he threw the tutu to Michael after Michael said "You won't tell anyone" at the end of the “poofer?” sequence. He also definitely smiled when his family was congratulating him for being accepted into the ballet school. He smiled broadly when I said "thank you " to Mrs. Wilkinson just before saying goodbye to her. Of course, he also smiled several times while he was packing with his dad to leave for good.

During his final curtain call bows, Ty got an especially long and well-deserved standing ovation from the full house audience. I in no way feel shortchanged by being served this young performing genius in 75% of the BETM shows I attended at the Kennedy Center.
(Forgive me for repeating words of praise too much- I'd rather overdo than underdo praise.)