North Shore Reviews

[ERinVA]

Here's the thread for reviews of the North Shore production.

[atreyu]

Based on the first preview, the North Shore production is off to a very promising start. There is not enough time to even attempt capturing all the new details to report, so I will make a few general comments tonight and fill in some details in the coming days. Especially since - as kport reminded me tonight - some things may have been deliberately removed or simplified since it is the very first performance in front of an audience. And also since kport and jdmag44 will surely be reporting a lot tomorrow.

First off, quite frankly I still would not have minded if we were seeing a "standard" production again at the Boston Opera House. There are compromises incurred by the smaller stage and circular theatre. But that being said, given those parameters, this is still an excellent production.

Of course the biggest difference that veteran BETM forum members will note is the venue. A lot of the numbers - Shine, Solidarity (amazingly), Born To Boogie (except no jump rope), Dream Ballet, Electricity and Company Celebration - are essentially the Peter Darling choreography adapted to a circular stage. That in itself is a remarkable achievement by Adam Pelty. Other numbers like The Stars Look Down, Angry Dance, Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher and Expressing Yourself are more significantly adapted. By the way, yes, the Maggie puppet does appear in MCMT, but it can be easy to miss, especially if you are seated in certain sections.

One benefit of the circular stage is how close the audience is to the stage and the actors and action. But a couple tradeoffs are involved. There are times when the main action is in the center, but there are actors all along the outer edge of the stage and therefore blocking some views to the center. Adam Pelty does a great job rotating the action around the stage, but this also means at all times some of the audience will be viewing a particular scene from the back.

All F bombs are present and accounted for. There is no "flippin' hell" and the miners in Solidarity do not "shag" the Mrs. etc.

In this performance, the veteran BETM experience of key cast members showed through mightily. Janet Dickinson is such a pro, steady as a rock, you knew this circular stage thing would not diminish her excellent performance one bit. Nick Dantes gets a good bit more opportunity to show off his impressive talents, more than at Drury Lane, although the small stage at NSMT still is a limiting factor. We all knew from Ogunquit that Alec Shiman would give a confident and funny Michael and he delivers. And of course Max Baud is a fine Older Billy.

Among the new BETM actors, Brian Padgett is the standout, a fantastic Mr. Braithwaite. Timothy Gulan as Dad has hits and misses.

All told, this is a unique BETM production and absolutely worth checking out. Looking forward to seeing more forum members in the coming weeks and chatting about a bunch of new wrinkles on the musical we love so much.

[kport]

Atreyu hit all the right marks with his review of the first performance. I tend to wait until the previews are over before I comment upon the actual production or individual performers; having stated that, this first preview went about as smoothly as any I have seen.

The one aspect that is so different to any other production of BETM I have seen is the 'theatre in the round' characteristic of this show. Let me describe the venue:

The stage is a circular floor, about 60 feet in diameter, with six 'spokes' (aisles) extending through the inclined rows of seats. These spokes serve as 'wings' for all cast movements on or off stage (one 'spoke' is the Vomitorium, which is a tunnel descending into where props and cast wait to go on). Throughout the show, there is a constant movement of every actor, on and off stage, up and down these aisles, among the audience. You really are 'in' the story.

No seat is more than 60 feet from the stage. The stage is on a level lower than the eyes of those in the first row of seats, so instead of looking slightly up at a stage, you are looking down at it.

Because there is no front or back, or left or right, the cast face different ways for different scenes, and are always turning. It was a complete eye opener to watch the opening of Electricity from right behind Billy and Dad, with the spots in my eyes, as though I was on stage with them, facing the audition panel.

Even some moments happen off stage: as the stage is darkened after the clipboard lady takes a puff of the cigarette, high up in the back of the audience, in a cleared area, the spots turn on Billy and Posh Boy, as they execute the fight scene.

Scenery is extremely limited, to the point where almost all attention is placed on the actors, the choreography and the music. A 9'x9' elevator in the center of the stage is used to great effect through the show; in fact it is left open during a lot of busy moments on stage.

I think I can best sum up the effect this way: it is like watching a standard production while being allowed to walk around the stage, the wings, and from behind, seeing it from all aspects and - this is the kicker - from above, as the seats are raked at a good angle and the stage is, in effect, the floor of the theatre.

The intricacies of choreographing this show 'in the round' are amazing, and it may take me several more performances before I can even describe what Adam Pelty has achieved.

A couple of interesting notes: Brooks Landegger is, according to the program, a very busy young actor: not only is he listed as alternate Billy, and Tall Boy/Posh Boy, but he is credited as playing George, too (clearly, a misprint)!

And those who remember Noah Parets will be very happy to know that he is credited, in the program, with being the 'Billy Coach'!!!

[ERinVA]

Thanks for starting us off with the first review of the North Shore production, atreyu. Looking forward to more over the next few days.

[angelenroute]

Thanks atreyu and kport! I love that note about Noah, too!

kport, if we had a system here of getting forum fans from around the world to pay attention to certain posts on productions they may not normally follow, I'd use this line to get people to visit this page:

It was a complete eye opener to watch the opening of Electricity from right behind Billy and Dad, with the spots in my eyes, as though I was on stage with them, facing the audition panel.

Sounds very cool!

Sean

[ERinVA]

Hmm. Not sure how I missed kport's review. I think we posted at approximately the same time, which may account for it.

Thank you too, kport!

[Todd]

A couple of interesting notes: Brooks Landegger is, according to the program, a very busy young actor: not only is he listed as alternate Billy, and Tall Boy/Posh Boy, but he is credited as playing George, too

Got a good chuckle from this. Actually, maybe this is simply a case of them experimenting with the age of George in this production to make him a much younger character. . . kind of like when the 20-something-aged Tony has occasionally been cast with an actor who appears to be in his 40's !

[porschesrule]

The first press review of the NSMT's production is glowing:

http://beverly.wickedlocal.com/article/ ... /150939639

[tankntonic]

Question for our reviewers Atreyu and Kport:
What is your advise for someone picking seats for this venue ?
Obviously, being on the aisle would be fun, but higher up or lower down ?

[kport]

First Preview: Tuesday, Sept, 29th (Nic Dantes)
Second Preview: Wednesday, Sept. 30th - matinee (Brooks Landegger)
Opening Show: Wednesday, Sept. 30th - evening (Nic Dantes)

It was a real treat to attend the first two previews and the opening show last year at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Watching those three shows (the first being its first presentation before a live audience), grow and mature in to fully-fledged performance by opening night, not only gives great satisfaction, but an insight into how an entirely new production came into being.

Exactly the same experience happened at the North Shore Music Theatre over the past two days.

Ogunquit's production was innovative because the creative team had to contend with the loss of the tour's set. What had been a challenge became a gift, as the director and the choreographer were able to reinvent their interpretation of the production - with, as it turned out, great success.

"Billy Elliot is not as much a musical as it is a play with music." A quote from a talkback last year at Ogunquit.

That same choreographer, Adam Pelty, takes on both mantles (director and choreographer) at NSMT, which is a theatre in the round - in which every preconception, or previous interpretation, of the way BETM has been presented before, is rendered impossible. At best, any set has to fit on an 8' x 5' wheeled flat that travels up and down the vomitorium and only went as far as the edge of the stage; or can fit on a 9' x 9' elevator cut into the center of the stage. Everything else on stage has to be carried on or pushed by hand; the largest such object is the 'kitchen' which one man can easily roll on and off. In essence, the stage is devoid of traditional sets, and instead relies upon props, fantastic lighting, and the skills of the actors themselves. Ogunquit freed the team from sticking to established interpretations; NSMT has liberated the team to try new and innovative ways to deliver this powerful story to the audience that watches it from the perspective of 360 degrees. Lighting replaces curtains; the six main aisles become wings; no one is 'off stage' even when they aren't on stage (there is a curious thing there I have named 'The 100 metre dash'. At the top of each aisle is a carpeted walkway that follows the circular walls of the theatre, and is the way all actors move off stage or get from aisle to aisle. I would watch the ballet girls and others jog along this track, from exit to entry point, throughout the show. They must run miles every performance - in silence!) This all works because these incredibly talented performers deliver the story through fantastic acting, singing and dance. The audiences are transported, and prove their appreciation through many standing ovations - to the point that, by the opening show, many stood through the entire finale.

(It is my sincere hope that this show is filmed, for the sake of posterity, as its incarnation 'in the round' is worthy of note. It would be perfect for a television broadcast, if multiple cameras were used.)

Some of the highlights:

-Nic Dantes is a revelation. I saw him in Drury Lane, Chicago, where the choreography was somewhat simplified, and was very impressed with him there. But he has taken his portrayal of Billy to a new level in this production. He has to, because the demands of this production are so much greater. Nic has a beautiful singing voice - clear, in tune, and emotional - his dancing is superb, assured and powerful - and he has developed a real depth of understanding of his role that I have seen in only a few Billys worldwide.

-Brooks Landegger is a real find - a true triple threat. Like Nic his singing voice is as near perfect as one can expect; it is evident that his ballet skills are top notch; and as one with only seven performances under his belt (the six at Oklahoma City had a less complex choreography) he is clearly a young man who takes acting direction exceptionally well. He had a confidence and a talent that reminds me of Sam Faulkner, although he cuts a much younger figure on stage (Brooks (13) looks like the 11 year old he is portraying on stage).

-Alec Shiman is a delight. He has returned (from his stint at Ogunquit last summer) with the same cheeky disposition, but has added a slight touch of teen angst to the role. Expressing Yourself is choreographed quite differently, and it rests entirely on Billy and Michael, with few props other than a bed and a small set of stairs that rise from under the stage; it is perhaps the scene that is most affected by this staging. Yet it works, and certainly by the third performance Alec had judged the crowd's response so well that he ended with a huge ovation. Just one thing: the bicycle he rides is the same as the one he rode last year at Ogunquit, but the oddest thing has happened in the intervening time: the bike has 'shrunk' to the size where Alec pushes it along with his feet, rather than with the pedals!

Ashley Lanzoni is one of the few Debbies to elicit real laughter from all her lines. She delivers them with clarity and excellent timing - even the 'My dad - he's an alcoholic', so often passed over, gets a big reaction.

Janet Dickenson is superb. Just flawless. Perfection. She alone is worth the ticket price!

Elysia Jordan played Dead Mum at Ogunquit, and has returned here. Not only is her portrayal tender and warm, but the duet she sings with Mrs Wilkinson in The Letter has to be heard to be fully appreciated.

It took me a few performances to 'grow' into Timothy Gulan's portrayal of Dad, but I did come to like it as a new take on that role. He is a little less gruff, and a bit less self-certain, but he makes it work and he has an excellent singing voice.

C J Eldred's portrayal of Tony is excellent. You sense in him a young man who is nigh on eclipsing his dad. All fight scenes are brutally executed.

Max Baud continues to be one of the best Older Billys out there. As far as his Scottish Dancer is concerned, I have one question: is a banana missing from the concession stand? He has taken 'that' to new 'heights'.

Sara deLima's Grandma changed a lot over those three performances, to the point where I wondered whether an understudy stood in for her at the start. But she was soon into the role, and gave a fine performance at the opening show.

The Ballet Girls - what can I say, other than superb? Really flawless. Not only could I not see any mistakes or uncertainties, but I had to pinch myself to remember that all of their choreography was happening on a round stage with no conventions such as 'stage right' or 'house'. Solidarity, one of the most complex numbers to choreograph, becomes a greater challenge 'in the round'; a challenge that was fully met here.

Possibly the biggest 'find' is Brian Padgett. He plays Mr Braithwaite as a slightly inebriated, overweight youngish man whose life seems to have descended to an endless round of beer and crisps. You would think he would keel over at the first attempt to dance! But from the moment he whips off his trousers, so they fly across the stage into Billy's arms, to attempting a number of almost passible pirouettes, not one but several full splits, and capping it off with a cartwheel over the chair that ends with the chair in his hand, he has the audience completely enthralled. Some of the biggest applause of the night was given to his amazing performance.

I could go on, but I will stop for now. Are there some traditional things that I missed seeing in this performance? Yes, but this production presents so many new things that I like that I think it is a fair trade. Was the essence of the story delivered to the audience? Yes. In fact, I think this stripped down stage performance 'in the round' takes the story back to its essential roots that may have become a little crowded over time. Did the audience enjoy it? I would shout an unequivocal 'Yes!'.

If you can see this, if only to witness what Adam Pelty and this amazing cast have created, you will be well rewarded for your effort.