April 2015 reviews - London

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jmh2014
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April 2015 reviews - London

Post by jmh2014 »

Thursday April 2nd

Two near full houses witnessed Thomas continuing his Billy journey, and another masterful performance from Bradley at the other end of his Billy journey.

The first thing you notice about Thomas is how small he is. He has a natural acting ability and plays a very animated Billy. Yes he has a few rough edges and does struggle a little physically, but given time to grow into the role, he has the ability to be a very fine Billy. The most impressive part of the performance was that when things didn’t quite go to plan, he didn’t let anything phase him. His F-A-D is so deliberate, Ruthie was still laughing as she pushed the toilet set away.

Nathan continues to impress and brings a freshness to the role of Michael.

The entire ensemble and ballet girls were on form all day.

The RBS receptionist showed support for the strike rather than flirting, which makes more sense to me. We had a Glasgow dancer for the matinee and Essex for the evening, both routines generating much hilarity.

Tracy Atkinson put so much effort into her pirouette’s that her towel ended up on the floor in front of row A.

Deka’s speech is always heartfelt, let’s hope it encouraged enough people to vote and bring home the much deserved Oliver award.
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jtsw1
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by jtsw1 »

jmh2014 wrote:The most impressive part of the performance was that when things didn’t quite go to plan, he didn’t let anything phase him. His F-A-D is so deliberate, Ruthie was still laughing as she pushed the toilet set away.
When I saw him, he didn't deliver the line very well, if I remember correctly. He seems to make up for it since then. ;)
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by patc »

Wednesday 8th April and Thursday Matinee 9th April

It was thrilling to be back at the VPT after a two week absence. Nothing had changed. The show rolling along in magnificent style, the cast on fire and the music casting magical spells on the ear.

Wednesday evening it was new Billy, Thomas, at the head of affairs. As soon as this bundle of dynamite came onstage I felt I was being plugged into a wall socket. The almost sell-out audience must have felt the same because they, too, were buzzing from the off. 40 London Billys and no clones. The tradition continues. You lot coming from the US and elsewhere for the big May Showdown Week are going to be blown out of sight. But bring your tranquilisers. You’re gonna need them by the interval. After Thomas had brought the first half to a close with his Angry Dance and the crowd going ballistic, getting up from one’s seat required some effort. The second half was equally as breathtaking and the energy levels were pumped up even further in a pulsating ballet Electricity that concluded with long, well-deserved applause and Thomas responding with an appealing and appreciative well-timed smile that brought even more applause. He, of course, is at the beginning of what, hopefully, will be a long stint as Billy and watching him develop over the coming months is going to be a major highlight of 2015.

Thursday Matinee, the current longest serving Billy, Bradley, was at the helm. You lot coming from the US and elsewhere for the big May Showdown Week are going to be blown out of sight again. This will not be the Bradley you all saw last year. This is the Bradley who has matured and nurtured his role over the past 12 months into a phenomenon. The addition of the wall flip to his outstandingly spectacular street Electricity was the final piece of the jigsaw. He is now the classy pro who exudes every molecule of Billy Elliot. Perfecto Magnifico. I don’t think that’s French but it will do. His calculated shaking-with-emotion body in The Letter is a masterpiece of invention. His voice is as crystal as ever. A superb dancer. His special humble smile after Electricity should be moulded for posterity.

Todd was on for both shows and was quite brilliant in getting into the heart and soul of Michael. Great comedic skills and fun facials in the Boxing scene, as bright as Sirius and great tap in Expressing, well-handled emotional changes in the Winter Scene and a killer lonely final curtain moment. I’ll never forget the manner in which this scene hit me the first time I saw the show. It was the perfect, if so sad, finish. On that night, all those years ago, you could have heard a pin drop until the curtain hit the floor. Nowadays, early clapping sometimes is led from someone in the audience but I can easily shut that out and sit there and quietly absorb the emotional moment. Todd performed this moment absolutely exquisitely.

Connie arrived in Victoria Street in November and immediately hit all the right notes (and all in the right order, too). Dayna was a very hard act to follow but Connie took on the challenge with gusto and brings us a feisty but very loveable Debbie. I always enjoy that part of Shine where her dancing legs become a blur as she vies with Tracy Atkinson during her “big moment”. She’s like greased lightning. Her acting and timing was spot on in both shows.

Which brings me nicely to the Ballet Girls and Shine. What goes on here is rocket science. Goodness knows how they manage to get all this together so amazingly well every time and you can see that they do it all like it’s the only thing they ever wanted to do. The highlight for me is the part where they all come back on stage in pink. This routine with all the jumps and shouts is a stunningly awesome spectacle. I have recently seen this for the first time from the Grand Circle and it is a kaleidoscopic miracle from up there which we shall all of us enjoy on 12th May.

Tall Boy Ryan gave me a shocking fright today. His headbash against the curtain was the most realistic I have ever seen, period. So realistic that I thought it was real, almost leaping from my seat to see if he was going to get up off the floor. Thankfully, he did.

Little Billy had already won the hearts of the audience as he climbed up onto the stage and he owned them after such a funny Boxing scene.

The adult cast is in the same mind-blowing form as they were for the Live Billy never letting standards fall. When Ruthie tells the Billys, “you are very f special” you can tell she is saying it to the individual Billy on stage as well as to the fictional Billy. You know she means every word of it. I do hope she will not be leaving any time soon. With Deka/David, Chris, Gillian together they make a top-class team of principals. Lee Hoy presented us with a beautifully danced (and flown) Dream Ballet. Charlie Martin, likewise, a wonderful gentle sweet voiced Dead Mum.

There is a line in the show that belongs exclusively to one man and one man only, Spencer Cartwright :D. No prizes for guessing which line.

So, there we are, another stunning double at the VPT. Unbeatable entertainment and don't forget, today, FRIDAY (5pm) is the last day for voting in the Oliviers.

Pat
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by angelenroute »

patc wrote:Tall Boy Ryan gave me a shocking fright today. His headbash against the curtain was the most realistic I have ever seen, period. So realistic that I thought it was real, almost leaping from my seat to see if he was going to get up off the floor. Thankfully, he did.
:lol: I can't imagine a Billy going for it for real, but sounds like it seemed that way for just a moment, huh? :D

Sean

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jmh2014
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by jmh2014 »

Saturday April 11th

There were some unexpected moments during yesterday’s performances, and Ruthie had to deal with all of them.

During Solidarity, Mr B got up and walked out the door. He hadn’t returned for his “Basket of Pansies” pose, and “Thank you Mr Braithwaite” had Ruthie quite bemused when she turned round and he wasn't there. The mystery was solved when we saw David Muscat making up the numbers in the ensemble as a miner. After the ensemble had finished their routines, he calmly walks back and resumes his seat by the piano for Billy’s final pirouettes.

Then during Mr B’s monologue in B2B we hear the line “redefining the meaning of life”. This caught both Ruthie & Bradley off guard. They both looked at each other as if to say “did we hear that right?”

Finally Thomas exits the toilet in his Angry Dance gear minus his jacket. This obviously changes Ruthie’s scene as she has no jacket to button up. What does she do? Plays the scene stood opposite Thomas and when delivering the line “Do it for you”, she cups Thomas’s face in her hands.

I also like the way that Ruthie has developed her confrontation scene with Chris, at times choosing to push him away, when he gets right in her face.
patc wrote: When Ruthie tells the Billys, “you are very f special” you can tell she is saying it to the individual Billy on stage as well as to the fictional Billy. You know she means every word of it.
She get's so much more emotion in this now, you really feel her pain, knowing that she won't see Billy again.

Thomas continues to lay the foundations for his Billy. Strong foundations they are too, giving him a very solid base to build upon over the coming months.

As for Bradley, he just knocks it out of the park every time he is on stage. Angry Dance and Electricity really have to be seen to be believed.

Natan/Kyria & Todd/Connie were also on sparkling form. Deka & Chris were as brilliant as ever. Their confrontation during "He could be a star" is a powerful piece of raw emotion.

It seems like the entire cast are raising their game ahead of next month's anniversary. For those of you who are heading this way next month, you are in for some terrific entertainment.
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by CJ-Rochester »

jmh2014 wrote: It seems like the entire cast are raising their game ahead of next month's anniversary. For those of you who are heading this way next month, you are in for some terrific entertainment.
Thanks jmh2014 and everyone else for the reviews. I am excited to be there next month!
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by Todd »

jmh2014 wrote:This obviously changes Ruthie’s scene as she has no jacket to button up. What does she do? Plays the scene stood opposite Thomas and when delivering the line “Do it for you”, she cups Thomas’s face in her hands.
I almost wish they would make this a permanent change. I always thought that Mrs. Wilkinson getting down on her knees to button Billy's coat made sense for only the very youngest-looking Billys. That seems more like something that a person would do when trying to help a small child, but certainly not when Billy looks like he could be a young teenager.
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by patc »

Thursday Matinee 16th April

According to the Tracking thread this was Ollie’s 75th performance and was I thrilled that I was there to see it especially as I had seen him in action only once in the past two months. Ollie comes across as a very affable Billy, not easily riled, but when he gets upset you know about it so when things didn’t go his way when Mrs. W arrived in the kitchen and Billy received his second humiliation of the day, it was time for some high jinks. This was a powerful Angry Dance that, as things turned out, had an extra “special effect”. As he “attacked” the riot shields a thick volume of smoke came between him and us. He disappeared completely from view but, a short time later, as he came thundering back to grab the floor tiles, he ghosted out of the smoke like a bat out of Hades seeking retribution. Brilliant. This was in stark contrast to the gentle, joyful smile that he reserves for everyone as he takes the applause at the end of Electricity and the plaintive, endearing voice that sings the Letter and says goodbye to Mrs W. A wonderful Billy package all wrapped in gold.

Fun and pathos specialist Tomi was the perfect “accomplice” for Ollie using every trick of his considerable trade to manipulate our emotions.

Very pleased, indeed, to see MD Mark Collins back after his short sojourn in Leicester with Adrian Mole.

It seems Ollie was back on again tonight replacing Thomas so his "75th day" was a busy one. Happy 75th and grateful thanks to this truly indefatigable Billy and Co. for this afternoon’s magical entertainment.

As a final note, an epidemic swept through the VPT at the matinee - an epidemic of clapping (including in all the wrong places), begun by the usual whooping "HC" and copied relentlessly and continuously afterwards by some jokers further back. Never heard anything like it.

Pat
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by Todd »

patc wrote: As a final note, an epidemic swept through the VPT at the matinee - an epidemic of clapping (including in all the wrong places), begun by the usual whooping "HC" and copied relentlessly and continuously afterwards by some jokers further back. Never heard anything like it.
Pat
Sorry, but what's the "HC" ?
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Re: April 2015 reviews - London

Post by ERinVA »

"Happy Clapper."
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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