A few fans are planning a Billy weekend in August. It might be a good chance for a meetup.
Is there a separate thread for chats about the Stratford production, or is this it?
Stratford Festival, Ontario, CA - Apr 16-Nov 3, 2019
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rob_hanson1979
- George
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CJ-Rochester
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Re: Chat About Stratford, Ontario, CA - Apr 16-Nov 3, 2019
Here's a little preview of the Stratford production. Donna Feore, Director and Choreographer, says this is a completely re-imagined and re-choreographed production.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL9VNlypjrQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL9VNlypjrQ
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angelenroute
- Billy
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Re: Chat About Stratford, Ontario, CA - Apr 16-Nov 3, 2019
Though I don't like the idea, philosophically speaking, of messing with a proven formula, I'm impressed by what I saw in that video (for the most part*), and their confidence impresses me a lot too. Good for them! Exciting! Looks like a cast filled with dancers too, which is guaranteed to add positive impressions to the choreography.CJ-Rochester wrote:Here's a little preview of the Stratford production. Donna Feore, Director and Choreographer, says this is a completely re-imagined and re-choreographed production.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL9VNlypjrQ
-Sean
*the five guys tapping in a little circle is a bit too "One Grecian Urn" for me, and their splits shown shortly after are great, but seem to take the choreography to an unnecessarily esoteric extreme...UNLESS it's for added humor, something this video doesn't show
"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
Re: Chat About Stratford, Ontario, CA - Apr 16-Nov 3, 2019
In addition to the shows, the Stratford Festival produces a variety of accompanying events collectively called The Forum. There are several that relate to Billy Elliot:
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andrewcraig
- Tony
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The theatre, cast, Stratford Apr16 to Nov2 2019
The Stratford Festival will present a regional production of Billy Elliot the Musical (BETM) at the Festival Theatre in Stratford, Ontario, from April 16 to November 3, 2019 with an official opening night on May 28. This production is set to do more performances than any other North American regional production of BETM to date, with a staggering 104 performances scheduled.
https://betm.theskykid.com/meet-billy-e ... 1ozMJ2sCx8
includes video of the cast incl Billy rehearsing
https://betm.theskykid.com/meet-billy-e ... 1ozMJ2sCx8
includes video of the cast incl Billy rehearsing
Re: Chat About Stratford, Ontario, CA - Apr 16-Nov 3, 2019
VIDEO: Go Inside Rehearsal for BILLY ELLIOT at the Stratford Festival
https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/a ... l-20190415
https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/a ... l-20190415
Re: Chat About Stratford, Ontario, CA - Apr 16-Nov 3, 2019
The Stratford Festival is off to a great start. From my front-row seat this afternoon, I saw that Stratford has come through again with a unique take Billy Elliot, reworked for the thrust stage of the Festival Theatre. The cast and creative team, Nolen Dubuc in particular, should be congratulated on an excellent first preview. I'll write more shortly.
Re: Chat About Stratford, Ontario, CA - Apr 16-Nov 3, 2019
The first public performance of any show of the 2019 season at the Stratford Festival was Billy Elliot the Musical this past Tuesday. The show is described as "re-imagined", which is necessary to fit the show onto the thrust stage of the Festival Theatre, one of three stages the Festival is operating this year (their fourth stage is closed for reconstruction into the new Tom Patterson Theatre Centre).
As I approached the theatre, I saw that students were being bused in to see the show. These may have been classmates of those of the young cast who are local. The came on buses operated by Elliott Coach Lines.
The set is very simple. Above the stage is a representation of a mine headframe. On the house-left side, upstage is Billy's bedroom, much like in other productions, but stationary and served by a spiral metal staircase. There are sets brought in from the back wall of the stage representing the Billy's kitchen and the Welfare. They also carry pieces of furniture onto the stage. In addition to the regular access to the stage from backstage, the theatre has two voms which allow actors to enter the stage from the front. The voms connect to a green room under the audience which is connected with a tunnel to backstage.
The show opened with the familiar sounds of the introductory video. On stage was a news reporter reading the familiar words. Related video was projected onto the back wall of the stage. Actors dressed as historical figures, such as Thatcher and Scargill, appeared standing in tableau as their respective quotes, like in the usual video, were played. Then the music started and miners started arriving from backstage and the voms to begin "Stars".
Like on Broadway and London, the orchestra includes flugelhorns and euphonia, traditional instruments of miners' bands. Due to the absence of a pit, the orchestra phones-in from backstage. Actors can watch the music director on a monitor on the back wall of the theatre.
The show has more boys in it than on Broadway. Tall Boy and Posh Boy are played by different actors. Billy and Micheal are single-cast with understudies. The understudies are listed in the program as "Boys" and appeared in the boxing class, at the Royal Ballet School, and in other crowd scenes. This is a nice touch and makes those scenes more realistic.
The transitions from scene to scene are slower than in other productions. This seems to be partly due to some of the set pieces being slow to move. It is also partly due to how it has been staged. For example, after "Grandma's Song" on Broadway, Grandma and Billy are already walking out during the last few moments of the music and the police immediately start to come in for Twitches. In Stratford, Grandma and Billy are sitting at the dining room table right to the end, then it goes dark, they leave, and then the police start arriving. They could probably speed up the show by tightening these transitions.
To cover for some of the set change delays, there were some "front of curtain"-style insert scenes: Miners getting instructions from a union official, boys running away from a ballet girl menacing them with boxing gloves, and Posh Dad apparently lost in the Royal Ballet School.
"Solidarity" has been significantly re-choreographed to make it fit the stage. The basic idea of the police and miners facing off with the ballet classes in between is maintained. The new choreography doesn't include the reference to Morris Dancing nor the swapping of miners' helmets with police helmets.
Something that surprised me about the show was the reduction in the use of tap dancing. "Expressing Yourself" has much simpler tap than in other productions. "Angry Dance" has no tap at all. It certainly isn't because Nolen can't do it; there is video of Nolen tapping which shows that he has the skills.
Michael is played by Emerson Gamble, whose brother Oliver is one of two Small Boys. In "Express", he has the usual flamboyance that this role calls for. They have their own take on big, tap-dancing dresses. The trousers make an appearance as a large pair briefly lowered from the fly loft.
"The Letter" was very nicely done and we get to hear Nolen's wonderful singing.
In "Boogie", Mr. B.'s character is a bit different than usual. He is much friendlier with Billy than he usually is. When Dad enters and asks what is going on, Mr. B. steps toward him as if to challenge him before being shooed away by Mrs. W. There is a piano along the back wall of the stage and I think Mr. B. actually plays it. No piano flip.
I mentioned earlier that "Angry Dance" is done without tap. It uses the familiar music with choreography more like street dance. It becomes a riot, but I found parts of it seemed more like a dance on the theme of a riot, rather than a riot told through dance.
The intermission ended with the usual calls to "Dig deep for the miners". George had a bit of trouble getting the second half going since his microphone wire got caught on a set piece, but he asked a fellow cast to help him get it untangled and made it look like it was the part of the script. The Political Puppet Workshop consisted of life-size marionettes made of flat boards each worn by an miner. Each one was a political figure of the era including Gorbachev, Pinochet, and Trudeau.
Dad was less reluctant than usual to sing "Deep into the Ground". The crowd must have liked it because they stayed until the end of the song, then rushed off to give Billy and Michael some space to drink beer (they each had their own bottle). There were cheers when Michael kissed Billy.
Older Billy appeared at the top of the stairs to Billy's bedroom and danced his way down as Billy started dancing to Swan Lake. They had flying. The entire dance ran longer than usual with more of the music that we don't normally hear. There is no chair spinning. Chairs generally feature much less in this production. Of course, there are chairs, but they are not characters in the show in the way there were on Broadway.
Nolen's "Electricity" is completely new, an energetic mix of ballet, acro, and modern, ending with a long series of pirouettes. The chairs are at the back of the stage and don't feature in the dance.
Billy and Dad pack for the Royal Ballet School at the very front centre of the stage. If you're sitting in B25, you could almost help them pack. In an unfortunately omission, Tony does not give Billy a miner's lamp.
Billy leaves like usual up the centre aisle then returns for the bows. They do an abbreviated version of the finale and end with a final ovation for Billy alone on stage. It was, of course, a standing ovation.
Overall, I am pleased with the production. I briefly chatted with the director and she encouraged me to come back and see how the show evolves. As expected in a new show, there were some rough edges on the timing. Some dialogue felt rushed. On the other hand, this is the only production I've seen in which Mrs. W.'s line about the local authority paying for the RBS was clear.
I encourage fans of the show to make the trip to Stratford. For those coming from the south, the US dollar has a very favourable exchange rate. While you're in Stratford, be sure to check out some of the other shows. The Festival has 12 shows over three stages including "Neverending Story", "Othello", "Little Shop of Horrors", and "Henry VIII". Give their Shakespeare a try; their innovative productions are nothing like what you read in high school.
Check the schedule carefully: Since there are so many shows, not every show runs every day. Check your seats carefully as well. The are two seats with each number: If you are going down aisle 5, which is the centre, seats on your left and right are both the same number. The ticket will say aisle 5 left or right. There are no bad seats in the house and none very far from the stage, due to the thrust design (see seating chart). Sit house left if you want to face Billy during "The Letter".
As I approached the theatre, I saw that students were being bused in to see the show. These may have been classmates of those of the young cast who are local. The came on buses operated by Elliott Coach Lines.
The set is very simple. Above the stage is a representation of a mine headframe. On the house-left side, upstage is Billy's bedroom, much like in other productions, but stationary and served by a spiral metal staircase. There are sets brought in from the back wall of the stage representing the Billy's kitchen and the Welfare. They also carry pieces of furniture onto the stage. In addition to the regular access to the stage from backstage, the theatre has two voms which allow actors to enter the stage from the front. The voms connect to a green room under the audience which is connected with a tunnel to backstage.
The show opened with the familiar sounds of the introductory video. On stage was a news reporter reading the familiar words. Related video was projected onto the back wall of the stage. Actors dressed as historical figures, such as Thatcher and Scargill, appeared standing in tableau as their respective quotes, like in the usual video, were played. Then the music started and miners started arriving from backstage and the voms to begin "Stars".
Like on Broadway and London, the orchestra includes flugelhorns and euphonia, traditional instruments of miners' bands. Due to the absence of a pit, the orchestra phones-in from backstage. Actors can watch the music director on a monitor on the back wall of the theatre.
The show has more boys in it than on Broadway. Tall Boy and Posh Boy are played by different actors. Billy and Micheal are single-cast with understudies. The understudies are listed in the program as "Boys" and appeared in the boxing class, at the Royal Ballet School, and in other crowd scenes. This is a nice touch and makes those scenes more realistic.
The transitions from scene to scene are slower than in other productions. This seems to be partly due to some of the set pieces being slow to move. It is also partly due to how it has been staged. For example, after "Grandma's Song" on Broadway, Grandma and Billy are already walking out during the last few moments of the music and the police immediately start to come in for Twitches. In Stratford, Grandma and Billy are sitting at the dining room table right to the end, then it goes dark, they leave, and then the police start arriving. They could probably speed up the show by tightening these transitions.
To cover for some of the set change delays, there were some "front of curtain"-style insert scenes: Miners getting instructions from a union official, boys running away from a ballet girl menacing them with boxing gloves, and Posh Dad apparently lost in the Royal Ballet School.
"Solidarity" has been significantly re-choreographed to make it fit the stage. The basic idea of the police and miners facing off with the ballet classes in between is maintained. The new choreography doesn't include the reference to Morris Dancing nor the swapping of miners' helmets with police helmets.
Something that surprised me about the show was the reduction in the use of tap dancing. "Expressing Yourself" has much simpler tap than in other productions. "Angry Dance" has no tap at all. It certainly isn't because Nolen can't do it; there is video of Nolen tapping which shows that he has the skills.
Michael is played by Emerson Gamble, whose brother Oliver is one of two Small Boys. In "Express", he has the usual flamboyance that this role calls for. They have their own take on big, tap-dancing dresses. The trousers make an appearance as a large pair briefly lowered from the fly loft.
"The Letter" was very nicely done and we get to hear Nolen's wonderful singing.
In "Boogie", Mr. B.'s character is a bit different than usual. He is much friendlier with Billy than he usually is. When Dad enters and asks what is going on, Mr. B. steps toward him as if to challenge him before being shooed away by Mrs. W. There is a piano along the back wall of the stage and I think Mr. B. actually plays it. No piano flip.
I mentioned earlier that "Angry Dance" is done without tap. It uses the familiar music with choreography more like street dance. It becomes a riot, but I found parts of it seemed more like a dance on the theme of a riot, rather than a riot told through dance.
The intermission ended with the usual calls to "Dig deep for the miners". George had a bit of trouble getting the second half going since his microphone wire got caught on a set piece, but he asked a fellow cast to help him get it untangled and made it look like it was the part of the script. The Political Puppet Workshop consisted of life-size marionettes made of flat boards each worn by an miner. Each one was a political figure of the era including Gorbachev, Pinochet, and Trudeau.
Dad was less reluctant than usual to sing "Deep into the Ground". The crowd must have liked it because they stayed until the end of the song, then rushed off to give Billy and Michael some space to drink beer (they each had their own bottle). There were cheers when Michael kissed Billy.
Older Billy appeared at the top of the stairs to Billy's bedroom and danced his way down as Billy started dancing to Swan Lake. They had flying. The entire dance ran longer than usual with more of the music that we don't normally hear. There is no chair spinning. Chairs generally feature much less in this production. Of course, there are chairs, but they are not characters in the show in the way there were on Broadway.
Nolen's "Electricity" is completely new, an energetic mix of ballet, acro, and modern, ending with a long series of pirouettes. The chairs are at the back of the stage and don't feature in the dance.
Billy and Dad pack for the Royal Ballet School at the very front centre of the stage. If you're sitting in B25, you could almost help them pack. In an unfortunately omission, Tony does not give Billy a miner's lamp.
Billy leaves like usual up the centre aisle then returns for the bows. They do an abbreviated version of the finale and end with a final ovation for Billy alone on stage. It was, of course, a standing ovation.
Overall, I am pleased with the production. I briefly chatted with the director and she encouraged me to come back and see how the show evolves. As expected in a new show, there were some rough edges on the timing. Some dialogue felt rushed. On the other hand, this is the only production I've seen in which Mrs. W.'s line about the local authority paying for the RBS was clear.
I encourage fans of the show to make the trip to Stratford. For those coming from the south, the US dollar has a very favourable exchange rate. While you're in Stratford, be sure to check out some of the other shows. The Festival has 12 shows over three stages including "Neverending Story", "Othello", "Little Shop of Horrors", and "Henry VIII". Give their Shakespeare a try; their innovative productions are nothing like what you read in high school.
Check the schedule carefully: Since there are so many shows, not every show runs every day. Check your seats carefully as well. The are two seats with each number: If you are going down aisle 5, which is the centre, seats on your left and right are both the same number. The ticket will say aisle 5 left or right. There are no bad seats in the house and none very far from the stage, due to the thrust design (see seating chart). Sit house left if you want to face Billy during "The Letter".
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porschesrule
- Site Admin
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Re: Chat About Stratford, Ontario, CA - Apr 16-Nov 3, 2019
Broadway World talks about how the staging/choreography for the BETM production has been entirely "reimagined" for the unique Stratford Festival stage:
https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/a ... l-20190416
https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/a ... l-20190416