Sunday, July 3, 2011
Evening Performance
Jacob Clemente’s Final Performance
in the role of Billy Elliot on Broadway
Many thanks to Billy Whiz for the seat!!! So happy I was able to attend this special show!!!
Jacob's got a great name that would be perfect for sports as much as theatre. The Dream Ballet smoke engines of our imaginations start pouring out and we’re transported to another time and place: a packed stadium of cheering fans, the announcer at one of those big microphones in a booth somewhere, the sound of a pin dropping can be heard echoing and then, “Now at the plate—ate-ate-ate, Jacob Clemente–ente-ente-ente.” He certainly has the talent and personality to have said screaming fans eating out of the palm of his hand with just a wave and smile. And he’s even got one of these showbiz faces that’s just destined to be immortalized on the wall of Sardi’s. Thankfully for us, it has been showbiz and not sports where this awesome talent has made his debut.
First came a run in Gypsy with the one and only Patty LuPone. Then, because his skills and destiny far exceeded his role in that show, he joined the Billy company. Someone must have known from the start that Jacob was a player who could be counted on for anything, and so early on he was thrust into the role of Tall Boy. Future Michaels in the Tall Boy role have learned the same thing Jacob did though: The thrill of Broadway is worth any role, small or large, but I can do more, I WILL do more! And when he took on the role, he became the youngest Billy at the time (12) to star on Broadway.
Jacob is also a product of one of three Billys this New Yorker is very proud of, and the second from the Albany area. My very first time seeing the musical, in London, 2007, Corey Snide played the role of Billy. He was, in case you didn’t know, an AMAZING Billy Elliot, so talented, a fantastic tapper and awesome actor. And as if history was destined to repeat itself, Jacob Clemente, also from the Albany area, is also—cuts and pastes—an AMAZING Billy Elliot, so talented, a fantastic tapper and awesome actor. There must be some tap shoe polish in the water up there (and some of it in the waters of Wantagh too)! On Sunday in between performances, I told Jacob’s mom, Linda, how Corey was my first Billy and she assured me they do know each other well and listed off a few other things they have in common.
I told her there were about 15-20 of us fans from the forums who would be there for Jacob’s show and she was very happy to hear that (I jotted down names on a post-it pad just now and came up with exactly 20 I know were there between people I know in person and those who posted here who I haven’t met yet). A couple more Billy superfans that don’t commune with the rest of us were in attendance too. Jacob’s mom said she had a lot of family there as well, and though she had a front row center seat of front mezzanine, she was all over the theatre before the show saying hello to people.
Incidentally, there were a lot of photographs taken at the matinee (before the show) and none of the ushers were shouting out their usual scolding, which I thought seemed very odd. It happened again at the evening show, so I asked Gregory, the nice usher on the aisle between Left and Center Orchestra, what happened. “Oh, we just had a meeting about that recently, and decided we won’t say anything any more.” I’m paraphrasing, but that was the gist. He said they decided it really was fine for them to take pictures at that point anyway and not having to yell at people made their job a lot easier anyway. So snap away next time!
Jacob’s mom had told us that no one was going to be announcing it was his last night, so we spoke at dinner about telling people around our seats that it was a special night and why. Only 9 of us were at The Edison before the show, so once we were in The Imperial, we looked around, caught the eye of other fans we knew, waved and mouthed “hi” to one another. I love the pre-show excitement.
The Entry
When the show began, and Greg Jbara dragged Jacob across the stage, a bunch of us clapped for his entry. It must be great like that to have people clapping just because you’ve arrived on stage!
Because this was Jacob’s last show, pretty much everything that happened has already been written about by other reviewers, but I’ll just highlight a few things…in my own words.
The Letter Scene
It is perhaps the greatest testament you can possibly give to a Billy on his last night: returning some of the powerful emotion toward him that he has given through his incredible performances since he began in April 2010. One of Jacob Clemente’s most famous gifts was his ability to make us cry at a scene we’d scene so many times before. He just had a way of crumbling on call and making us do the same. And on Sunday evening, Laura Marie Duncan came out on stage as Dead Mum, began singing to Jacob one last magical time, and then proceeded to absolutely break down, unable to sing all her lines. Talk about Niagara Falls, friends, this was truly one of those theatrical moments that easily rates at the top of our Billy Elliot fan journey. It was a perfect way to witness Jacob’s final performance in this number, and a really beautiful and honest goodbye from one great actor to another.
Angry Dance
Ironically, there’s been more anger after this scene than there was in the abbreviated scene itself.
And that’s okay. We needed to vent. Since there’s a way to spin anything though… Anger had no place in this happy sendoff for the wonderful Jacob Clemente. A sad night, yes, but not angry.
Dream Ballet
On a Billy’s last night, I always watch for the smiles. Of all the scenes in the show, this one’s definitely one of the favorites for a Billy, especially once the chairs are off the stage! And they must be thinking about how this is the last time they’ll be flying around like this in the show. Needless to say, Jacob was all smiles, and did a beautiful end spin thing to Dad. [Sorry for the technical jargon there.]
Electricity
Jacob gave an as-always stellar performance in this number and the crowd totally erupted when he finished. Easily ¾ of the audience or more leapt to their feet almost instantaneously when he finished, and as most didn’t know it was his last night in the role, I was so happy for him! A very well deserved reinforcement of how great he is! The applause and standing ovation went on forever too!!!
Finale
As Jacob began his tapping in the finale, someone yelled out, “Yay, Jake!” and someone—one of us I believe—yelled out an “Alright Jacob!” right after, which made Jacob smile so widely for so long, it was really great to see, and of course made us smile as well. And at the final curtain, flowers were brought out for Holly Taylor (Sharon Percy) and Jacob Clemente. Greg then took each by the hand and brought them to the front of the stage. To see these two masters of their roles together stage center with bouquets of flowers in their hands made you realize what a hugely monumental night this was. And for those who didn’t know, it must have been absolutely mind boggling to learn that they had just witnessed Jacob Clemente’s final performance in the role of Billy.
He is, after all, at the top of his game and it is a big loss for the production. At the same time, I am practically giddy with excitement to see where he turns up next! Between Gypsy and Billy and Samsung, Jacob has made a humongous splash at such a young age! He is one of the best actors I’ve EVER watched perform, and I’ve learned from his stage door friendliness and sweet personality that he’s got an excellent charisma about him that casting directors will undoubtedly continue to spot right away. Though I’ve only met his mom a couple of times, I can tell he also has a wonderful family behind him and supporting him through everything, which is very important indeed.
Jacob Clemente, a young dancer who comes from a family of miners, IS Billy Elliot. And like Billy’s story, we have only just witnessed the first chapter of what will be an amazing and beautiful journey ahead. The next chapter hasn’t been written yet, but one thing’s for sure: Jacob’s fans aren’t going anywhere. We’ll be there supporting him, through everything, and cheering him on wherever the path leads him. Like Laura Marie Duncan did Sunday, we cry at losing him from this beautiful show. But like Billy in the finale, like Jacob himself, we are all smiles now in the absolute knowledge that this boy’s career has only just begun!!!
Sean
Sean Patrick Brennan/angelenroute