Reviews - Il Sistina

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ERinVA
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Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by ERinVA »

Here is a thread for reviews of the Il Sistina production.
Ellen



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max
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by max »

On May 4 i saw the preview of the show.
Cast Billy:Alessandro, Michael:Christian and Kevin:Simone.
I write a brief reviews cause this was a preview, and some change could be done, and i'll go to see again next saturday.
Some change at the original show was made, especially in the second part.
Until the boxing lesson it's quite equal the London show, minor changes in Shine (no chairs but four wood barre) and the same in Solidarity.
Express, it's lovely, there isn't the dance part with Michael's dresses but four girls dressed as "fat boxers" that turn over the boxing dress and become four ballet girls in tutu.
The second part opens with the whole cast in the stalls collecting money through the audience for the Christmas party. :) :)
The Dream ballet opens with Billy ahead a false mirror dancing with the older billy and then dance together. Miss the flight part of the ballet, i was sorry about this.
Anyway it's a good show, i like it. Can only get better.
Alessandro is a great classic dancer, no acrobatic move (back flip or similar), very good in singing and acting. Angry dance was less intense that we can expect.
Christian is a perfect Michael, i like him so much.
As i said at the beginning, it was only the preview so some part can be adjust, some gag makes better and so on.
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angelenroute
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by angelenroute »

Thank you for the review, max! :D

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Darth_Revan
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by Darth_Revan »

Thank you for the review! I'm looking forward seeing this next week.
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by Darth_Revan »

I saw two performances on Saturday, 16th May.
My first impressions were quite good: I really liked the external decoration of il Sistina, huge posters of the Billys, Michael, Debby and some huge photos from the show, even there was a Billy Elliot logo painted on the footpath. I was in a good mood already :)

The matinee started at five, Billy was played by Alessandro. The evening performance started at 9 pm, and Billy was played by Simone this time. Both boy played both shows, when they were not Billy they played the Tall Boy. Playing the Tall boy might not be tiring, but it still required for them to be on stage for both shows, the latter ended just after midnight!

A lot of children attended the evening show and the little fellow right next to me fell asleep right after the second act started and he was woken by his father when the show ended....

Although there was an orchestra pit, the musicians set on the two sides of the stage, only the conductor and one other pianist occupied the pit.

The set design was good, built for quick scene changes. Billy's room was moved on a track upstairs when it was needed and he could use the spiral stairs to go up and down. The stairs was moved to the side when not in used.

Other than the sets, the show was very similar to the London show.

Ther was a minor variation during Solidarity, towards the end, the policemen had a short tap routine.

One major difference was the dream ballet scene.

The walls turned into mirrors and he saw the older self in the mirror, then he saw his mother there. Then all the walls were lifted and they started their beautiful routine. It gave me goosebumps. Although Billy did not fly, I did not feel I was missing something.

Both Simone and Alessandro were exceptionally talented and their performances were flawless. Both of them performed a ballett version of the Electricity.

I really like the singing voice of Christian (Michael), I'd like to hear him sing more :)

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István
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by kport »

Reading these wonderful reviews of productions around the world, one senses that the 'Billy Elliot franchise' is in very good hands.

If you have an opportunity to talk about the experience with cast members, you will see that it is a very special story and experience that elicit fond memories that are truly unique. I think Ruthie sums them up pretty well, but seeing so many former cast members returning for various shows this tenth year speaks volumes about just how special it is.

They don't come back for Cats!
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by Darth_Revan »

I've just came back from Rome and I was amazed again how brilliant the Italian show was.

I quite liked the two Billys, Simone and Alessandro back in May, when I first saw the Italian show, and I knew back then that I would go back and watch it again. Unfortunately Simone left the production, which is a huge loss for the audience. Simone was a great Billy, I really wanted to see him again (I knew by the time I booked this trip that he wouldn't perform)

His leaving is not only a loss to us, the audience, but it puts a huge pressure on Alessandro, who has to perform every night, on Saturdays two times 3 hours with with no rest.

Boo to the Italian production's management.

That's said, even the must be tired Alessandro gave us perfect performances on both shows (I watched the matinee and the evening shows on Saturday). And he did not really rest between the shows, because he and Christian (Michael) came to the theater's foyer to meet with their friends and fans, giving autographs and taking photos.
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There was a new cast member, Arcangelo he played the Tall Boy on both shows, but he's also playing Billy Michael (In May Alessandro and Simone played the tall boy)
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There was no there was no Mr. Braithwaite this time. Maurizio Semeraro had an accident (if I understood correctly he had broken/hurt his leg) and his understudy was an actress, so we saw a Miss Braithwaite instead.

Michael was played by Christian Roberto, and he was superb. His performance was extra funny, he's one of the best Michaels I've ever seen.

My favourite part of the Italian version was the dream ballet scene. It was more dream like, than the London version :) Although there was no flying, it was not missing from it.
The scene began by all the walls turning and the other sides were mirrors. Billy was looking himself in the mirror when suddenly his older self appeared on the other side. He ran away and when he went back his mother appeared on the other side of the mirror. then the mirror walls were lifted and Older Billy came to the stage and began to dance with Billy. Again: no flying, but a very good choreography. At the end older billy finished in the back and took a bow to the imaginary audience (well, a theater was projected there)

My only concern about this scene was that Billy's dad came too late to the stage, by the time he was on stage, Billy had finished dancing, so he could have not seen it. But otherwise it was a brilliant interpretation.

The show has finished in Rome, but you can still catch the tour

http://www.ticketone.it/biglietti.html? ... p=1&xtcr=1
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porschesrule
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by porschesrule »

Darth_Revan wrote:There was a new cast member, Arcangelo he played the Tall Boy on both shows, but he's also playing Billy (In May Alessandro and Simone played the tall boy)
Arcangelo is also playing Billy? He's listed on the Tour website as being the alternate Michael.

http://www.billyelliot.it/cast/
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Darth_Revan
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by Darth_Revan »

porschesrule wrote:
Darth_Revan wrote:There was a new cast member, Arcangelo he played the Tall Boy on both shows, but he's also playing Billy (In May Alessandro and Simone played the tall boy)
Arcangelo is also playing Billy? He's listed on the Tour website as being the alternate Michael.

http://www.billyelliot.it/cast/
My mistake, sorry, I meant to write Michael.
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angelenroute
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Re: Reviews - Il Sistina

Post by angelenroute »

Darth_Revan wrote:There was no there was no Mr. Braithwaite this time. Maurizio Semeraro had an accident (if I understood correctly he had broken/hurt his leg) and his understudy was an actress, so we saw a Miss Braithwaite instead.
Is this a BETM first? Anyone know?

"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
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