onceagain wrote:
Carlos, when did you hear you got to do opening night?: On Monday.
So, Carlos did have his debut on Saturday the 22nd and got the news of being selected for opening night the following Monday!
Am I surprised? Not at all, after having seen him portraying 'his' Billy version on his very first preview last Saturday.
Besides being a wonderful dancer and very good singer, he is a fabulous natural actor. Despite lacking experience this early in the show, his acting already shows splendid timing and a brilliant display of emotions when and where needed. And also.....confidence!
Imagine a Billy on
his very first night at the beginning of the
'Letter scene'. He starts unpacking the 'special things' from his bag: Rubick's cube is followed by
'Donald Duck's Holiday Omnibus' (being
'TV Theme Times' considered too alien to the Dutch audience) and he also manages to retrieve the infamous tin of beans. And then........nothing! With one hand already holding 'The Letter', the other rumbles franticly through the bag but apparently the packet of soup plays tricks with Billy and remains in hiding. What options does a child with hardly any acting experience in front of over 1000 people have at such a moment? Showing confusion? Falling silent? Glancing in despair towards the adult and most professional actress in front of him portraying superbly Mrs. Wilkinson? Well, in such a situation a natural actor keeps his cool despite his tender age and puts up calmly the only item remaining to him.
Mrs. W: "What's that?"....
Billy: "A boxing glove"....
Mrs. W.: "How am I supposed to make a dance about white beans and a boxing glove?...
Billy: "Aghhh....I don't know".
At that moment my thoughts went to the production crew at the back, closely following the show and I did imagine them nervously consulting their papers trying to discover whether the script had changed without their knowledge or if they themselves had been in the wrong by prompting Billy and Mrs.W these lines, being put forward by both actors most convincingly, although at odds with what was intended.
Of course, a professional or natural actor keeps his head when things go the other way. But during one's very first preview and being this young? Certainly the 1000+ audience members didn't notice anything. Speaking about cool-headed confidence.....
But the show had to go on and the song awaiting Billy at that moment requires deep emotions to be acted. So, just moments after his close escape, Carlos starts singing his 'Letter Song'. And during the very first lines there they are: tears.....real tears. Not in abundance, but subtle and most convincingly supporting the body language with which Carlos underscores Billy's emotions during the song, also to the audience members seated further on.
So, any doubts about Carlos doing opening night?
In my view he has already after his first show deserved to be nominated for two awards: the DCC/Redmand-Trophy for natural and convincing acting and the Mitchell-Cup for real tears during 'The Letter Song'.
It's safe to predict Sunday's opening night's audience will be stunned by a truly fabulous cast and not in the least by this one out of six all tremendous Billy's.
Go for it, Carlos! Go!