July 2009 Reviews - NYC

[Finale]

Here is the place for this month's reviews

[Todd]

Thursday, July 2

Billy - Trent Kowalik
Michael - David Bologna
Tall Boy - Keean Johnson
All others - regular cast

This was my first time to see the show since the Opening Weekend back in November. Unfortunately I was not able to make this a "Billy-athon" as I only had this one night available to see the show. I'm happy to report that it was as magical and as well-performed as I remember.

Trent - the current senior Billy world-wide - turned in an outstanding performance in all areas. I can't think of a better-singing Billy at the moment (having just seen 3 of the 4 current London Billys a few weeks ago). He did have to struggle at times to hit the high notes, but was otherwise right on pitch and very pleasant to listen to. His tap dancing is about as good as I've ever seen from any Billy past or present, which makes sense given his background as an Irish dance champion. That particular strength really aides him in "Angry Dance" and "Express Yourself." He and David Bologna together sounded like a single dancer - their tapping was so in sync. Pretty incredible.

Speaking of David Bologna, it's hard to imagine anyone looking like they're having a better time performing than he is ! He literally lights up the stage with his big smile during "Express" and has a natural sense of comic timing. He should be hired on as a "Michael acting coach" for future Michaels, as he seems to have the part nailed to near perfection.

As for the adult cast, it really feels right when I see Haydn as Mrs. Wilkinson, as she's the definitive Mrs. W. in my opinion. I know I'm biased somewhat, as she's the one I saw first perform the part on stage in June, 2005 and it's her voice I hear on the original cast recording CD. I also can't think of anyone I've enjoyed more as Dad than Greg Jbara. He seems to have the complete package: skilled, dramatic actor who brings out Jackie's gruff side, a natural comic ability, and excellent singer. I was also glad to get to see Santino Fontana as Tony before he leaves the show in a few days. Good to see the original Broadway cast pretty much intact for one final time.

It pained me to only get to stay for one performance on this trip, as I've never done just one show on any of my previous trips to New York or London. I did at least get to stop by the stage door Wednesday night when the cast came out around 11 p.m. Tommy Bachelor had performed as Billy and received a round of cheers and applause when he appeared, so I'm sure he must have turned in an excellent performance. I'm guessing Keean Johnson was Michael that night, as David Bologna never came out of the stage door. Keean seemed to be the target of a high number of autograph and picture requests, just as Tommy was.

There must have been at least 25 or 30 people at the stage door waiting to greet the cast. To their credit, Tommy and Keean stuck around and granted each fan request until everyone had left. Definitely one of the perks of seeing the Broadway show, as the audience members really seem to appreciate having the opportunity to thank the cast members when they come out - just as they used to be able to do in the earlier days of the London show.

If you haven't gotten around to seeing BETM on Broadway yet, my advice is to plan a trip sometime in the next few months and see the Tony Award-winning and nominated cast. You won't be disappointed !

[phoebe]

Thanks for the excellent review!
Couldn't agree more with everything you said.

[maria]

Yes, Todd, thanks for the excellent review. Hadn't realized it until you mentioned it - that the original Broadway cast is nearing its "intact" end - has actually already with the departure of Frank Dolce, except that David Bologna is the other original in that part. With Santino leaving, that will be the end as he was the one and only Tony.

I am anxious to come back to NYC to see the show - was hoping to come up for a day trip over the July 4 weekend, but...

Soon, I hope... The review left me wanting to see the show again soon!

Thanks again.
maria

[phoebe]

Tuesday, July 7
Billy - David Alvarez
Michael - David Bologna
Tony - Will Chase's premiere
Tall/Posh Boy - Keean Johnson
Seats: center/left rear mezzanine front row: section 4, row A, seats 1 & 2 – Superior full view for $81.50.

My third time was the charm. July 7 was a dream-come-true show. Every aspect was stupendous. You hope to leave BETM completely blown away by your Billy’s emotive performance and rocks-you-to-your-core dancing. You want to be moved to tears by the plight of the Elliot family and the entire mining community. On 7/7, the entire cast delivered, and then some.

I'm a little embarrassed that this is so long. It's more of a report/blog than a review. I wanted to write down everything I could, to remember it. You can just read the sections you’d like to.

Straight away, I want to say how grateful I am to the members of this forum who find and post so much information about BETM. You have contributed tremendously to my appreciation of the production.

It was luck to book this date, as it turned out to be Will Chase’s opening night as Tony and no adult main actors were on vacation yet. Will is listed as Tony in the new Playbill. While I sensed a very slight tentativeness on his part, he was very good. (In general, I feel they cast Tony too old. He should be more like 18.) Although Will’s mike went off while he spoke for a couple of minutes, he projects his voice so well, we could still hear him! He seethes inside a little more than Santino did, and saves the explosions for later. I was with my sister who was seeing the show for the first time, and she couldn’t tell that he was new.

Not to jump around too much, but at the stage door after the show, Stephen Daldry came out shepherding Will, the two of them broadly smiling (though didn’t break step for autographs). I wonder if while Daldry was there to get Will off to a proper start, he also tweaked and re-motivated everyone’s performances, because it certainly felt that something had re-energized the entire production.

David Alvarez - Truth be told, I saw David in mid-May for a Wednesday matinee with the most dead, unresponsive audience ever. David looked cross, brows knitted, for most of the show, and he seemed kind of detached. I left that experience somewhat frustrated, wondering whether David’s technically accurate but lackluster performance was due to the lack of appreciation from the audience, whether he was trying something out that day that didn’t quite work, whether something larger was bothering him, or whether he was actually just not as dynamic as I’d been lead to believe. On July 7, I got my answer.

Truly, I cannot imagine a performance of Billy any better than his was in every way. He was completely immersed in the role; he gave himself over to it, without over-doing it. His focus never wavered. Even though we were seated up in the rear mezzanine, you could feel every feeling he was creating. Throughout the show, people all around me were visceraly responding with gasps, “Oh my God!”s, or other exclamations. There was a new context for his moonwalk during the boxing lesson (which he does so well), that yielded a collective murmur. Several times, he had everyone howling with laughter (he was the perfect foil for Michael; he considered Debbie’s “hoo-hoo” offer for a l o n g t i m e), then David actually cried during the Letter Reply, wiping his eyes in the next scene.

His dancing soared. In May, I described his dance style as gentle. On 7/7, it was explosive and expressive. Not only in the ballets, as we’d expect, but also his Angry dance. His whole self seethed. There were lots of anguished cries and great fast tapping. He stomped, shrieked, and jerked, and made you squirm in your seat as you felt his excruciating heartbreak. He threw the “bricks” so wildly they went over the heads of the police.

Miscellaneous impressions: Rather than looking like a gangly 15-year-old, as he appeared in May, he was fully comfortable in his body with full control. His hands shadow dance was magical. He didn’t even make any mistakes in the rope-jumping and all his shoe changes were very quick. His singing was beautiful, charged with emotion, still in the little boy falsetto. There was only one phrase (that goes up quite high) I noticed that he sang an octave lower. Electricity seemed altogether lower, but exceptionally strong. There was one exchange between Billy and Mrs Wilkinson that I hadn’t remembered: she looks him over and comments that he has a good turnout, as he unknowingly stands in third position. Billy snipes back, "A good WHAT?!” Later, he looked just like a giggly 11-year-old when Tony/Will threw him on the floor and tickled him after reading the letter. In fact, I found it difficult to look at anyone else while David was on stage (which, as you know, is basically the whole show). He was riveting. Needless to say, his performance elicited numerous impromptu cheers/applause and 3 standing ovations.

Outside at the stage door, David gleefully signed endless autographs and patiently posed for photos. I got a chance to compliment him, which elicited a radiant grin and a thank you.

David Bologna – Count my blessings, this was 3 for 3 with David B. An energetic bolt of sunshine, he is completely genuine. When he first bicycled onto stage, I suddenly recalled his father’s telling how the only normal thing the day after hurricane Katrina was David riding his bike up and down the street. Also, how, on Broadway opening night, his father burst into tears when he realized the boy on the bike on stage was his son. A boy and his bike! As Michael, David touches the entire audience, his audacity, crisp dancing and full-bodied singing fully intact, but he also has your total empathy when he fearfully asks Billy not to tell anyone about the hands-warming kiss, and, at the end, again on his bike, when his silent longing makes you realize that there is nothing left in the town for Michael’s future.

Greg Jbara – Wow! He is still modifying his lines, and he was so good before, it’s hard to believe, but they were all improvements; deeply expressive spoken lines and singing. (Also 3 for 3!) He expertly stirred laughter, fear, outrage, frustration, sorrow, anger, worry, confusion, and love from the audience. He spoke the first verse of his Christmas party song in a drunken slur, rather than sing it straight away. His post-scab “I’m sorry!” outburst was extraordinarily powerful. He got HUGE laughs for “William Elliot, Esquire.” It was Dad’s emotional rollercoaster that triggered the majority of my sister’s tears. She’s got 2 sons who left home to try to make it as musicians.

Hadyn Gwynne - While I must have seen her millionth performance as Mrs. Wilkinson, she was nevertheless totally present and great. Her costumes are great, too: the gaudy ‘80s warm-up suits! I still think the 10-minute Solidarity piece is one of the most brilliant scenes in live theater, in which nearly the entire cast chronicles months of parallel development of the miners' strike and Billy's identity as a dancer, through song, orchestration and dance. Haydn’s dour patter throughout, as Mrs W teaches the ballet classes, weaves the parts together. She’s perfect. Her goodbye scene with Billy was deeply touching.

Ballet Girls– They are on more than I remembered, and they each put out tons of great energy. They add so much to keep the stage lively. And Erin is consistently superb as Debbie, the cynical daughter of the cynical mother. They all deserve more kudos. Ditto the entire Company. When the first townswoman gave Jackie Elliot money for Billy (“Take this…and this”), a woman to my left was so surprised and moved by this gesture that she loudly gasped then sighed, ”Awwww!”

A word about Carole Shelley – Completely sympathetic, and howlingly funny. Afterward, she slipped out the stage door, wearing a hat, glancing toward the lineup by the fence to the fans receiving Alvarez and Bologna, not expecting (or wanting?) any attention. No one else seemed to notice her.

Thommie Retter – At the stage door, he repeatedly walked all through the crowd looking for a friend. Again, I think I was the only person who recognized him. (Thanks to this Forum!) He seems very down to earth and happily chatted, telling us that his wife and children had recently moved to New York with him, so I guess he got a contract renewal or something. He’s great as Mr. Braithwaite.

David Chase – He conducted that night. Also exited the stage door walking away briskly, not expecting any attention. I called to his back, “Thanks for the great orchestration!” and he turned around, smiled, waved and called back, “Thank you!” I did notice the (Tony-Award-winning) orchestration during the show. There is a lot of music that is not in songs, and it greatly enhances the emotionality of the performances. I swear, every time Billy strikes that ballet pose at the end of Solidarity and that shimmery music plays, I get tingles down my spine. Even on YouTube.

I should also mention that the other technical areas that BETM won Tonys for -- sound, lighting, sets -- are very creative, and effectively support the story, without making you notice them unless you try to.

Jay the Usher – I had some time to chat with our usher. Jay says he’s worked at the Imperial since opening night (not sure if this includes previews) and estimated that he’s seen 500 shows, giving some Forum folks a run for their money! He told me that Kiril was on standby that night (he did not need to go on, and did not appear at the stage door; probably left during the glitzy finale). Jay also told me that the announcement asking you to turn off your cells phones, etc, was recorded by a real Geordie girl. He also said he’s got some of the full-color Playbills from opening night at home.

The Chairs - From the first moment I walked into the Imperial for my first show, and saw the bare stage with the two long rows of simple chairs facing off, I loved them. They are symbolic metaphors yet also remain practical seating. The rows confronting each other at the outset of the show clue us into the confrontations we'll witness in the story (miners/Thatcher's police, Billy/Dad). When Grandma tells Billy about dancing being her solace in her youth, the chairs gradually move through her story, sometimes appearing impossibly weighty, sometimes dancing aloft, mirroring her life, ending in messy disarray. Billy's simple act of tilting a chair and spinning it, transforms it into a hypnotic symbol of Billy himself: typical when still, extraordinary when dancing.

It was a night to remember.
Next ticket is for first anniversary on November 13th. Can't wait ~
Correction (on Sept.2): Next ticket is October 3rd, Kiril's last show.

[Todd]

Excellent review Phoebe. Enjoyed reading all of it. . . . and it didn't seem too long at all ! Glad you got to see the "true" David Alvarez, as the way you described him here is the way I remember him from last November. His performance that night remains one of the most memorable and electric of all the "Billy Elliot" shows I've ever seen. I've heard him say on interviews that he looks forward to giving the audience all he's got. That certainly seemed to be the case when I saw him, so glad you got to experience it too.

I agree with you about the casting of Tony being a bit on the "too old" side. I thought Santino Fontana was the first one I'd seen who looked about the right age, especially if you use the film version as a template. The fact that Joe Caffrey could go from playing Tony and then to convincingly playing Dad about 3 years later shows that he was probably quite a bit too old for the part of Tony. I can see someone like James Lomas (one of the original London Billys who's 19 now) being more what I would expect Tony to look like.

Too bad about Carol Shelley being "invisible" when she came out the stage door. The main attention will obviously always be on Billy, but too bad someone didn't notice her as she has always turned in a fine performance when I've seen her.

[Billy Whiz]

I'm a little embarrassed that this is so long. It's more of a report/blog than a review. I wanted to write down everything I could, to remember it. You can just read the sections you’d like to.

Please don't be embarrassed - it was a wonderful review. I read every word, in fact I read them all a couple of times.

Well done.

Next ticket is for first anniversary on November 13th. Can't wait ~

I'll see you there then.

[chocchipcookie26]

Fantastic review, i loved reading it, i like long reviews the best
x

[ERinVA]

Thanks for your excellent reviews, Todd and phoebe.

[phoebe]

Thanks to you all for the encouragement!

Believe it or not, I thought of something else I noticed during the show that I'd like to add. I remember someone first mentioning it in their review earlier this spring. It's about Billy's reaction when he sees his father and brother fighting. David as Billy was terror-stricken; torn apart. It was chilling.