March 2011 Reviews - Toronto

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KiwiT
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Re: March 2011 Reviews - Toronto

Post by KiwiT »

Toronto reflections

Exceedingly late but hopefully worth the wait!

After considerable nagging from my friend Alexandre it is finally here!

Tue 15th March to Sat 19th March 2011

As the newest version, albeit from the ashes of Chicago, one might expect the Toronto show to feel the freshest and indeed it was, with several new touches. The production is first rate and out of all the versions I have seen this one currently has the most balanced adult cast and ensemble which just seemed to gel really well. Even a couple of shows with understudies seemed to flow brilliantly as everyone seems to understand each other perfectly.

Cesar

Wed 16th

I have always felt that, in terms of pure ballet and when at his best, Aussie Billy Rhys Kosakowski (“RK”) was in a league of his own (out of the 30 that I have seen to date). However in Toronto I have had to re-evaluate that as Cesar is definitely up there with him too. I remember sitting next to Alexandre at RK’s final performance in Melbourne and during Electricity Alexandre suddenly uttered an extremely loud expletive and thumped me on the knee as he was so impressed by a particular move that RK had added to his routine. What has that got to do with Cesar? Well exactly the same thing happened in Toronto at Cesar’s show on the Wednesday night, although thankfully Alexandre toned down the expletive for the benefit of the Canadians! Clearly we both thought that Cesar and RK had an exceptional Ballet Electricity.

However Cesar is not just about pure ballet. His Electricity also reflects his gymnastic background and is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular that I have seen.

Cesar’s acting is terrific too but a couple of other things impressed me with this. Firstly he makes excellent use of his eyes to reinforce his reactions and secondly all his actions have exactly the right amount of emphasis – whether it is throwing his bag down on the floor, reacting to Debbie or to his Dad. There is a very fine line between over-emphasising and not giving it enough but Cesar has got it down to a fine art.

One extra touch that I noticed with Cesar was that in the Letter as mum is about to walk away he steps forward to go with her for one step before letting go of her hand. A small thing but a very effective gesture which just brings home the fact that he does not want his mum to leave.

Yes there were a few little hiccups for the Wednesday evening show but they really did not impact on my enjoyment at all.

Sat 19th Eve

When I learnt that Cesar’s time as Billy is coming to an end I decided that I just had to see him once more so, having despatched Alexandre off to the Big Apple, I changed my flights and got a ticket for Cesar’s second show of the week safe in the knowledge that I could enjoy this performance without my knee being pummelled!

Needless to say this was another phenomenal performance from Cesar and reinforced my belief that he really is at the top of his game. However to say his performance was “phenomenal” really doesn’t seem to do him justice so I reached for my thesaurus which gives the following alternatives:

“remarkable, exceptional, extraordinary, amazing, astonishing, astounding, stunning, incredible, unbelievable, marvellous, magnificent, wonderful, outstanding, unprecedented, fantastic, terrific, tremendous, stupendous, awesome, out of this world”. Yes this performance was indeed each and every one of those!

Definitely one of the finest performances I have seen to date. Cesar really is a class act.

Hail Cesar! We salute you!

Dillon

“I am the entertainer and I know just where I stand
Another serenade and another long-haired band
Today I am your champion I may have won your hearts…”


Those words from Billy Joel seem to sum up this young star for me. Dillon is a born entertainer and his very presence lights up the theatre. Whenever he is on stage, whether as Michael or as Tall/Posh boy he steals the show and I cannot resist watching his antics which seem to vary from one show to the next. Dillon brilliantly personifies the show’s themes that we are all individuals and should not be afraid of expressing ourselves.

As Michael his press ups, mimicking George in the boxing scene, Express – seeking extra audience reactions, the hand warming scene and his pelvic thrusts when Leslie is asking Billy whether he has heard after the audition all have their own special Dillon touches while his Tall Boy is larrikin around in the Maggie Thatcher scene with one of the ensemble members, body checking, flying through the air or whatever else seems to take their fancy at the time – loved it! Even the smartening of his tie and smirking at Jackie Elliot’s job in the audition scene have their own added finesse to them.

Dillon is a real star and a tremendous asset to the show. Thanks to the Older Billy (Josh Horner?) for discovering him. I recommend that everyone tries to seem him if they can but if that is not possible then you can get a flavour of his talents from his You Tube posts.

Cesar & Dillon

My dream Toronto combination at the moment. It is obvious that they are great friends both on and off stage (except when it comes to ice hockey!!) and this is also evident from their performances on stage together. Express is always a highlight of the show but Dillon and Cesar have a tremendous rapport which makes this even better. Somehow their banter, whilst putting on the shoes, seems to be longer and better as they know exactly what each other is thinking. Wonderful!

Myles

Thu 17th

Myles is perhaps the biggest surprise of my whole Billython. He is tiny but has a phenomenal stage presence. Despite his young age and the fact that he has only been in the role for a few months he is already performing at a level that took others many months to develop. One can only imagine just how impressive he will be in a few more months if he is already so brilliant. I have no doubt whatsoever that Myles will be a superb Billy. Sadly I only managed to see him once and that is never enough.

If you have not yet managed to see him perform then check out his Tiny Dancer video on YouTube and you will see just how talented he is. Awesome!

JP/Marcus

Whilst it is probably fair to say that JP and Marcus did not “wow” me quite as much as Cesar and Myles they do have an almost impossible task to do so. Both of them are very talented and competent performers in their own right and I saw two very enjoyable shows from each of them. They both have a very strong ballet, fine acting skills and very pleasant singing voices.

Tues 15th/Fri 18th

JP manages to make a perfect 90 degree angle with his legs completely straight and I particularly liked his Electricity with its hand free somersault. I saw him at the stage door afterwards and he is also a very pleasant guy.

Wed 16th Mat/ Sat 19th Mat

Marcus’ added height and slim build make his Dream ballet simply magnificent. Marcus also managed to perfect the skipping in born to boogie both times that I saw him including three twists of the rope.

I did not have a ticket to the Saturday matinee so decided to take pot luck with the lottery. Not only was I successful but I was also the first name to be drawn out so had the prime seat in Box A - all for C$25. So Marcus also provided the best value for money that I have had with BETM! Fantastic.

Jack

Jack is the other Michael and alternate Tall/Posh Boy so he is also on for every show. Whilst still new Jack is a very fine performer and has already developed his own touches. I particularly liked his high operatic notes in “Satin and Lace”. I have seen others drop down into a deeper note but never heard anyone go up high. The cats purr is also a nice touch. On a couple of occasions Jack had to show quick reactions and thinking in improvising when things did not quite go to plan. Great work Jack.

Likes

Dillon (and Jack) is on for every performance either as Michael or as Tall/Posh Boy.

Billy and Grandma end her dancing scene sitting on the front seats rather than towards the rear of the stage.

Rudolf Nearenough/Nureyev joke is so much better than “I’ll chop his legs off”.

The informal atmosphere at stage door.

Lottery – great opportunity to get very good box seat tickets at an incredible C$25.

The Canon Theatre is a lovely ornate theatre.

So far at least, there is a bit of pattern to the rota.

Dislikes

“Well I don’t Bloody know” – Billy’s opening response to Michael, a watered down version of even the touring version’s “Stuffed if I know” and far less effective than the original!!

Getting into and out of the Canon Theatre is a bit of a pain as they do not open the doors early enough to get in and do not use all of the exits (understandably they do not use the O’Keefe lane exit but there seem to be others that they could use).

Cast announcements are by loudspeaker rather than by inserts in the playbills. On at least one of these performances they got the Michael and Tall boy/Small boy names the wrong way round and had to correct them later!

Other random thoughts

I wish they would line the inside walls of the shed with corrugated iron as Billy kicking metal has far more impact than a dull thud on wood. The same applies to the tour version though where they also use the wooden shed.

Finally I still find it astonishing that several of the child performers are on for every single show the alternating Michael and Tall/Posh Boys, Debbie and small boy Gabriel really do a sterling job. Now I know that this happens elsewhere but for someone who is used to multiple performers taking these roles in Oz and London I still find it amazing.
61 Brilliant Billys, 44 Magnificent Michaels
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porschesrule
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Re: March 2011 Reviews - Toronto

Post by porschesrule »

Wow, Tim -- Just WOW.

Your review of your Toronto trip was DEFINITELY worth waiting for -- WELL DONE!! Very, very descriptive and well-written.

I love your descriptions of Cesar's performances -- he is definitely going out, as you put it, "at the top of his game".

I've read other people's comments regarding the excellence of this Toronto production and your remarks certainly bolster that claim.

Hopefully shimmyshimmy's yearning for a life for this company beyond September (mirrored by many of us) will come to fruition so this wonderful cast and crew can continue to be appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, Tim.
alexandre
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Re: March 2011 Reviews - Toronto

Post by alexandre »

Nice one old boy though not quite enough mentions of me ;)

And I only punched you at certain, select moments such as:

* When Cesar first came on stage :lol:
* The first note he sings
* The crazed attempts at dancing in Shine ;)
* More crazy dancing at the start of Solidarity, also the darting eyes at ballet girls, the impossible, impressive amount of wobbling in “attitude promenade”, the lines made immediately after, the spins across the front of the stage (a mirror image of Dayton), the numerous pirouettes up the stage :o
* The astounding bend backwards as Dillon tries and almost fails to put on the lipstick :shock:
* Nailing the skipping crossovers in B2B (this may have been last week… hmmm I could have been bashing some stranger instead) :oops:
* Drawing out the toilet scene with Debbie
* Slamming the bag down pre Angry Dance
* The angriest AD (without swearing) I’ve seen, the fearless charge at the riot shields, the almost poetic arch backwards as the baton charge begins :shock:

* Once more during interval for good luck :mrgreen:

* Cesar not shirking the high notes of Dad’s Song
* The beatings increased to a rate of 1 per 20 sec during Dream Ballet, especially at some most lovely entrechats
* Delivering the line “So, can we use it Dad?” so sincerely it doesn’t get laughs
* The crap pirouette at the audition :lol:
* The daggers at Posh Boy as he runs away
* Quickly answering the scrutineer’s questions; it’s fresh, unusual
* Beltings at a rate of 1 per 10 sec during Electricity, especially towards the end
Nothing for a little while, think I had something in my eye after Electricity :cry:
* At the ummm, "fully sick" Finale
* A couple more après show while getting hammered at the pub

But that was all, so stop your whinging you fossil :ugeek:
And anyway, I know a guy that does great TKR’s :D
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