March 2015 Reviews - London

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Billy Whiz
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March 2015 Reviews - London

Post by Billy Whiz »

The place to post March's reviews.

Keep 'em coming :D
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patc
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

Post by patc »

Thursday Matinee 5th March

If you’d like to know how the matinee went just put your Billy Live DVD/Blu-ray in your player and fire it up then sit back and enjoy for it was Elliott, Zach and Demi who were back in town and performing in front of a massive audience including hundreds in various groups. Outside beforehand it was lucky that the house staff and security were on hand doing a great job organising the invaders as, otherwise, ordinary mortals might have struggled to get in.

Everything you would expect from him Elliott delivered in yet another of his mind-blowingly powerful Billy performances that included an Electricity that was so stunning that the hairs on the back of my neck didn’t just stand up – they were doing jigs, reels and hornpipes. Just for good measure, about three-quarters way through he added an extra special backflip right at the very front of the stage that left us gasping. The applause went on for ages.

Very amusingly, he later devoured a six-course meal this time before turning around to face the RBS Letter resting on the table. For a change, though, he didn’t F-A-D Mrs. W as she gave him the tape.

A great many years ago I travelled over to see the famous Illuminations in Blackpool and they were impressive but they couldn’t hold a candle to the luminescence scattered across the stage when Zach came on to set up Elliott for Expressing. These two virtuosos of vociferous tap didn't have a care in the world as they delighted us with their merry dance and mischievous smiles. Later on, Zach’s by now legendary tutu contortions would have everyone helpless with laughter.

The third member of the Live trio, Demi, as she has done since the beginning, used her brilliant thespian skills to let everyone know she was around.

Caspar’s Posh Boy was quite something and his method of being fired into the safety curtain and his reaction to it is so convincingly realistic every time.

Little Arran with his winning smile and utter determination that Steve Paget would not get to sing Barry Manilow's masterpiece was very endearing.

The Ballet Girls, on their last day it seems, gave their all. I am really at a loss to understand why they have to leave so soon. Their performances have never been less than 100%, they are at the peak of form and then they're gone. Funny ol’ business, theatre.

I found today's show to be even more emotional than usual. So much so that I could hardly watch the final scene. (thankfully, the clapper not present). To see all these amazing youngsters displaying such excellence, skill and commitment on the ruthless professional stage is a rewarding and inspirational experience. They have my utmost respect and admiration…..and gratitude.

Pat
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

Post by angelenroute »

patc wrote:Elliott delivered...an Electricity that was so stunning that the hairs on the back of my neck didn’t just stand up – they were doing jigs, reels and hornpipes.
I love it! :D
patc wrote:For a change, though, he didn’t F-A-D Mrs. W as she gave him the tape.
Been sick with the flu this past week, and took the opportunity to see the Blu-Ray of the live show again. This line surprises me every time and makes me laugh again every time. :D

Sean

"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

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Thursday 5th March

In additional to Pat's review I would add that we were treated to the angriest of Angry Dances, a mini food fight in the post Electricity scene and a delayed final entrance by Zach that would have given Elliott time to leave the theatre if he so wished.
patc wrote:Caspar’s Posh Boy was quite something and his method of being fired into the safety curtain and his reaction to it is so convincingly realistic every time.
There looked to be only about 6 inches between his head and the curtain.
patc wrote: Elliott delivered .... an Electricity that was so stunning that the hairs on the back of my neck didn’t just stand up – they were doing jigs, reels and hornpipes. Just for good measure, about three-quarters way through he added an extra special backflip right at the very front of the stage that left us gasping. The applause went on for ages.
Breath-taking, spectacular, magnificent. His eyes as they scanned the entire audience during the applause said everything.

David Bardsley stood in as dad. Nice touch to hand the ballet shoes over at the end of the packing scene.

Matteo, Todd & Kyria took over for the evening.

It wasn't just the audience that were in hysterics at Matteo's antics in the boxing scene, Todd was too. He was quite relieved to be able to "hit him". This had all been set up by Lewis delivering 3 of the loudest "Jesus's".

Pauses by Kyria and Matteo in the scene in front of the Police and Matteo's quiet "me mams dead" adds so much to their exchange.

With his unique style, the reaction of the adult cast, you get a freshness in many scenes.

His glare at the end of Angry Dance is second only to Elliott.

The ballet girls made the most of their last day. I don't think their screams have ever been louder.

Two unforgettable shows.
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

Post by patc »

jmh2014 wrote:In additional to Pat's review I would add that we were treated to the angriest of Angry Dances, a mini food fight in the post Electricity scene and a delayed final entrance by Zach that would have given Elliott time to leave the theatre if he so wished.
Thanks, jmh2014, for remembering to post those. With regard to the food fight I've heard that Jose Mourinho may be taking a look :D .

Thanks for the evening review as well. Nothing like "the double", LOL.

Pat
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

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patc wrote: With regard to the food fight I've heard that Jose Mourinho may be taking a look :D .
Cesc Fàbregas may be interested too. :)
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

Post by Billy Whiz »

What a fantastic start to March.

Thank you for the great reviews.
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

Post by Barry Appleby »

To All the members at the VP today

Their may be trouble ahead,
if no reviews from you, it will be water and bread,
You'll have to face the music,
and me doing the angry dance.

Joking apart, I hope you all have a great day!!
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

Post by emcpow »

Saturday Evening 7th March (Elliott and Zach’s last show)
What a great show last night, and a fitting ending for these two fantastic performers. I thought I should write a review but sorry it’s quite long!

The show started with a speech from David Massey telling us about the leaving ballet girls, Michael and Billy, and he emphasised how extraordinary it is that Elliott is still only eleven!

Both Zach and Elliott received loud applause when they made their first entrance onto the stage, which made them both smile. The atmosphere in the theatre continued to be great throughout since the audience was clearly filled with friends and family, and also many big fans of the show.

Zach really threw himself into this final performance. He gave Elliott such a convincing punch in the boxing scene that I seriously thought he’d actually hit him for a minute. Expressing was even more hilarious than usual especially when Zach smothered Elliott’s face in lipstick, much to Elliott’s disgust. They both agreed that the shoe race was a draw, which seemed rather fitting. Throughout the dance Zach was making all sorts of faces, clearly having a wonderful time. Rapturous applause followed. Zach’s signature dancing during MCMT was present of course, including a kick so high that his foot nearly touched his nose. The winter scene that followed had everyone in stitches, including Elliott, and Zach received a round of applause for his perfect delivery of the nutcracker joke.

As for Elliott, he really couldn’t have given anything more in this performance. The fact that this was his final show didn’t seem to faze him at all. The ballet girls, for many of whom this was also their final show, gave him some really hard shoves during Shine, clearly not wanting to give him an easy ride on his last night. At the end of Solidarity, after Elliott’s pirouettes, there was a huge ovation from the audience, which caused Elliott to give us a beaming smile. Elliott tried to perform a very ambitious skipping sequence in Born to Boogie, which led to him unfortunately tripping on the rope once. This didn’t put him off though and he just smiled at Ruthie, who shouted “loser” at him, and then carried on with the skipping. Also, he made it up on to the piano so quickly that he had to stand and wait for a few seconds before flipping! Elliott’s reply to Debbie’s (played by Demi) offer in the toilet scene was made even more funny by his extra long pause and the look on his face as if he was carefully considering the proposition. And then to Angry Dance. We all know how great Elliott’s Angry Dance is but last night it was just spectacular. His tapping was very precise and so loud that it sounded like he was going to dent the floor. This was accompanied by so much shouting and screaming that I was almost surprised he could still talk in the second half. As he collapsed onto the floor at the end most of the audience were on their feet, but Elliott managed to remain in character when he stood up and gave everyone in the audience a good old glare.

Dream Ballet served to show off Elliott’s wonderful ballet skills, which really are so extraordinary for a boy of his age. He performed the routine with complete control, with his chair spinning at quite a lick (I did notice that Barnaby stopped spinning his chair about halfway through – not quite sure why?). When Elliott went to roll across Barnaby’s back he took off about three feet away from him and literally threw himself into it. Also, I love the little smiles that Elliott gives to Barnaby the whole way through the routine.

Then of course we come to Elliott’s signature Electricity. He put his heart and soul into this performance. The singing was performed with a huge amount of passion and despite the fact that his voice is clearly getting lower he managed to hit all the high notes perfectly. During the dance Elliott emphasised every move, and seemed to be putting that extra bit of effort into everything he did. I even saw him smiling multiple times throughout the dance. As his foot hit the floor on his final pirouette most of the audience got onto their feet and the thoroughly deserved applause went on for ages.

In the various goodbyes in the show’s conclusion the rest of the cast seemed to be getting more emotional than Elliott, who, ever the professional, seemed to show no signs of sadness. As Elliott walked down the aisle, after saying goodbye to Zach, he gave a lovely little glance back towards the stage. The solemn look on Zach’s face was heart-breaking, as the curtain came down on him for the last time.

Of course Elliott received a full standing ovation as he ran back up the aisle to take his bow. Ruthie’s shout of “lights” could barely be heard over the cheers from the audience. I must say I have never seen the finale be performed with such gusto. You would have thought that Elliott would be exhausted after such an enthusiastic show, but nevertheless he smiled, whooped and made loads of faces throughout. He was clearly having the time of his life.

So thank you to Zach and Elliott, a fantastic Michael and a truly brilliant Billy. Thank you for a wonderful show. Your performances will be hugely missed. I’m truly thankful that we have the Billy Live DVD so we can replay your performances forever. Good luck for the future as I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of these two.
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Re: March 2015 Reviews - London

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Saturday March 7th Evening Performance
Last show for Elliott Hanna and Zach Atkinson

The evening started with a farewell speech by David Massey. First, the Westoe Ballet Girls, who were also performing for the last time. He thanked their parents and also the parents of the Eden & Horton Ballet Girls who has also left during the week, for ferrying them around. Thanks were also given to their grandparents – after a prompt form the audience! Elliott & Zach were then thanked for their time in the show, followed by their respective parents. Finally thanks were given to the audience, whether as a first time viewer of one of the many who support the show with multiple viewings.

Applause greeted both Zach and Elliott’s entrance in The Stars Look Down from an audience who were most definitely up for it.

Aaran started the fun in the boxing scene, Zach carried this on with his trademark facial expressions, but it was Elliott who had the audience howling with laughter with his antics. Zach caught him smack on the forehead and left him spread-eagled on the stage.

The ballet girls made the most of Shine, screaming as loud as ever and dishing out as much punishment to Elliott as they could. After Ruthie said “Well you’re coming back, aren’t you?” there was an extra little pause before Elliott answered. It was as if it suddenly dawned on him that he wasn’t.

Solidarity, staring with Elliott’s and Demi’s exchange, right through to the countless spins at the end was a spectacular as ever. The interplay between some of the ballet girls showed that they were right at the top of their game.

Zach had the audience in fits of laughter during the early part of Expressing. When he picked up the lipstick, Elliott knew what was coming and was powerless to stop him. The expression on his face as saw the extent of Zach’s mini face painting was priceless. The shoe race was very fittingly agreed a draw. For the rest of the number you could see that they were enjoying every minute of it. At the end there was a look and a hand clench that said more than it would ever be possible to explain. Zach made the absolute most of the ovation that he received.

The letter was the first time that Elliott allowed his emotions to show. He was not alone in wiping the tears from his eyes. Thankfully David Muscat can always be relied upon to provide the much needed comic relief in B2B with Elliott's final flip off the piano leading to more rapturous applause.

Demi scaled the toilet wall in one go and delivered her offer perfectly. After some thought and facial contortions, it was declined with a smile.

Chris Grahamson as Tony is always ready to let his pent up anger surface and his scene with Ruthie was as powerful as ever. With David Bardsley standing in as dad delivering the final blow we were into Angry Dance.

From the first scream right through to the final one there was no let up. This was all out attack on anything and everything in his way. As Elliott soaked up the standing ovation, we were treated to his trademark smirk.

After a much needed interval, the fun resumed with MCMT. We were soon brought back to reality with David’s rendition of Deep into the Ground. It was back to Zach to lift our spirits with his Cindy reveal. From here his legendary tutu skills would again have the audience in uproar. Well-deserved applause accompanied him as he walked out the door for the last time.

Dream ballet was beautifully performed with the final spins being greeted with tumultuous applause. The final look between Elliott and Barnaby again said everything.

David and Chris’s version of He Could Be a Star may not be as physical, but is just as emotional.

Elliott’s final Electricity was a masterpiece. It was danced with complete freedom that just built and built to the triple somersault and final spins which were too many to count. The final pose was held with a look of disbelief on his face at the prolonged standing ovation.

It was just a four course meal before the discovery of the RBS letter.

The final goodbye scenes were played out exactly as if it was a normal show. There was a slight quiver in Elliott’s voice in the beginning of his goodbye scene with Ruthie and much more of a quiver in hers.

The final scene with Zach was played out with no name change and a very audible gasp from Zach after he delivered his final line.

As Elliott was pushed forward to take his well-deserved bow, he looked round and seemed to want to grab Zach and bring him out to share the ovation, but he was just too far away.

With encouragement from the audience Elliott led us through the finale. By this stage he was completed relaxed and enjoying every moment.

A final thank you to Elliott and Zach for a final show which will live long in the memory. Good luck for whatever you decide to do in the future.
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