March 2010 Reviews - NYC

[Todd]

Saturday evening, March 6

Billy - Liam
Michael - Jake
All other cast members were the regulars

It was great to be back at a "Billy Elliot" performance, as it had been 4 whole months since my last visit ! It's funny how when you haven't seen the show in awhile, you find yourself being amazed all over again.

It was fun getting to see some new cast that I hadn't seen before, as well as an old favorite in Phil Whitchurch as Dad. He and David Bardsley were my favorites in that role in London, so if Greg Jbara has to be absent, having Phil there is the next best thing.

I thoroughly enjoyed Liam Redhead as Billy. His dancing looked effortless and smooth and his acting was first rate. I thought his facial expressions were right on the money and he looked very natural. His singing was a little pitchy at times, but I have a feeling it will improve as he continues in his vocal training. He played it more seriously than I thought he would, as I had this image of him as a "smiley Billy" - having only seen him in the photos where he's flashing his big smile. We did finally see that trademark smile at the end of "Electricity" when he stayed in the finish position, taking in the well-deserved applause.

Jake was a big audience favorite as Michael. He did a great job of making the part his own, adding his own flourishes and individuality. In the dancing dress part of "Express Yourself," a pair of dancing male trousers joined in along with the dresses. Jake tap danced his way over to them and shouted, "No ! Women's clothes only !" Later in the song when he noticed the trousers were still on stage, he danced over to them again and shouted, "Get off !"

I'm still trying to get used to Kate Hennig as Mrs. Wilkinson. I enjoy her in the musical numbers but in the dramatic scenes, her facial expressions don't seem to fit the situation much of the time. For example, when Billy is standing there holding the tape she's just given him for the audition, she looks back at him and sees that he has some doubt about how it's going to go. Rather than look sympathetic where we sense she needs to go over and give him some motherly affection, she looks at him and opens her mouth with a look of astonishment on her face. I was thinking, "Does she see something there that I don't see ?"

For the first time in any time I've seen the show, "The Letter" scene got a loud round of applause before it was even finished. There was a pause in the song towards the end, and maybe the audience thought it was ending then. Another new addition was a very audible trombone in "Express Yourself." Speaking of the orchestra, I thought the sound in general was the best I've ever heard. Every line was easy to hear and understand, and the sound was crisp and clear.

All in all, another great night of entertainment. It was fun seeing several other Forum members there tonight, with more to come for Trent's farewell tomorrow night.

[cincinnati]

I so agree with this dead on point that "Musical Fanatic" makes....Uncle Milton...Hope, Hill..even George Burns....great reflection...I am so impressed with the ability that so many on this site have with reviews....a tip of my hat to "Musical Fanatic"...by the way I think that Dayton is a very rare GREAT talent.....If anyone hasn't seen the "Bloody Little Champion" they need to run not walk to the Imperial....

Sat March 6 Mat. 2pm
Billy-Dayton
Michael-Trevor
SB-Luke

By hook, line and sinker I have been reeled in to Billy Elliot. I can't seem to dislodge the hook or want to. So on to another great show by Dayton and company. All the way up in rmezz row h. Okay seat good price(wallet in flames otherwise)

Stars Look Down
Having a full regular company just seems to make this scene better to me. I would love to ask Big Davey(Rick Hilsabeck) how he can eat that sandwich every show. I have noticed lately that the forgotten trainers does not get much audience reaction. Luke has such a great presence on stage. Audience is hysterical over Jesus"s and fat b-sterd. Billy's boxing dance, Michael's punch and knockdown of Billy, Georges knockdown of Michael and Michaels low blow go over great. George nails Michael with the boxing glove when he's running out of gym.(first time in a few shows )

Shine
I don't know how the ballet girls do it show after show. They make scene funny and cute.

Solidarity
I love the comments I hear from people around me. The cursing and violence between miners and police with BG's on stage always is good for a did they really just sing that laugh and gasp. I wish that my ballet terminology was better(head of a pin maybe ). Dayton's spins and leap across the stage in front of Mrs W and the police plus miners have me mentally cheering.

Expressing Yourself
There is something I have wanted to write about this scene. Particularly after having read one of the blog reviews knocking how gay this scene comes across. For those of you who are old enough or watched Sat afternoon or late night TV. Milton Berle, Bob Hope or Benny Hil(burlesque)all old time comedians did drag as part of their acts. A large part of this scene particularly the dresses and curtains remind me of old time comedy. This is Michael's star scene in the first act. You see this at the end when he plays the audience for applause and laughter. The Michael"s deserve nothing but applause for making it fun while getting a point of the show across.

Dear Billy
Pure emotion from Dayton that I wish they would do with American Billy's sometimes

Born to Boogie
A grand slam by Dayton, Kate and Thommie !!!! Dayton is speed baby speed plus his hand eye coordination with the jump rope amazing.

Angry Dance
This is another place that the Aussie boys are different in direction. Emotion, vocal intensity are louder more intense.

Dream Ballet
Okay it's really bad when the sequence starts with the chair and your mentally thinking the whole scene threw(Go Great, Go Great) When it does you sigh with relieve and a thank you for Dayton and Easton.

Electricity
As in the Dream Ballet all I am thinking now at the start is hit it and be great Dayton in my mind. Electric! Charismatic! Talented! That is Dayton and his dancing(ballet,acro. and street) in a nutshell. They need to bottle all the different Billy's talent and sell it for a fortune.

Company Celebration
A large smile and the standing ovation that Dayton and Company deserve.

[Moby-Dick]

Thanks for the lovely reviews, Musical Fanatic and Todd!!

By hook, line and sinker I have been reeled in to Billy Elliot. I can't seem to dislodge the hook or want to.

This is a v. apt description of most of us on this board!! Love it.

Can't express just how much I love reading reviews of the show. Thanks so much for taking the time to write them!! It's wonderful to hear that Liam, Trent, and Dayton are continuing to wow the audience each night they perform.

x
M-D

[porschesrule]

And Alex will be rejoining them very soon. They will make an impressive powerhouse quartet to carry the show forward!

[Todd]

Sunday, March 7 - 2 p.m.

Billy - Michael Dameski
Michael - Jake Schwencke
All other cast were the regulars

With the anticipation of the big farewell show tonight, who would have guessed that as an added bonus, Michael Dameski and the rest of the Billy cast would provide what turned out to be one of the very best performances of "Billy Elliot" that I've ever seen. There might not be such a thing as a perfect performance of Billy, but Michael came about as close as you could get in my opinion this afternoon.

I was totally sold on his interpretation of the part - a tough, angry little ball of fire with amazing acrobatic dance skills and a powerful, melodic singing voice. But perhaps even more than that was an acting performance that lent itself to amazing detail in the way he reacted to every situation and every character he performed with. I noticed things I'd never seen any other Billy do, in terms of reacting to whatever was going on around him. Many of them were subtle, such as a sigh or a bored look of resignation or an edge to his voice when something irritated him. His diction was excellent, as I understood every line as clearly as I ever have before.

His performance of "Electricity" was effortless and as smooth as silk, especially the one-armed and no-armed flips which looked like a piece of cake when he did them. He never broke character, even after a long and loud applause as he stood in his finish position. Still, you could tell he was having a blast up there on stage - especially in the Finale when he could be himself and just enjoy himself. He looks like he could be a good comic actor if he chooses to go that route in the future, as his facial expressions and gestures were very entertaining. I consider myself fortunate to have gotten to see him while he's in New York, as it made me see what a treat it must have been for the audiences in Australia while he was there. Thanks for sharing him with us here in the States for however long he's able to be here !

My sentiments were shared by an older gentleman sitting behind me who - just after the show ended - told the people he was with, "That was the best thing I've seen in years !"

[Todd]

Sunday, March 7 - evening show

Billy - Trent Kowalik
Michael - Trevor Braun
Grandma - Merle Louise
All other cast members were regulars

After a very enjoyable and tasty get-together with about 30 Forum members at the nearby Olive Garden on Times Square, there was a mix of excitement from tonight being a special-event performance, mixed with a sadness of not wanting this day to arrive - where we had to say goodbye to the last of the original Broadway Billys.

Given the situation, there was a real buzz in the crowd before the show and anticipation of what was to come. Just before showtime, Stephen Daldry came up on stage to a round of enthusiastic applause. He had a comical, surprised reaction that seemed to say, "Whoa, where did that come from?" He went on to give what I thought was an excellent and emotional tribute to Trent, as he began by saying that tonight was going to be very difficult since we were saying goodbye to the last of the Tony Award-winning Billys. He mentioned that he had first auditioned Trent way back in 2005 when he was just 10 years old. So he had effectively spent one-third of his life involved with "Billy Elliot" between auditions, training, and performing.

He also mentioned how Trent had done more performances as Billy than anyone else, and was one of only two boys to have performed as Billy in both London's West End and on Broadway. He was able to work in his now-traditional "hurtling towards . . . ." but this time it was "hurtling towards adulthood" rather than towards adolescence. He said how much he would be missed on both sides of the Atlantic and then began to choke up with emotion, adding, "See how difficult these things are for us?" He then thanked Trent's family for sharing him during all that time.

When Trent came out on stage during "The Stars Look Down," he was greeted by a hearty round of applause from the audience, who clearly were in the mood to show their appreciation for Trent on his final night in the show. There were very few "ad libs," except for a rather humorous line change by Will Chase as Tony just before "Angry Dance" when he told Mrs. Wilkinson, "He's only 15 years old - what's wrong with giving him a childhood?" . . . bypassing the usual 11 or 12 years old in favor of using Trent's actual age.

If Trent wanted to go out on a high note, he certainly did just that. I can honestly say that I've never seen "Angry Dance" or "Swan Lake" performed better than the way he performed them tonight. There was also the longest applause at the end of "Solidarity" than I've ever heard before. "Angry Dance" earned an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience, which is fitting since Trent has more or less made that his signature number. He appeared to be giving every ounce of energy and effort he could muster, and turned in an amazing performance not unlike an angry tornado up there on stage - a performance that will not soon fade from memory.

As the second act moved along, you began getting that uneasy feeling of wanting to slow down time so the inevitable goodbye would never have to happen. Trent - to his credit - stayed in character the entire time, although he did take time to let a slight smile creep across his face as he soaked up the standing ovation for "Electricity," which was flawlessly and beautifully performed. His singing is as strong and tuneful as ever, as he still hits the high notes amazingly well. It was great to see the audience leap to their feet just as he made a spot-on perfect landing into his finish position.

When Mrs. Wilkinson told him, "You . . . are very f***ing special" the audience let loose with another round of applause, as everyone agreed that was certainly a true statement on her part ! I thought I detected a slight bit of emotion creeping in as he began singing the "Letter Reprise" to his dead mum, but it was short-lived and he stayed under control the rest of the time - even during the goodbye kiss to Michael. Trent bid his farewell to him with a "See ya, Trevor" and Trevor returned the favor with "See ya, Trent." Once again, Trent kept his composure as he made his final walk up the aisle as Billy Elliot.

After Trent returned to the stage to thunderous applause and the Finale was performed to release the emotion in the form of fun and celebration, Phil Whitchurch stepped to the front of the stage and said a few words about how much Trent was going to be missed among the cast. He mentioned how Trent had performed with him in London back when he was "about this tall" as he held his hand down about a foot lower than Trent is now, adding "back before he grew into a basketball player !" He talked about how the cast is like a family and how hard it is to say goodbye to a member of that family. Then he turned Trent back over to his parents who came up on stage and embraced him in a family hug.

Needless to say, there was a huge and boisterous crowd waiting outside the stage door to congratulate Trent on his performance tonight and for all his contributions to the show over these past few years. David Alvarez was in attendance, as were Dayton Taveras, Alex Ko, and Liam Redhead. When Trent came out the stage door, a loud roar went up and he proceded to sign autographs and pose for pictures until everyone in the large crowd of well-wishers had been satisfied.

This was my first time seeing a farewell performance by one of the Billys and I'm glad it was for Trent Kowalik, my most-seen Billy. I had the pleasure of seeing his first official Broadway performance on opening night - Nov. 13, 2008, and then his final performance tonight - March 7, 2010. His time as Billy pre-dated the Broadway production, and sounds like a long time back when you consider that his London contemporaries were Layton Williams, Corey Snide, and Hogan Fulton among others. He racked up about every honor you can imagine in his time as Billy, and is as responsible as anyone for the show's success on Broadway so far. Not a bad start in life ! All that's left is to say thank you for all the hard work, sacrifices, and entertainment that he's given to thousands of people, including myself, over these past 2 and half years. One can only imagine the bright future that lies ahead for him.

[cincinnati]

What a wonderful review...for those of us who couldn't be there thank you....

[BillyAddict]

Thank you for posting this review so promptly. I never saw Trent perform and sadly only missed him on this occasion by less than a week (arrive NY Fri 12th). Through his blog I certainly feel like he is one of the Billy's I have seen perform.

[Musical Fanatic]

Trent"s Last Show
March 7 2010 7:30PM Till about an hour after show
Trent
The True Professional

Billy-Trent
Michael-Trevor
SB-Luke
Grandma-Merle Louise

A show of cheers, a little bit of tears and lots of applause. Trent and Company were incredible tonight. They showed a true professional character tonight. Trent made it the whole night without completely loosing it. The Company did as well. Stephen Daldry came out before the show to give a speech. He recognized Trent as longest playing Billy. For Trent's playing Billy In London. He said that he realized that he had known Trent for 5years of his 15years of life between auditions and Trent"s time in show. Stephen was choking up when he said that Trent would be missed by NY and London cast. The best part of this audience was many had seen the show multiple times and had come out to see Trent"s last show.

Stars look Down
When Trent came on stage led by his dad to the chair he was applauded. This was the start of the trend for the show. One of the few times tonight that I saw Trent show emotion was the first kitchen/bed scene. Dad is yelling for him to come down to breakfast and not be late to boxing. I could see him wiping away tears while in the bed. You could also hear the sad emotion in his voice while talking to grandma.

We'd go Dancing
Merle(grandma) Gives Trent a kiss and a touch on forehead at the end when facing each other in the chairs.


The Letter
Leah Hocking(Mum) lost it a little during the song. You could hear a little break in her voice. Trent was a rock of professionalism.

Angry Dance
Filled with incredible emotion and powerful dance. Trent put everything that he had into it. The bedroom platform was really shaking from the power of his tap. The whole sequence of the Angry Dance was distinguished by his amazing tap and the emotion that he was feeling. That this is my last one.

He Could Go And He Could Shine
Tony( Will Chase) seemed to be feeling the end coming. He showed more emotion when he told Billy to keep the scabs money and the line( I'm just trying to keep my family together)

Electricity
Trent is just graceful and elegance in motion with his ballet and acro. The audience eat it up. We gave back to Trent cheers along with a long standing ovation.

Once We Were Kings
Kate Hennig(Mrs Wilkinson) really cries when Billy tells her good buy. Will Chase(Tony) when he gives Billy the miners lamp and says see ya sunshine puts extra emotion and gesture into it. Phil Whitchurch(Dad) gives Trent an extra long hug in the leaving scene.

Dear Billy(Reply)
Trent"s second really emotional scene. When singing to Leah his voice was breaking because of emotion. Leah also with her singing was very emotional. She gave him a hug at end of scene with her. SEE YA TREVOR, SEE YA TRENT fills all of us who know that this line change is coming with sadness. For the rest of the audience it's an OH!!! moment

Company Celebration
I'm positively amazed at how Trent and Company hold up. With Trent in front of the Billy sign and us giving him a standing O Phil Whitchurch stops the show and hands Trent Back to his mom and dad. Phil talks about working with Trent in London and now NY. That he and the company will miss Trent. Thommie Retter Yells out from back we love you Trent. Funny moment was curtain almost closing on top of Trent's dad. Phil had to move him back and got caught out in front of curtain. When they reopened the curtain David Alvarez was on stage congratulating Trent along with rest of cast.

Stage Door
It took a few minutes for Trent and family to come out. He and his family stayed for about an hour to sign autographs, have pictures taken and receive the congratulations of all by a mob of fans filling the sidewalk around both sides of the door. They are an incredibly nice family and willing to talk with whole crowd. They also handed out a year old publicity shot of Trent till they ran out. Trent's family and friends came in two cars and a van to the show.

Finally thank you to Hugsy2k for organizing the dinner and the 20 plus of us that showed for dinner. It was nice meeting people who had come in Feb again. Also to meet new people from the forum like moby-dick

[porschesrule]

Thank you to Todd and Musical Fanatic for their usual job of providing detailed and insightful reviews -- albeit these for a very special last performance of a very special young man. It sounds like it was a wonderful night, capped by Trent and family's usual giving of themselves to his many fans and admirers.