November 2011 Reviews - NYC

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Finale
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November 2011 Reviews - NYC

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A place for November's reviews.

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muck912
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - Broadway

Post by muck912 »

Tues Nov 1 Imperial Theater

No BETM for me since September 3 when Marcus Pei blew the roof off of the Canon Theater in Toronto. I saw it 18 times in Toronto, even though I live in New York, but I've never seen BE on Broadway. It was time to right the wrong. There was a trade show in NYC that would work for me because my company would pay for the travel & hotel & meals. All I had to pay for was BE tickets! I left the trade show a bit early to get to the TKTS booth. For $69 I got a seat in Row N.

I had some time to kill so I decided to walk around Times Square, people watching. It is easy to spot stars walking around the area. In trips to Broadway years ago I said hi to Chet Huntley and Carol Channing among others. In an hour of roaming around today, I only spotted one superstar - Peter Mazurowsky. He was walking near Schubert's alley with a lady I figured to be his mom. I wished I would have said hi, but I didn't.

Because of a forum mention I walked up to Elaine's Stardust Diner for dinner. The food was very good, reasonably priced, and the singing by the wait staff was fantastic.

It was time to get to the theater. During the walk from Elaine's to the Imperial I wondered who I was going to see tonight. I hoped it was Giuseppe because this was his final week. I figured it might be Peter because he was headed to the theater a while earlier. I'd love to see Tade or Joseph. They would all be new because I had only seen Toronto Billys. I figured the Michael I'd see was Cameron because he had been on vacation all of the previous week. So I'm finally at the theater and I hustle in to check out the cast board.

BILLY - Myles Erlick MICHAEL - Jack Broderick

What? Did I make a wrong turn on the NYS Thruway and end up back in Toronto? Nope, I'm really in New York. I've already seen Myles 6.5 times & Jack 9 times. Was I downhearted? Not in the least. Anyone who has read my Toronto reviews knows what a huge fan I am of these 2 guys. I had called Myles a "truly extraordinary Billy" and Jack an "11-year old phenom". Could they have gotten even better in the 2 months since I applauded them last? Yes!

I had always called Myles a great singer and now he is even better. His vocals during Electricity were just stunning. Add in his snap aerials and beautiful ballet and you have an Electricity for the ages.

His pirouettes at the end of Solidarity were faster than before and brought audible ooohs and aaahs from the crowd. More ooohs and aaahs during his lightning fast rope skipping with crossovers in B2B. And of course he stuck the landing on his piano flip.

After Myles' last Toronto Angry Dance I said he was my favorite purveyor of frenetic tap mayhem. That dance at the Canon was loaded with 7 or 8 F-bombs. Myles' mother probably took him right home & washed his mouth out with soap. My review of that show said that Myles' AD alone is enough to get me to New York City. And I was right. Tonight's Broadway Angry Dance alone made the trip worthwhile. Although I only remember 1 F-bomb (the new cleaner, family-friendly New York?), the rest of the dance was spectacular. At the conclusion Myles picks himself up, brushes himself off and starts to walk off the stage. Just as he's ready to disappear he turns to the audience with that Angry glare on his face. I had never seen that done by any Billy in Toronto.

Another difference for Myles came during his goodbye to Michael. In Toronto he always said "see ya Michael" while he was in motion headed to the aisle. Tonight Myles stopped at the edge of the stage and said "see ya Michael". This adds meaning to the solemn occasion.

This kid never ceases to amaze me. The last 3 or 4 times I saw him in Toronto I thought I was seeing perfection. Now, 2 month later, I must have been wrong because he is even better. He's improved his singing, dancing & acting. Myles didn't need to improve anything. With no improvement he would go down as one of the all-time great Billys. But this little guy works and works and works. I'm sure that when I'm back in town in January if I am lucky enough to see Myles there will be more improvement. I don't know what that could be? A one-handed (Michael Demeski) cart-wheel off the chair in Electricity? A backflip or a wall flip (even though he's an outstanding ballet Billy)? Maybe he'll sing Electricty while standing on his head and spitting wooden nickels? Maybe he'll convince the bosses who reign him in to stop making him say that awful "Flippin Hell"?

Jack was great as usual as Michael. In Toronto he and Dillon always changed up their scenes, being given some leeway to improvise. It appears to be the same in NYC. Both Express and the Tutu scenes were a little different than Jack's Toronto versions. Jack's F-bomb count is doubled in New York. The miner's hall in Toronto was "bloody
cold". In New York it is "fookin cold". The audience didn't laugh at all in Toronto but Jack got a big laugh with his new line in NYC.

It was different to see a Billy play Tall Boy. It was Peter's turn tonight. One thing Myles has to work on is his right cross. It appears that Myles' punch has lost some wallop. After smacking the Toronto tall boys (Dillon or Jack) they would run off the stage crying like loud little babies. But Peter ran off the stage with barely a whimper. Maybe Peter can take a punch better?

The only NYC ballet girl I was familiar with was Ruby Rakos. She has a great voice and her YouTube videos are worth checking out. She was a spectacular Tracy Atkinson. The rest of the ballet girls were top notch, on a par with the strong Toronto group.

It was nice to see Patrick Mulvey again as Tony. After seeing Kate Hennig as Mrs. W 18 times in Toronto, it will take me a few tries to get used to Emily Skinner. But I think I'm going to like her portrayal. Daniel Jenkins as Dad and Katherine McGrath as Grandma were both likable in their portrayals but maybe they had off days singing. The crowd loved Thommie Retter. So did I.

I like the theater. It seems like you could fit the whole Imperial into a small corner of the Canon. But that coziness is ideal for a show like BETM. $5 bottled water reminded me I was in New York.

I decided to stay for the Wednesday matinee and will write a review of that Peter/Cameron show asap.
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - Broadway

Post by ERinVA »

Thanks for your review. Looking forward to the next one. :D
Ellen



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tomtorfan
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - Broadway

Post by tomtorfan »

Wonderful review, muck. Your comments re Myles are so spot on. He really works at making each new performance better than his last one. Look forward to your take on Peter/Cameron. And yes, isn't the Imperial a grand but intimate venue.
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muck912
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - Broadway

Post by muck912 »

Wednesday November 2

Peter/Cameron/Giuseppe

I check out the cast board and see Peter, Cameron, & Giuseppe. I'm like a kid in a candy store, excited to see 3 new actors.

I liked Peter's Billy very much. I liked his singing, acting & dancing.

He did 3 things tonight that I've never seen Billys do before. I've always seen Born to Boogie end with a spectacular piano flip. I wasn't expecting Peter to do a piano flip because I know Broadway Billys are no longer trained to do them. But I was impressed with the flip Peter does on the stage. The crowd liked it, too. His rope skipping was crisp and fast, although he played it conservatively with no crossovers.

He also ended a great Angry Dance differently than I had ever seen. After picking himself up off of the floor and starting to walk off of the stage Peter comes almost to a stop, and turns and glares at the audience as if to say "what the fook do you think you're looking at?" I loved it! Another thing I loved about Peter's AD was the 7 or 8 blood-curdling screams, twice as many as I've ever heard before.

The third thing he did differently was the way he ended his Michael goodbye. After the goodbye kiss most Billys walk back to the aisle and say "see ya Michael" while in motion. Last night Myles stopped at the end of the stage and said the line. It added more meaning to his goodbye. (Ty was the only Billy I saw do this in Toronto.) Peter takes this one step farther. He stops at the end of the stage, turns to Micheal, and says "see ya Michael." The Billy/Michael friendship is such a big part of the show and now Michael is losing his best friend. Peter hit this one out of the ballpark!

After his great ending to B2B I expected some aerials in his Electricity. He didn't do any but the song was still a work of art. The audience gave him a loud ovation.

My guess is that Peter's favorite part of the show is Dream Ballet. He had a great smile on his face throughout the entire dance.

Cameron is a tremendous Michael. He does his 2 big scenes in his own style. Funny as hell. What a shame that BETM NYC isn't running for a couple of more years as they would be all set with great Michaels. Cameron & Jack are young and small.

It was fun seeing Giuseppe as Tall/Posh boy. He flashed that million-dollar smile in all the right places. Seeing Peter and Giuseppe together at the audition I figured that both guys had a head of hair that must have come straight from God.

There were probably 200-300 empty seats in the balcony.
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - Broadway

Post by Todd »

Enjoyed your reviews Muck ! Just to clarify, I assume you were referring to Ellen's Stardust Diner as the restaurant you went to before your first show. It is indeed a fun place, and the singing of the waiters and waitresses are near Broadway-quality. In fact, one of the ensemble members from the 2nd U.S. tour once worked (and sang) at Ellen's, so apparently it's a good place to be discovered if you're trying to break into the business ! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_R ... _York.html
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - Broadway

Post by jsd337 »

Great to read reviews. Haven't watched Billy in NY since April! I really want to see Myles, since I have yet to see a Billy do a Billy flip! :o
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angelenroute
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - Broadway

Post by angelenroute »

Thanks for the reviews, muck912! Looking forward to many more reviews from fans this week and next, and will have one or two (possibly more) of my own coming too. Already halfway through my review of Giuseppe's last and will be seeing the show again at least once this weekend.

Cheers,
Sean

"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by angelenroute »

From Lip Balm To Broadway
A Stage Bern-ing Performance
Turning Expectations Into Swiss Cheese

The Giuseppe Bausilio Revolution

I cannot appropriately describe Giuseppe Bausilio’s dance abilities, as I’m definitely not a dancer. But I do know amazing when I see it, and I absolutely saw exactly that every time I saw this boy perform. Some fans are able to see a Billy perform many times, others only once. For me, the lucky number was three.

My first time seeing him perform was on an unusually warm and beautiful winter’s day in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 30th of this year. As I approached the cast board inside the lobby of the Ovens Auditorium, I knew whoever I was going to see would be new to me. Other than seeing Kylend in the role of Tall Boy in New York, these were all Billys I’d never seen perform the part. And there was his name in big letters: GIUSEPPE BAUSILIO. I literally gave a fist pump and a “yes!” out loud as some friends had already told me they’d caught Giuseppe and loved him. Needless to say, I loved him too.

After that show, he was so kind and sweet with all of us looking for autographs and the chance to tell him “well done”. An attractive, well dressed woman who looked a bit like Giuseppe was taking video of his time with the fans. “Excuse me, are you Giuseppe’s mom?” A big smile and a nod, her enthusiasm and pride pouring out as she thanked me for my praise of her son. Soon afterward they left and walked to their car, while we decided where to go for dinner. Before we came to a conclusion, a car came by slowly behind us with Giuseppe waving wildly out his passenger-side window delightfully shouting his thanks to us again for our attendance and support. A moment I’ll never forget, that’s for sure! :D

Flash forward five months, and the news was grand: Giuseppe Bausilio from the North American Tour would get a chance at The Great White Way! I started telling fellow fans right away that they just had to see this kid. His talent and enthusiasm were huge and I just knew everyone would love him. I got myself a cheap but good partial view Orchestra seat for his Broadway debut on July 3rd and sat in awe as the amazing performer I’d seen in January proved that like a fine Swiss wine, he’d gotten even better with age. Okay, okay, so I have no idea what Swiss wines are like, but I'm gonna go with that anyway. :) And sure enough, just as I'd promised, my fellow Billy fan friends were beyond impressed with him as well.

But Giuseppe’s talents were never the only thing about him that impressed the audience both inside the Imperial and at stage door. His enthusiasm, his friendliness, his outgoing personality and smile are trademarks of Giuseppe the celebrity. His parents have raised him to be a complete gentleman and so incredibly professional and friendly with fans. And because Jacob Clemente’s final performance in the role of Billy was later on the same day as Giuseppe’s Broadway premiere, I suspect the fan girls who loved Jacob found a suitable outlet for their glee in Giuseppe as well! :D

It was that night after Jacob’s last show that a few of us ran into Giuseppe and his mother in the parking lot next to the Imperial. We were walking to our car with Thommie Retter, and they were on their way to Jacob’s party nearby. Thommie called to them and asked if they’d take just a minute briefly with his friends (us). Once again, it was with no impatience or worry that they stopped in their tracks and spent a few minutes with us, and were very, very sweet.

In late September I was on the street near the Billy tent on the day of the Broadway Flea Market when I bumped into someone. I turned around to apologize and there he was, big smile, passing by to hang something up on the outside of the Billy tent. “Hey Giuseppe!” He was working really, really hard that day. It was so nice to see a volunteer that young putting in as much or more effort than the adults. He was literally working constantly, shouting out the deals to the crowd, telling people the price of things, changing their money and posing for photographs virtually nonstop. His parents’ YouTube channel captured some of that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idpzI-WvLWI

And then the day came so quickly. This past Sunday, November 6, 2011, Giuseppe Bausilio’s finale in Billy Elliot The Musical on Broadway had arrived. It was such a short run on Broadway compared to many, but of course he was an original Chicago Billy, and then toured the country with the North American Tour. Many fans saw Giuseppe perform in Chicago, on Tour, and/or on Broadway, and many tried to be there for his final performance in the role the last TWO times it was scheduled. But with two extensions, all of those couldn’t be there on Sunday. I’m happy to tell you though that at least 15 Billy super fans were there, most are Forum members and a few others I see pretty often.

Now because this is a long review, I hope you’ll understand the lack of detail about the show in general. I do, however, want to tell you about some highlights.

1)There wasn’t a speech before the show, which did annoy both cast and crew, but all made up for that soon enough!

2) We applauded for Giuseppe when he first came on the stage with Dad.

3) A bunch of us applauded for his back attitude pose after he says “chin” in Solidarity. He raises his one leg higher than his thigh and those in the know say it’s just phenomenal. Certainly looks impressive from a layman’s point of view too. Will just add too that Giuseppe is very, very muscular. You don’t see it in his arms as much, but his legs are just massive (in the good way for legs to be massive lol). You can tell he trains really, really hard, is totally dedicated to his craft, and keeps himself in perfect shape.

4) One lady near me (there for her first time I later learned) applauded for his spins across the stage in Solidarity too. She sat in the row in front of me and I could tell she was just blown away by the show and by Giuseppe. In fact at Intermission I tried to talk to her, but she was overcome with tears just at the experience of witnessing the show’s first act!

5) Giuseppe's voice was STUNNING! His singing was so beautiful!!! I'd heard tell of the way they changed the duet at the end of Deep Into The Ground with Dad and Billy singing "against" each other, but wow!!! Those few seconds hearing them sing together immediately jumped onto my "best ever" theatrical moments list! Absolutely gorgeous voice throughout the show and especially highlighted in that brief scene.

6)
Huge applause at the end of Dream Ballet. You know that point when he spins into an attitude position in Dad’s face? Well it was just perfect and stunning!

7) Huge applause and a mostly full theatre standing ovation after Electricity. Many cheers and long applause and very much deserved.

8)
Hug from Debbie (Brianna) even though Giuseppe wasn’t expecting it/had his back turned to her when she did it. =)

And then at the very end a little boy on a bicycle rode out on stage.

“Oy, Dancin’ Boy!”

Giuseppe climbed back on stage and kissed his friend on the cheek. “See ya, Jack.”

“Yeah, see ya, Giuseppe.”

Curtain, tears, and loud applause.

At the near-silent start of the Finale, one of our fan friends shouted out Giuseppe's name which made us smile and laugh and put a huge smile on Giuseppe's face as well.

At the final bow, Small Boy brought Giuseppe a bouquet of flowers, and “Dad”, played on Broadway by theatre vet Daniel Jenkins, came to the front of stage and told us we could sit for a minute as he began a very brief but very inspiring and emotional speech. His pauses and the emotion in his voice helped make it even more special. Remember too as you read this that many in the audience still didn’t know that it was the final performance for this amazingly talented young man in this amazing show. I will have to paraphrase, so here’s just some of it as best I can remember. Don’t read it too fast either so you grasp the way we heard it:

“Born in Bern, Switzerland, he created and successfully marketed his own lip balm in order to pay his way here to the states. He speaks FIVE languages. He’s performed in three North American productions of the show. …………………And tonight, Giuseppe Bausilio has just performed the role of Billy Elliot for the final time.”

Gasps of disbelief, awws, and sighs came from every direction. These were followed by an applause that grew louder and louder, then a spontaneous and universal standing ovation came next. People shouted and whooped, cheered his name and an occasional “Bravo!” It was a beautiful, emotional, and most deserved tribute to this incredibly talented young man!

Stage Door
Between welcomes from Giuseppe’s mom Sônia and from Thommie Retter (Mr. Braithwaite) who asked Sônia, all of the super fans there were invited to walk over and attend the cast party for Giuseppe at Sônia’s new studio space nearby. It was really exciting walking over there with Giuseppe (his flowers in hand), his mom, and their friends. We were not just casually invited in but made to feel very, very welcome as well. Sônia encouraged us multiple times to mingle and enjoy ourselves which we all did very, very much. It was a really, REALLY wonderful time! She told us that the fans have all meant so much to them throughout this beautiful journey. And of course that message is meant for all of you too!

Giuseppe Bausilio was an awesome and awe-inspiring Billy Elliot, and he’s only JUST getting warmed up! I know I speak for all when I say I can’t wait to see what blessings await him in the future!!! Bravo, Giuseppe! Bravo!!!

Sean

Sean Patrick Brennan/angelenroute

-- Giuseppe's Photo Countdown:
http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/fo ... =30&t=3138

-- Giuseppe’s Official Website:
http://www.giuseppebausilio.com

"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
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porschesrule
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Re: November 2011 Reviews - NYC

Post by porschesrule »

And Bravo to you, too, Sean, for a wonderfully descriptive account of Giuseppe's final show and recap of your experiences seeing Giuseppe as Billy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. He was truly one of the great Billys -- not only because of his performing talents, but also because of his wonderfully open and, yes, charismatic personality. His future is, indeed, very bright.

Thanks for sharing, Sean.
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