HARTFORD FINAL SHOW. Mitchell/Cameron
First of all
THANKS CHRIS for the wonderful detailed review of Noah's final show. I am still trying to recover from it. I must confess I was sobbing from the Letter reply (the most emotional response from any Billy I have seen) all the way through Janet's beautiful tribute to Noah.
So here I am seated and ready for the final show-still not recovered from the powerful Mat.
I think the show was great. I was so very distracted,and feeling really sad. As each cast member began to do what they do so wonderfully I keep thinking it would be the last time I would see them. I was truly bummed out. I did notice that each cast member interacted with the others aware of this being the end of a great adventure,you could see it in the way they looked at each other.
At the stage door I said thanks to as many of the cast I could and to the wonderful group of forum members.
I will try to share some final reflections in a few days. I'm drained!
Joe
Hartford Reviews
-
CJ-Rochester
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 4675
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:35 am
- Location: Rochester, NY
Re: Hartford Reviews
Sun. June 23, 2013 evening -- Hartford final weekend
Billy - Mitchell
Michael - Cameron
Tall Boy - Jake
As the show was about to start Steven Mining, the resident director, came out for a preshow announcement. He briefly gave the history of BE from the original movie, then the shows in London and NY, and finally the tour. Then he noted this was the final performance in North America, and said they will be playing in Brazil this summer.
Other than this announcement, there was nothing else overtly done to note the ending of the tour. It was a "normal" show, with excellent performances by Mitchell and the entire cast. After the previous reviews I have run out of superlatives, but Mitchell was definitely at the top of his game tonight.
Joe said exactly what I was going to say, ie: you could see in the way the cast looked at each other and interacted that they were aware of this being the end of a great adventure. I noticed in "Grandma's Song" how Patti Perkins made eye contact with each of the miners, as if she was taking one last look at them. In "Maggie Thatcher" there were some extra touches and hugs among the cast beyond what we normally have seen.
Express -
Cameron really seemed to let loose tonight. He and Mitchell shared some extra looks and smiles as they enjoyed this number.
Born to Boogie -
All of the final three shows had excellent rope skipping. Mitchell did not do a piano flip, but instead finished with his signature super fast spins and pirouettes, which I think are just as impressive.
Some well deserved applause went out to Rich Hebert after "Deep Into the Ground", and to Cameron after the tutu scene.
Mitchell's "Electricity" was spot on. His singing is affecting in a way that's hard to describe, but to me really does convey a young Billy who desperately wants to dance. Due to his tiny size, one might think that his dance performance might not be as impressive as some of the taller Billys. Then he blows you away with what he can do! He received the third standing ovation for "Electricity" of these final three shows.
Letter reprise -
Again very teary and emotional. Three shows in a row in which these Billys just poured it on.
The final Billy/Michael goodbye and the Company Celebration were pretty much the norm. There was no post-show announcement, and no special appearances by the other Billys.
For me this show was a mix of emotions, both happy and sad. It was certainly sad, as Joe previouly noted, that this may be the final time to see the show and to see many of these talented cast. However I felt very happy that the show ended on such a high note. Each and everyone was at the top of his game with all engines firing. Collectively these final three shows were an experience I won't soon forget.
A few notes from the stage door scene after the show:
Billy Whiz and I had a nice chat with Drew's and Mitch's dads. They said that they both read the forum. When I happened to mention I was from Rochester, Drew's dad said "oh, you're CJ?"
Later I was chatting with David Light and told him I once saw him play Tony when the tour was Rochester. He said he remembered reading "someone's review" of him playing Tony there. I mention both of these as examples to show that the cast (or their parents) do indeed read this forum.
I called out to Thad Turner Wilson as he was leaving. He is one of the miners who Ellen, Rich, and I first met over two years ago on the night of his debut in the Broadway production. After I wished him well in his future endeavors, he gave a heartfelt thank you for the goodbye card that we forum members all signed at the dinner the previous night. That was a good idea from Ellen, and was appreciated by the cast.
Just as Joe said, I am completely drained after this Billython. Safe travels home everyone!
-Chris
Billy - Mitchell
Michael - Cameron
Tall Boy - Jake
As the show was about to start Steven Mining, the resident director, came out for a preshow announcement. He briefly gave the history of BE from the original movie, then the shows in London and NY, and finally the tour. Then he noted this was the final performance in North America, and said they will be playing in Brazil this summer.
Other than this announcement, there was nothing else overtly done to note the ending of the tour. It was a "normal" show, with excellent performances by Mitchell and the entire cast. After the previous reviews I have run out of superlatives, but Mitchell was definitely at the top of his game tonight.
Joe said exactly what I was going to say, ie: you could see in the way the cast looked at each other and interacted that they were aware of this being the end of a great adventure. I noticed in "Grandma's Song" how Patti Perkins made eye contact with each of the miners, as if she was taking one last look at them. In "Maggie Thatcher" there were some extra touches and hugs among the cast beyond what we normally have seen.
Express -
Cameron really seemed to let loose tonight. He and Mitchell shared some extra looks and smiles as they enjoyed this number.
Born to Boogie -
All of the final three shows had excellent rope skipping. Mitchell did not do a piano flip, but instead finished with his signature super fast spins and pirouettes, which I think are just as impressive.
Some well deserved applause went out to Rich Hebert after "Deep Into the Ground", and to Cameron after the tutu scene.
Mitchell's "Electricity" was spot on. His singing is affecting in a way that's hard to describe, but to me really does convey a young Billy who desperately wants to dance. Due to his tiny size, one might think that his dance performance might not be as impressive as some of the taller Billys. Then he blows you away with what he can do! He received the third standing ovation for "Electricity" of these final three shows.
Letter reprise -
Again very teary and emotional. Three shows in a row in which these Billys just poured it on.
The final Billy/Michael goodbye and the Company Celebration were pretty much the norm. There was no post-show announcement, and no special appearances by the other Billys.
For me this show was a mix of emotions, both happy and sad. It was certainly sad, as Joe previouly noted, that this may be the final time to see the show and to see many of these talented cast. However I felt very happy that the show ended on such a high note. Each and everyone was at the top of his game with all engines firing. Collectively these final three shows were an experience I won't soon forget.
A few notes from the stage door scene after the show:
Billy Whiz and I had a nice chat with Drew's and Mitch's dads. They said that they both read the forum. When I happened to mention I was from Rochester, Drew's dad said "oh, you're CJ?"
Later I was chatting with David Light and told him I once saw him play Tony when the tour was Rochester. He said he remembered reading "someone's review" of him playing Tony there. I mention both of these as examples to show that the cast (or their parents) do indeed read this forum.
I called out to Thad Turner Wilson as he was leaving. He is one of the miners who Ellen, Rich, and I first met over two years ago on the night of his debut in the Broadway production. After I wished him well in his future endeavors, he gave a heartfelt thank you for the goodbye card that we forum members all signed at the dinner the previous night. That was a good idea from Ellen, and was appreciated by the cast.
Just as Joe said, I am completely drained after this Billython. Safe travels home everyone!
-Chris
:/
-
ERinVA
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17968
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:33 am
- Location: Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
Re: Hartford Reviews
Glad to read this, Chris. I didn't get a chance to speak with Thad last night, but I'm happy to hear that the card was appreciated.I called out to Thad Turner Wilson as he was leaving. He is one of the miners who Ellen, Rich, and I first met over two years ago on the night of his debut in the Broadway production. After I wished him well in his future endeavors, he gave a heartfelt thank you for the goodbye card that we forum members all signed at the dinner the previous night. That was a good idea from Ellen, and was appreciated by the cast.
Ellen
"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983
To follow the forum's Twitter at http://twitter.com/BEForum, click on the direct link in Applies to All Forums above.
"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983
To follow the forum's Twitter at http://twitter.com/BEForum, click on the direct link in Applies to All Forums above.
Re: Hartford Reviews
Some comments on the final two shows. Noah went on yesterday afternoon which was a surprise to me; for some reason I thought he was closing the show. He did a fine job. His LETTERs were very emotional and he and Jake made the now expected line change at the end when a Billy is retiring. Glad to see Miss Dickinson back as Wilkinson. Saw Molly yesterday and thought she was good, but (as others have mentioned) she had a tendency to drop her volume on some lines which resulted in them getting lost. I believe the Adult Billy understudy went on with Noah, which might explain why the two were not synched that well (he even came out a little too soon for his curtain call, thus stepping on Dead Mum's applause). Noah (probably due to the excitement of performing his final Billy) sang the same verse of ELECTIRICTY twice but unless you are familiar with the show you wouldn't have known because he went right on like the pro he is.
Dickinson gave a very nice speech at the end (admitting to being a little nervous about their three week run in Brazil). She acknowledged veteran cast members and the show's fan base before saying a very sweet goodbye to Noah. (I wonder why he's not going to Brazil? Will they find a new Billy or just go with two?)
The evening show saw Mitchell again and he is a kickass little Billy. What a spitfire! I was pleased to be able to hear his LETTER REPRISE without any orchestra screw-ups. Oh, and his ELECTRICITY got a FULL orchestra (and I don't mean musicians) standing ovation. The entire orchestra section of the house (and portions of the mezz) stood up. No speeches at the end (though there was a somewhat awkward pre-show speech from I think the company manager). It was almost as if the afternoon show was the real final show what with the curtain speech and the line changes.
Anyway, a great weekend visiting friends and family in the Hartford area. A fond farewell to this incarnation of BETM. Hoping to see it pop-up regionally soon.
Dickinson gave a very nice speech at the end (admitting to being a little nervous about their three week run in Brazil). She acknowledged veteran cast members and the show's fan base before saying a very sweet goodbye to Noah. (I wonder why he's not going to Brazil? Will they find a new Billy or just go with two?)
The evening show saw Mitchell again and he is a kickass little Billy. What a spitfire! I was pleased to be able to hear his LETTER REPRISE without any orchestra screw-ups. Oh, and his ELECTRICITY got a FULL orchestra (and I don't mean musicians) standing ovation. The entire orchestra section of the house (and portions of the mezz) stood up. No speeches at the end (though there was a somewhat awkward pre-show speech from I think the company manager). It was almost as if the afternoon show was the real final show what with the curtain speech and the line changes.
Anyway, a great weekend visiting friends and family in the Hartford area. A fond farewell to this incarnation of BETM. Hoping to see it pop-up regionally soon.
-
angelenroute
- Billy
- Posts: 3831
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:05 am
- Location: Malverne (Long Island), NY
Re: Hartford Reviews
Gone and left me now
Funnily enough, it was the card key at my hotel that set the tone for the entire weekend in Hartford. Just two simple words, but they said so much: Stay Inspired.
Billy Elliot has long promoted itself with the tagline, “Be Inspired”, but as the curtains closed one last time in North America, we are all reminded that now without Billy here, we must still Stay Inspired. And so with that phrase in mind, I happily basked in the fact that ever since the Broadway show closed, these Tour production shows have been a wonderful bonus. But now that’s leaving us too. See you soon? No. I don’t think so.
I’ve already mentioned the fan-packed atmosphere of the weekend, which is always a lot of fun, and you’ve seen the reviews coming in from various people already as well. But I don’t feel like giving a detailed scene-by-scene review of any of the shows. I’d rather just tell you a bit more about the “feel” of the weekend. We were somewhere around 25-30 super fans in all, most known to the group, but a few others who didn’t know about the Forum who were happy to meet other fans. “What is it about this show?” we sometimes ask each other, knowing we all have the answers and yet no answers at the same time. It’s hard to pinpoint any one reason, but we all agree the way the story keeps lifting us up and bringing us down in waves of joy and sorrow certainly makes up some of the greatest impacts.
Meals are generally shared with familiar fan friends, whether someone we’ve now known for a whole bunch of years, or someone we just met for the first time a few minutes earlier. It’s a really great community of people from all backgrounds, ages, and nationalities. And we all gathered together for this very special goodbye.
The shows themselves were all filled with moments I’d never experienced anywhere else in the world! Loud gasps and immediate applause as Billy first takes flight in Dream Ballet gave me goose bumps each time. I was amazed at how this scene so enthralled the audiences in Hartford even more than anywhere else, including London and Broadway. Something about it just lifted them up in the air like Billy, and for a few moments there, we were all flying.
I attended the last three shows, which were headlined by Drew, then Noah, and then Mitchell from Saturday night to Sunday night. Because each Billy is so different, each performance took on a completely different meaning. Drew Minard is Billy Elliot, and he wowed us with his amazing talents and gifted personality, which radiates from him on- and off-stage. He’s just such a sweet, happy boy, and as we cheer for Billy to succeed in life, we do the same for Drew, promising to support him in all his future endeavors after Billy. Noah Parets is Billy Elliot, and as he performed his final show as Billy, we celebrated with the many, many family and friends he had in the audience for all that he has accomplished. He was a fantastic talent when he began with the show, and he’s only grown more and more talented with each second. And Mitchell Tobin is Billy Elliot, the 11-year-old little kid who seems to be up against a bigger world and all of its challenges. You find yourself really rooting for him to succeed, and as Billy gets better and better at dancing throughout the show, the audience cheers and applauds for Mitchell louder and louder. By the time his Electricity has shook the theatre, we’re a community jumping to its feet as one body in a rush of emotions, thrilled that this boy has just done what he has.
And then it’s over. The curtains close and there are no more shows in the future. No expectations or hopes for a trip to Thiscity, Thatstate to see it again. Yes, there’s London, and Brazil briefly too, but the reality for many reading this is that traveling there is a long shot. And this reality many of us experienced this weekend is one that many out there experienced a long time earlier. They only saw the show in North Carolina, or Wisconsin, or Texas. They never made it as far as Hartford, or maybe not even as far as Washington, D.C. They—you—are the super fans too. You didn’t have the money, or the time, or the ability to see as many shows as the rest, but you are no less the greatest fans of the show. You are each and every one an important member of the Billy Elliot Community worldwide that continues to support Billy wherever he takes dance classes, whether or not you are there in person to celebrate his achievements with a loud “woo-hoo!” or a standing ovation.
The cast and their families deserve special recognition too in this moment in Billy history. Though the journey for them has been a career, and the support for that career, it is also no less an emotional experience than being a fan is. More so, because the actor they root for is both their child and the star of their lives. The families live and breathe for their child performer, and they suffer long travel days and headaches of living arrangements and schedules we cannot even imagine. I suspect though that each and every one of them would do it all over again for their son or daughter. They are all Jackie Elliot circa Act II, completely behind their child in everything. And though the cast families and the fans have never mingled as fluidly as the cast do among themselves, that’s okay! We’re two different groups, there for different reasons, but all celebrating the awesome talent we’re lucky enough to witness in this beautiful musical. We don’t need personal time, and relationships are not immediately forged in just a few moments at the stage door anyway. Yet like that forgotten hero Leslie and the mining community as a whole, we are happy to put our money into the helmet and let them know we’re here to help support their sons and daughters. Billy Elliot The Musical ends, but their careers continue. And we’ll be with them, through everything, celebrating their careers for many years to come.
And so as the heavy red curtains close this last time on the North American Tour, the fans of the show listen from a distance as Happy Trails is sung. We know the cast are a beautiful family for one another, and their blood families wait nearby to take them forward to the next part of the journey. We send them all our collective gratitude for every ounce of laughter and every liter of happy tears they’ve blessed us with. We wish them all—cast and families—our very best for the road and roads ahead. Stay safe. Stay happy. Stay inspired.
Sean Patrick Brennan
angelenroute
Funnily enough, it was the card key at my hotel that set the tone for the entire weekend in Hartford. Just two simple words, but they said so much: Stay Inspired.
Billy Elliot has long promoted itself with the tagline, “Be Inspired”, but as the curtains closed one last time in North America, we are all reminded that now without Billy here, we must still Stay Inspired. And so with that phrase in mind, I happily basked in the fact that ever since the Broadway show closed, these Tour production shows have been a wonderful bonus. But now that’s leaving us too. See you soon? No. I don’t think so.
I’ve already mentioned the fan-packed atmosphere of the weekend, which is always a lot of fun, and you’ve seen the reviews coming in from various people already as well. But I don’t feel like giving a detailed scene-by-scene review of any of the shows. I’d rather just tell you a bit more about the “feel” of the weekend. We were somewhere around 25-30 super fans in all, most known to the group, but a few others who didn’t know about the Forum who were happy to meet other fans. “What is it about this show?” we sometimes ask each other, knowing we all have the answers and yet no answers at the same time. It’s hard to pinpoint any one reason, but we all agree the way the story keeps lifting us up and bringing us down in waves of joy and sorrow certainly makes up some of the greatest impacts.
Meals are generally shared with familiar fan friends, whether someone we’ve now known for a whole bunch of years, or someone we just met for the first time a few minutes earlier. It’s a really great community of people from all backgrounds, ages, and nationalities. And we all gathered together for this very special goodbye.
The shows themselves were all filled with moments I’d never experienced anywhere else in the world! Loud gasps and immediate applause as Billy first takes flight in Dream Ballet gave me goose bumps each time. I was amazed at how this scene so enthralled the audiences in Hartford even more than anywhere else, including London and Broadway. Something about it just lifted them up in the air like Billy, and for a few moments there, we were all flying.
I attended the last three shows, which were headlined by Drew, then Noah, and then Mitchell from Saturday night to Sunday night. Because each Billy is so different, each performance took on a completely different meaning. Drew Minard is Billy Elliot, and he wowed us with his amazing talents and gifted personality, which radiates from him on- and off-stage. He’s just such a sweet, happy boy, and as we cheer for Billy to succeed in life, we do the same for Drew, promising to support him in all his future endeavors after Billy. Noah Parets is Billy Elliot, and as he performed his final show as Billy, we celebrated with the many, many family and friends he had in the audience for all that he has accomplished. He was a fantastic talent when he began with the show, and he’s only grown more and more talented with each second. And Mitchell Tobin is Billy Elliot, the 11-year-old little kid who seems to be up against a bigger world and all of its challenges. You find yourself really rooting for him to succeed, and as Billy gets better and better at dancing throughout the show, the audience cheers and applauds for Mitchell louder and louder. By the time his Electricity has shook the theatre, we’re a community jumping to its feet as one body in a rush of emotions, thrilled that this boy has just done what he has.
And then it’s over. The curtains close and there are no more shows in the future. No expectations or hopes for a trip to Thiscity, Thatstate to see it again. Yes, there’s London, and Brazil briefly too, but the reality for many reading this is that traveling there is a long shot. And this reality many of us experienced this weekend is one that many out there experienced a long time earlier. They only saw the show in North Carolina, or Wisconsin, or Texas. They never made it as far as Hartford, or maybe not even as far as Washington, D.C. They—you—are the super fans too. You didn’t have the money, or the time, or the ability to see as many shows as the rest, but you are no less the greatest fans of the show. You are each and every one an important member of the Billy Elliot Community worldwide that continues to support Billy wherever he takes dance classes, whether or not you are there in person to celebrate his achievements with a loud “woo-hoo!” or a standing ovation.
The cast and their families deserve special recognition too in this moment in Billy history. Though the journey for them has been a career, and the support for that career, it is also no less an emotional experience than being a fan is. More so, because the actor they root for is both their child and the star of their lives. The families live and breathe for their child performer, and they suffer long travel days and headaches of living arrangements and schedules we cannot even imagine. I suspect though that each and every one of them would do it all over again for their son or daughter. They are all Jackie Elliot circa Act II, completely behind their child in everything. And though the cast families and the fans have never mingled as fluidly as the cast do among themselves, that’s okay! We’re two different groups, there for different reasons, but all celebrating the awesome talent we’re lucky enough to witness in this beautiful musical. We don’t need personal time, and relationships are not immediately forged in just a few moments at the stage door anyway. Yet like that forgotten hero Leslie and the mining community as a whole, we are happy to put our money into the helmet and let them know we’re here to help support their sons and daughters. Billy Elliot The Musical ends, but their careers continue. And we’ll be with them, through everything, celebrating their careers for many years to come.
And so as the heavy red curtains close this last time on the North American Tour, the fans of the show listen from a distance as Happy Trails is sung. We know the cast are a beautiful family for one another, and their blood families wait nearby to take them forward to the next part of the journey. We send them all our collective gratitude for every ounce of laughter and every liter of happy tears they’ve blessed us with. We wish them all—cast and families—our very best for the road and roads ahead. Stay safe. Stay happy. Stay inspired.
Sean Patrick Brennan
angelenroute
"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
Re: Hartford Reviews
Sean -
I am truly in awe of what you have written; every word rings true and every comment echoes the thoughts I was desperately trying to pull together in my mind, before I attempted to commit them to writing. And now there is no need, for you have done it with eloquence and feeling and passion in a manner that, I am sure, stands for what many of us who were fortunate to be present this weekend, feel. So I will not 'review' the final performances; I will instead echo your comments and join you in wishing the brilliant cast, and their infinitely supportive parents and families, every good wish for the future.
-Bill
I am truly in awe of what you have written; every word rings true and every comment echoes the thoughts I was desperately trying to pull together in my mind, before I attempted to commit them to writing. And now there is no need, for you have done it with eloquence and feeling and passion in a manner that, I am sure, stands for what many of us who were fortunate to be present this weekend, feel. So I will not 'review' the final performances; I will instead echo your comments and join you in wishing the brilliant cast, and their infinitely supportive parents and families, every good wish for the future.
-Bill
Re: Hartford Reviews
Beautifully written, and indeed you captured perfectly the thoughts of myself and I'm sure of many other fans. Best wishes to all and good luck in your "next big thing"!
Re: Hartford Reviews
BRAVO Sean
Beautiful. I hung on every word. Thanks.
Joe
Beautiful. I hung on every word. Thanks.
Joe
-
angelenroute
- Billy
- Posts: 3831
- Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:05 am
- Location: Malverne (Long Island), NY
Re: Hartford Reviews
THANK YOU ALL!!! And so great meeting the few of you I had never met before!!!
PLEASE keep posting reviews and even just random mini-reviews as you think of them, as you know people worldwide will be happy to see more whenever they come in!
Quick anecdote: Before Noah's final show, I got my Playbill and then decided I'd make a quick trip to the bathroom before the show. Shoved the Playbill under my arm at the urinal, went, flushed and then...
...the Playbill fell into the water as I flushed and started walking away! I said, "God I hope that's not a bad omen for the show now!" It wasn't of course! Noah made his finale an amazing one in so many ways, and the only foretelling you might read from my accident was that I bawled my eyes out at the end with the final "See ya Jake," ... "Yeah, see ya Noah," lines, which both actors said sooooooooo sadly. My face was in pain as I held back the tears.
In the future, whenever I want extra good karma for a great show, I may just flush a Playbill again.
Sean
PLEASE keep posting reviews and even just random mini-reviews as you think of them, as you know people worldwide will be happy to see more whenever they come in!
Quick anecdote: Before Noah's final show, I got my Playbill and then decided I'd make a quick trip to the bathroom before the show. Shoved the Playbill under my arm at the urinal, went, flushed and then...
...the Playbill fell into the water as I flushed and started walking away! I said, "God I hope that's not a bad omen for the show now!" It wasn't of course! Noah made his finale an amazing one in so many ways, and the only foretelling you might read from my accident was that I bawled my eyes out at the end with the final "See ya Jake," ... "Yeah, see ya Noah," lines, which both actors said sooooooooo sadly. My face was in pain as I held back the tears.
In the future, whenever I want extra good karma for a great show, I may just flush a Playbill again.
Sean
"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
-
porschesrule
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9377
- Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:02 am
- Location: Rhode Island, USA
Re: Hartford Reviews
I'd like to add my words of praise and thanks to you, Sean, for your eloquent testimonial to the great show we all love -- and more importantly to the cast, crew and their families for sharing their talents and talented family members with all of us. As kport said, "every word rings true and every comment echoes..." our own thoughts. Very few of us could have stated it better. Thanks.