Stripey Shirts Inquiry

[Eltonjohn]

What's the deal with the variations in the shirt color scheme of otherwise identical short sleeved, striped collared shirts worn by the Billies on 4 continents?

Is there some sort of significance behind which boy wears which color in which production I am curious. Does it depend on the country, or the tour version versus non-tour edition? How many different color versions have been spotted and noted, I wonder.

Do fans sometimes wear clothing to performances that resembles that of a character ... like fans do when attending Sound of Music or Rocky Horror Picture Show sing-along shows? Is it cool or not for audience members to be wearing BE swag such as the red hoody? What's the convention or usual custom?

[rob_hanson1979]

I don't really know if there is any significance, however I am quite amazed after all these years that they can still find the same, shirts, shoes, etc for the Billy's, considering they would get worn out a lot.
Those blue running shoes, for example, isn't a style you would just find at a Foot Locker or something. Yet they never seem to have trouble finding a pair for every new Billy that comes along.

[kport]

The stripey polo (if I remember correctly, these were sold at Woolies) could be easily commissioned from a clothing manufacturer by the wardrobe department in London. Hundreds have been worn since the musical opened in London. It would be easy to adapt trainers to resemble those found in 1984, or even source a supplier who might have boxes of them. The same for the ubiquitous white striped 'placcy trackies', the Billy Bags; the denim jacket; the green/orange anorak; even replicas of Co-op baked bean tins. Props/costume departments can come up with virtually anything needed, or make their own.

It is only a guess, but each Billy wears a different color shirt so that they do not get mixed up back stage (the shirts, not the Billys). Saves the need for labelling them.

[ERinVA]

Here's a thread devoted specifically to the question of Finale t-shirt colors:

http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/fo ... ale+colors

It has been in the Archive, but since some new members might be interested in reviving the discussion, I have brought it back.


Here's another thread that has lain dormant for a while that you are going to love!


http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/fo ... t&start=50

[ERinVA]

The stripey polo (if I remember correctly, these were sold at Woolies) could be easily commissioned from a clothing manufacturer by the wardrobe department in London. Hundreds have been worn since the musical opened in London. It would be easy to adapt trainers to resemble those found in 1984, or even source a supplier who might have boxes of them. The same for the ubiquitous white striped 'placcy trackies', the Billy Bags; the denim jacket; the green/orange anorak; even replicas of Co-op baked bean tins. Props/costume departments can come up with virtually anything needed, or make their own.

It is only a guess, but each Billy wears a different color shirt so that they do not get mixed up back stage (the shirts, not the Billys). Saves the need for labelling them.

The part about not getting them mixed up doesn't make much sense, considering that most things the Billys wear are completely identical. I am sure their clothes are labeled (just like mine used to be when I went to camp ). I seem to remember a comment somewhere long ago about the Billys' names being written in black marker on the bottoms of their socks. The marking is important for sorting the laundry. Which brings up an interesting thought: How does the laundering of costumes get done on the tour? Does someone head off to the local laundromat with baskets of Billy clothes in each new city, or do the theaters have laundry facilities for the use of groups that come through? I know from a backstage tour that the Imperial has a laundry room, so I suppose this would make sense for theaters in tour cities as well. Of course, not everything is washable, but after being soaked with sweat due to all that dancing, surely the Billys' costumes have to be washed fairly regularly. Maybe there is a "checkout" system, where the Billy can take costume items away from the theater to the hotel (many of which do have laundry facilities) for washing.

[LiamM]

Finale shirts can be bought on eBay (they also carry the Angry Dance shirt and the green-blue-red shirt he wears at the beginning). They only come in smaller children's sizes, too small for most Billys. I suspect that the show bought all the larger ones and is working through the supply.

There are three colours of finale shirt used in the show: red, navy blue, and bright blue. Each Billy tends to wear the same colour each time, but I don't know of any pattern to who wears which colour. By the way, the diamond pattern is called an Argyle pattern.

Fans often wear BETM merchandise clothing, such as T shirts. Black trousers and a black BETM shirt looks good. They may also be seen in clothing made for special events, such as the Broadway fan celebration shirt.

Fans rarely dress up in costume, which is unusual compared to fandom for other things. I know a fan who sometimes wears an Angry Dance costume. I have heard that sometimes in the UK, fans dress as miners. That might have been for a special show.

I have a Billy bag and a few other fans do as well. It is by Fred Perry. I almost always bring it to performances. You can buy one in Toronto or by mail order. The colour pattern used in the show is "navy/white". (When I went to get mine in Toronto, the shop staff couldn't understand why that particular colour pattern of that particular bag kept selling out!)

The shoes are by Gola (Gola USA). You can buy the exact module Billy wears. I understand they are very comfortable and perfect for dancing, as you might expect.

[ERinVA]

I have never seen a person at the London show dressed as a miner, except on the stage, but perhaps some of our London members can address that better than I can. For the First Anniversary Show in London, quite a few of us actually did wear tutus over blue jeans to the show, but it hasn't been done since, to my knowledge. I still have my tutu.

The tour merchandise cart now sells a "Billy Bag" that is similar in design to the Fred Perry one, but it is black with white stripes and has the Billy Elliot the Musical logo on it. It's made of cloth instead of vinyl.

[kport]

The stripey polo (if I remember correctly, these were sold at Woolies) could be easily commissioned from a clothing manufacturer by the wardrobe department in London. Hundreds have been worn since the musical opened in London. It would be easy to adapt trainers to resemble those found in 1984, or even source a supplier who might have boxes of them. The same for the ubiquitous white striped 'placcy trackies', the Billy Bags; the denim jacket; the green/orange anorak; even replicas of Co-op baked bean tins. Props/costume departments can come up with virtually anything needed, or make their own.

It is only a guess, but each Billy wears a different color shirt so that they do not get mixed up back stage (the shirts, not the Billys). Saves the need for labelling them.

The part about not getting them mixed up doesn't make much sense, considering that most things the Billys wear are completely identical. I am sure their clothes are labeled (just like mine used to be when I went to camp ). I seem to remember a comment somewhere long ago about the Billys' names being written in black marker on the bottoms of their socks. The marking is important for sorting the laundry. Which brings up an interesting thought: How does the laundering of costumes get done on the tour? Does someone head off to the local laundromat with baskets of Billy clothes in each new city, or do the theaters have laundry facilities for the use of groups that come through? I know from a backstage tour that the Imperial has a laundry room, so I suppose this would make sense for theaters in tour cities as well. Of course, not everything is washable, but after being soaked with sweat due to all that dancing, surely the Billys' costumes have to be washed fairly regularly. Maybe there is a "checkout" system, where the Billy can take costume items away from the theater to the hotel (many of which do have laundry facilities) for washing.

I have been backstage at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, and the Straz in Tampa, both venues having hosted Billy Elliot the Musical. Each has a dedicated wardrobe room with industrial-grade washing machine and drier, ironing boards, hanging wardrobes and work surfaces for costume repair. I would think that every motel, suite or facility into which they are booked has a laundromat; otherwise they have to find one near the motel. or theater to do personal laundry. Noah's mom posted the following on her blog some months ago:

'On the Billy Elliot tour. Eating in hotel rooms, doing laundry in laundromats, writing blog posts in Starbucks across the U.S.A.'

http://awayfromom.net/2012/09/

What a life! You have to admire what parents and family give up so that we can enjoy this musical!

[ERinVA]

Actually, I think it's pretty much a given that most theaters that host shows will have the facilities you describe, kport. The personal laundry of cast, however, would certainly have to be done as Noah's mom describes.

[rob_hanson1979]

Having worked on cruiseships, I can agree that most every theatre is like cruise ship theatres, in that they have a wardrobe room with industrial washers and dryers. They also usually have irons and ironing boards, sewing machines, surgers, etc. I would imagine when any touring show/concert etc sets up their contract to come to a venue, this is one of the things stipulated in it. If a large theatre didn't offer these facilities, they would probably be overlooked by bookers.