Drury Lane Reviews

[atreyu]

While re-watching an old Youtube clip, I was reminded of another nuance in We'd Go Dancing at Drury Lane. In all the versions that I've seen leading up to this production, Billy is totally focused on Grandma as if only Grandma can see the other characters. Here at Drury Lane, Billy does get to participate in Grandma's vision of her past. This may incur a tiny bit more suspension of disbelief, but it works.

[ERinVA]

"Nic and Kyle," he says, " really deserve their acclaim for their achievements, but it is not the same challenge as the London or Broadway productions," whatever that means.

Instead of going through each song or each move or analysis at that level, the difference as I perceive it can be summed up in this single observation. The Chicago Tribune article linked in Nicholas Dantes' thread makes reference to 7-day-a-week rehearsals for 4 weeks. That's impressive. Highly commendable.

Okay, so what were the rehearsals like for the Billys who performed on Broadway, the West End and the Tour? Typically on the order of 6 months. Six months. Even taking into account that Kyle and Nicholas are training at 14 years of age compared to 11- and 12-year-olds at Billy Camp, can 4 weeks intense training produce the same results as months of Billy Camp? Has Drury Lane Productions discovered secrets to training Billys that Finis Jhung and BT McNicholl weren't able to figure out? To my eyes, the answer is no and thus a different level of choreography at Drury Lane. Others may see it differently and if that is the case, we can agree to disagree.

Let's not forget that this is a regional production, and as such, it is in no way equivalent to Broadway, the West End, or even the tour in its resources for training and rehearsal time. Does this mean that the two boys could never have been chosen as Billys for one of those larger productions? No, of course not. Does it mean that they could walk right off the Drury Lane stage and onto the stage at the Victoria Palace without further work? I haven't seen them, but I would guess probably not.

It's not about them and their talent. It's about matching the experience and performance level to the choreography requirements of the particular production. That might mean having to train more to reach a higher skill level for the choreography required of a London or Broadway Billy. Or it might simply mean putting to use skills the boy already has for learning more complicated routines. Just remember, the London Billys train constantly, as did those on Broadway and the tour, and they never stop developing and perfecting their skills. A good example of this is "Electricity." A Billy's routine doesn't necessarily remain static, as we know. As he trains more, he may add in a new flip, for example, or up his game on the spins at the end of the piece. With a limited run in a regional production, this is not something that is likely to happen.

[atreyu]

Let's not forget that this is a regional production, and as such, it is in no way equivalent to Broadway, the West End, or even the tour in its resources for training and rehearsal time. Does this mean that the two boys could never have been chosen as Billys for one of those larger productions? No, of course not. Does it mean that they could walk right off the Drury Lane stage and onto the stage at the Victoria Palace without further work? I haven't seen them, but I would guess probably not.

It's not about them and their talent. It's about matching the experience and performance level to the choreography requirements of the particular production.

Ellen, I'm so glad you can express my thoughts better than I can.

I should also mention the motivation behind this is strictly to capture the current state of the BETM universe in North America as it transitions to regional productions and to brand new Billys that have not gone to Billy Camp. There are going to be some tradeoffs corresponding to having less resources and time. Drury Lane does an excellent job with theirs and it is much, much better having a show than not having one. Still, it's not an apples to apples comparison with the large productions.

[accessmenj]

The production in Media, PA should be a more valid comparison with London, Broadway and the tours than the Drury Lane production. It will never match these best-in-the-world productions but it may have younger boys who have longer training like London, Broadway and the tours. These future Billys are probably already in training, a full six months before the production. It should be interesting to see them improve over the seven week run.

[cws8998]

On the contrary, whether classifying Drury Lane Production Company as "regional," or not, their extraordinary presentation of BETM, is every bit equal to Broadway, the Oriental, or the VP, despite the desire to go behind the scenes in defining resources, rehearsal times, or challenges. Furthermore, I do believe talent, performance level and the mastery of difficult choreography has every bit been the equivalent of those you'd find at the Original Venues.

And yes, perhaps...just perhaps, the powers to be who produced and directed this gem at DL, had as much grip on the answers and secrets to Billy, Michael, and cast training, including the levels of choreography, as the magnificent team at the VP. You could pluck the Drury Lane boys off their stage and drop them in the VP, and of course, with obvious acclamation to their change of environment, sets, blocking, cast, etc., they would blow the roof off the place. For that matter, you could take DL's entire cast from Ms. Wilkinson right down to the tiniest ballet girl and do the same, as they would never be outgunned by any ensemble anywhere who have presented this wonderful story.

But, I guess I don't get the point of all the tricky and limiting semantics. I suppose one can refer to "challenges," "Billy Camps," rehearsal times, resources, etc., but the blatant fact remains, that I suspect 99% of those folks sitting in front of the "safety curtain" could care less about such comparisons and gritty details, and are only interested in the end product. That product at Drury Lane, along with some very imaginative innovation, has been every bit equal to the Tour, NYC, or the VP, such to the point, it was even shocking to me. Furthermore, it has been wildly received by their audiences. Down to most every detail, every dance step, particularly the singular characters on stage, I was amazed that they were able to could pull it off so efficiently and so expertly as compared to the originals. These folks had to have something very special going for them to produce this masterpiece, and I suspect it had something more to do with the human spirit and a belief in the Billy Elliot story, rather than discussions of any "big top" resources they may have been lacking.

Colin

[jdmag44]

Based on the outstanding reviews from my friends at the forum, I decided to make the trip to Chicago. I know now that was a wise choice. The future of BETM through regional productions looks bright. Add Drury Lane to the growing list of excellent Productions proving once again that talented adults and more importantly very talented young people can be found and trained in a relatively short time.

The Durry Lane theater is very beautiful with an impressive large an comfortable lobby. The 900 seat theater has an intimate feeling which is perfect for BETM, The sound system was fabulous, every word was crystal clear, The stage did not have the depth of most theaters and that limited the space needed for larger dance numbers and forced a need to get creative with the chirography. Over all it worked well and added to the intimate feel.
Much has been said about the unique and creative differences in the production as compared with what most of us are used to seeing, First of all, there were not that many differences in the dialogue ( which included the strong and bold language) or the scene sequences or music ( thank the heavens for that) The BETM that we know and love was intact,alive and well. That being said the creative changes were wonderful and enhanced the experience for me, having seen many shows in the past. The entire show had a more intimate feel. The cast (superb acting and singing) interacted more cohesively and presented a close,loving community who were devastated and confused with their circumstances.

JUNE 4. 1:30. Kyle and Michael Harp

This young man is very talented. Endowed with a nice singing voice,fine acting and dance skills (fabulous tapper) he was a great "find" Looking younger than 16 he could still be in the running for future productions. He took command of the role and had great stage presence. This afternoon performance was "flawless" not the slightest misstep or mistake of any kind. I was very very impressed. A great company all fine actors and singers. There was nothing second rate about this production.

JUNE 4 8:00 Nic and Michael Harp

You could not find two more different performers if you tried. Kyle was tall and thin. He gave his Billy a shy and innocent touch. Nic short and also looking younger than he is,give us a Billy who was more forceful and determined. Nic also took command of his role and showed excellent acting ability with good emotion and expression. Add to that a beautiful singing voice and very good dancing ability(also a fabulous tapper), he too was a great "find". This performance was also "perfect and flawless - so very impressive and wonderfully satisfying. I might add that because both of these young men were such great tappers - Angry Dance was dazzling and powerful.

I can add nothing to the glowing comments about Michael Harp that have not been shared here, except to say that "it is all true" and that I don't think it is possible to describe how magnificently he plays this role. No one I have seen has ever done it better. He is an amazing talent and watching him is wondrous. I hope he finds his way into more productions.

In both performances the ballet girls were outstanding (there were two different groups who alternated shows). They just "sparkled" bursting with joy and personality and amazing facial expressions. They were outstanding. Two girls alternated the role of Debbie and both were as good as I have ever seen. They were perfectly clear and very expressive in their dialogue - they made Debbie's part in the show really stand out.

The entire adult cast were "standout" performers beautiful and strong voices. Elton would have been thrilled with what this company did for his wonderful songs. "Goose bumps" for me.

I was thrilled with the clear and precise dialogue. The audience understood every word with no overlapping and important pauses to accentuate the power of the word or line. The emphasis in this production was to clearly tell the story, and they succeeded. At both shows the audience reaction was terrific. Plenty of laughter and tears and applause. They had the crowd from the "get go".

Much has been said about the differences and new creative touches that come with these regional production. Here is the place where I should say I won't repeat them-but I will.
First off. With the two regional s that I have seen,this one and Ogunquit they in no way diminished the power or genius of the original show. There were no major changes at all. BUT some scenes were reworked with new and creative elements injected that in my opinion greatly enhance the experience and added clarity to the story.

In this production I very much liked the opening scene with Billy and grandma on the couch watching the "newsreel" on TV. A small but wonderful change in Grandma's song greatly enhanced and clarified that scene. NO bunch of smoking drunk men pushing chairs - grandma remains seated as she sings about her life with gran dad and a younger woman (her younger self ) dances with a young man. Great improvement.

Believe it or not this production found an answer to the "big dress problem" in Expressing Yourself. Adult male cast members file out dressed as women- Its funny its very funny and a great way to end the scene.

The highlight in this production for me was "Dream Ballet" The flying sequence was the same but in some aspects it was radically different. It was far more graceful -strikingly beautiful in ways hard to describe. When older Billy lets him go up on his own, he fly's higher and much much longer, hovering over the first few rows. When he unhooks him he raises him high above his head . holding Billy by his lower leg and lower back he lifts him as high as possible while Billy strikes a stunning pose with his arms and hand fully raised up over his head.. WOW it has to be seen - its indescribable - the audience went crazy with shouts and applause.

Now I am glad that I got tickets for Patchoque NY and North Shore Music Theater in MA. I am sure now that these regional productions will be well done also and very enjoyable.

[ERinVA]

Thank you for getting the thread back on track with your review, jdmag44.

From the discussion, it is obvious that people are going to find productions and performers that strike a chord with them moreso than others. But as you said so well, "The future of BETM through regional productions looks bright. Add Drury Lane to the growing list of excellent Productions proving once again that talented adults and more importantly very talented young people can be found and trained in a relatively short time."

[kport]

I was fortunate to attend both shows that jdmag44 reviewed above. He has done a great job of getting to the nitty-gritty of what makes this production special.

Rather than provide yet another review, I will list ten things that I think this production has got absolutely right:

1) They had to rehearse it in only three weeks. Yet it was spot on from the start.

2) New youth talent can be found and developed. Both Billys clearly had the raw talent required, and they learned fast. Not only did they understand the choreography and the singing, but they understood the story they were telling. That is crucial. Clearly, someone taught them well.

3) Michael is one of my favorite roles. I have a soft spot for the way the dozen or so I have seen have taken on that difficult role, which is funny, but is not a joke. I can now say this with confidence: Michael Harp ranks among the top of the list of Michaels. Ever. Seriously, if he were parachuted on to the London stage next week, this forum would be lit up with comments of praise and astonishment.

4) How many times have several Forum members, discreetly (?) sitting in the front row center ( ), have the Musical Director overhear their chatter and turn to engage them not once, but several times, in a conversation about BETM? Not only was he engaging, but he was actually interested in what we were saying. And a very nice chap.

5) I would state with confidence that the sound system and its execution were the best I have heard at any BETM venue. Honestly, every word was heard; it was clear and strong and never overpowering.

6) The start, with Billy leaning against a snoozing Grandma on the sofa watching the newsreel we all know so well, on a small tv, seemed very realistic for the period. Seeing Billy kiss Grandma as he left after his father shouted at him brought home the bond they have, right at the beginning. She is the only one who supports him. She and Billy have the world against them. We begin to understand that within the first minute of the show.

7) That same bond is evident in Grandma's Song, when she and Billy sit at the kitchen table while two dancers act out Grandma's youth. Absolutely brilliant at story telling without a lot of confusion.

8) The sets. Minimalist. Almost unobstrusive. It allowed the story to be told by the actors, and not the set and props. Through this production, the key is to strip the production to tell the story, just like the film.

9) There was one moment at the end of Shine, when Billy finally pirouettes beautifully after Mrs Wilkinson's tutilage. In every show I saw at Drury Lane, but nowhere else, the audience erupted in applause. This production had them fully invested in Billy's story from the start.

10) And last: this is not the West End, or Broadway. This is a regional. And that can be a very, very good thing. I have seen this show over 150 times, and this production opened for me a wealth of new observations and interpretations I had not seen before. We encountered the same thing at Ogunquit: when freed of the constraints of the original interpretation and choreography through necessity, this show can be just as moving as it is at more permanent venues. I left enthralled by what these regionals are accomplishing, and to see the audiences leave each show with the 'wow' factor writ all over their faces. That indicates that, in the right hands(*), BETM is an amazing story even when it is adapted for local conditions. I cannot wait to see what the UK Tour does with it (it will have to be altered in some manner to go on Tour), and to see what changes are made when it returns/moves at the West End when the VPT is renovated. London would do well to keep an eye on what these regionals are getting up to!

Drury Lane has done an amazing thing with this production, and I very much hope that it will influence future regionals, and productions beyond.

(*) If the US awarded 'gongs' (honorary titles for accomplishments) like the UK, I would happily nominate Rachel Rockwell for an 'MBE for Services to Theatre'. She is highly regarded by the cast and parents; locally they refer to her as 'the child whisperer' for her knack in teaching and inspiring child cast members.

[angelenroute]

Drury Lane has done an amazing thing with this production, and I very much hope that it will influence future regionals, and productions beyond.

I certainly hope there's some networking going on between these various regional productions, ideas shared and whatnot. Doesn't seem to make sense for them to all feel they have to reinvent the wheel each and every time, although putting their own touches in is always both fun and welcome.

Thank you, kport, jdmag44, and everyone else for the reviews! Sorry I don't chime in too often, but I always read just about everything on the forum, and I'm always happy to see nice reviews for these regional productions!

My own local regional arrives here on Long Island soon, and I already have tickets for two shows, and plan to get a couple more at some point. I'll go in with only slightly lower expectations, but with a full 100% plan and expectation to enjoy the beautiful story however the artists I'm privileged to see perform it!

Sean

[cws8998]

Amongst so many superlatives, it was nothing less than a spectacular, glorious, rather sad, but totally invigorating Sunday at the Drury Lane theater, as the production of BETM endured its final performances there.This concluded a two month run of 69 shows which were both emotional, as only BETM can be, and intimate, given the characters in this cast who were like individual magnets drawing us into "Billy" and "Michael's" world.

Yesterday was another of those double performances with the shows appearing within an hour and ten minutes of each other. It was interesting, that in spite of the fact this was the end of "Billy's" run here, there was no out of the ordinary "fan-fare" to speak of. The only thing of note was a "curtain call" for both Kyle and Nic following that for Kyle as the lead in last nights production. The energy and enthusiasm was forever present, as it seemed to be for all the shows I attended over the two month duration.One could easily measure the decibel level of audience "buzz" both upon leaving the theater and in the lobby. With this DL Production, it was never very difficult to measure the depth of the joy their audiences had just experienced. After the evening performance, there was a lengthy and spontaneous celebration in the extensive lobby out side the theater entrance to which most anyone could take part. What a wonderful concept for all supporters and fans to enjoy. It was magical for us affectionados.

I used the word "intimate," not only to define the warmth of the theater and the entire DL complex, but also in reference to the extraordinary cast. Following all the performances I attended, there was never a time when Kyle, Nic, Michael Harp, the ballet youngsters or some adult cast members, availed themselves to us and their adoring audiences, for all the questions we could find regarding their experiences and their backgrounds. Notwithstanding, all the accolades we could impose on them. As enriching to me, was the perceptibility and generosity of all their parents and extended support groups. They never denied us their accommodation and kindness.

If I could take away any miraculous visuals from DL's presentation, I think I could strike on these!
[1]. Certainly the "Dream Dance." It's aerial choreography was unexcelled, and its proximity to the audience had everyone's heads spinning on axis. I can't say I remember audiences at other venues applauding so enthusiastically and so often throughout the flight, given the balletic moves kyle and Nic executed. Absolutely enthralling!
[2]. "Expressing yourself." Not just because of six adult members dancing in drag. But kudos have to go to Michael Harp's very sassy, feminine, and thoroughly humorous presentation. [Michael Harp, for his age, is a true theater rat].
[3]. Nicholas Dante's amazing transformation from one of the shiest and bashfully polite youngster you'd ever want to meet in person, to an extraordinary young actor and dancer possessing a full range of emotional extremes when on stage. His ability to turn on a "weeping expression," full frontal to the audience, was captivating enough you knew you were watching a very special young man playing the part of "Billy."
[4]. Kyle Halford's confused, somewhat detached expressions during much of the first act without breaking stride, transitioning almost to a "second coming" of explosion of self-discovery, as he gains balance and control of his very lean and angular beauty.
[5]. Again, the wonderful display of character and individual acting ability of the gang of youngsters in this production. I spoke at length with Rachel Rockwell following one of the performances, during which she commented at length that the kids had a coach who had special skills at working with children actors. Without a doubt, the production company certainly picked the right persons for this musical. Perhaps, it has been noted before. But, the gang of children who handled the choreography and singing in MCMT, provided a whole new and refreshing take on that scene. There were no puppets, as you visually zeroed in on the kids. You couldn't take your eyes off of them.
[6]. Again, as I mentioned in an earlier review! The few times of slow motion used during confrontations between the miners and the police allowed for less chaos on stage and more concentration on the principals doing their thing.

Well, I could go on. I guess I can only say, I sincerely hope other folks who might have the opportunity to enjoy their available regional theater's productions, will experience a vicarious return to the historical BETM we knew in past years at the big theater venues. For that very reasons, I'm deeply grateful for what I saw at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace.