BYT 2010

[ERinVA]

Here's another review of the York production:

http://theresnotime-jrm.blogspot.com/20 ... opera.html

[BILLYFAN]

I've managed to get a ticket for the show at KEVICCS school at Totnes for 10th July and one for the show at Combeshead college Newton Abbot for July 13th

[porschesrule]

Here's a synopsis of the Regional Showcase at the Curve from the Soar Magazine website:

http://www.soarmagazine.co.uk/2010/06/2 ... -at-curve/

[Mike Newman]

A breathtaking, stunning, and faultless production of ' Billy ' by the City Youth Theatre Co at the Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton , last week. Director, Marc Valentine, Producer, Claire Lewis.The cast rehearsed for six months, and all their hard work, and dedication could be seen " before your very eyes ". To say well drilled might smack a bit of the barrack square, but that is how the ensemble moved around the stage to impressive effect, and gave a wonderful backdrop to the ' stars '. It was a great stroke of bad luck that ' Billy ' , Joe Wolstenholme, broke his arm during rehearsals , but on the final Saturday performances, he appeared on stage and sang his ' Billy ' songs, and the dancing was done by Jake Bone, the alternate 'Billy '. Reget forgotton the name of the other sub alternate 'Billy' but the three of them were just brilliant. Joe, by the way will be appearing as the ' Dodger ' later in 'Oliver' at Drury Lane. Best wishes Joe. The two ' Michaels ' , Toby Joe Corner, and Brogan Webber , were both hilarious and emotionally touching. Debbie, Ellie Sothcott, was a gorgeous flouncy, pouting young lady, perfectly pitched. The other Principals, and I will not go into too many names, were all as good as you would see at the VP , a great credit to all of them

City Youth Theatre Co. are an accomplished group , and one can feel their professionalism and expertise on stage. They are a remarkable entertaining and loveable gang.
Even their programme was full of little biographies , with appropriate jokes , of all the Production Team and Cast ,which in itself must have been the result of a great deal of late night candle burning.

An outstanding show, by outstanding , stimulating and inspiring young people. A hearty thank you for such a memorable and unforgetable ' Billy Elliot '.

[BEJB]

A theatrical homecoming
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 25024.html

[porschesrule]

A theatrical homecoming
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 25024.html

A great find, BEJB!

And a very moving piece by Lee Hall.

[BILLYFAN]

King Edward IV college (KEVICCS), Totnes and Coombeshead College Newton Abbot
This was a jiont production , the Totnes School shows where on Fri 9th and Saturday 10th and the Newton Abbot show on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14TH
I went to the Totnes show on the Saturday,the production manager, Tommy Spurling, gave a 10 minute talk, saying he was 13 yrs,old in 1984 and living at Wakefield, he remembers the strike well,after a rather left wing talk,he went on to say that they rehearsed for 3 months and the 2 schools where the only ones putting on the show wect of Bristol, that they got to the regenal finals at Birmingham, putting on Grandma, and while there learnt that they were going to be in the London Gala on July 18th, putting on an important scene from the 2nd act.
The band was 6 strong, 3 from each school,conducted by Emma trend
I went to the Newton Abbot show on Tuesday 13th, The musical director, Nicola Britton gave a 5 minute speech, a much better speech then the one on Saturday, as she talked about the show more.
The show started with a film with scenes from the miners strike and a folk song about the strike, as the show was only 2 hour and 20/25 minutes long incl.the talk and 20 min break most of the songs were " condenst", as the production manager stated, and some of the "acts" were cut out, and most of, but not all, of the swearing cut out
Some of the music was also slieghtly differant, in GRANDMAS scene girls were dancing with the men while grandmas was dancing/singing, which seemed to work well, The angry dance was shortened and according to the parent who got me the ticket to the show, was the new american

version, I hope not! may be alright for the shortened show but not the London one!. The 2nd act was very rushed in the christmas scene (after the pantomime) when Michael goes to kiss Billy, Billy pushes him away, and when dad catches Billy,there was no swan lake,of course, but it could have been done better at the KEVICCS show Billy only moving his arms a couple of times, the Newton Abbot Billy was better, he did some pirouettes across the stage, he could be famouse and the finale were very short-only the last "verse"at both show there was long standing ovations
in Electricity the Totnes Billy, Bidwell Fairlove did some ballet, but mainly street dance, the Newton Abbot Billy- Sam Vowden, mainly ballet
The production manager at Totnes said that several parents had told him that they preferred this show to to London one==but I like the London one best, very good shows I thought that Sam was slieghtly better then Bidwell, but there were not much in itst

[ERinVA]

The real American version of Angry Dance is not shorter than the London version. In fact, I would say it is slightly longer because it leaves out virtually none of what is in the London one, but adds more rioting, etc. The only tap part you do not see in the American version is the few bars when Billy emerges from the hut with the black ballet shoes on a string and does the step sequence where he hurls the shoes off stage left. Of course, in this production you saw, if the intent was to make the tap part easier on the kid playing Billy, they may have cut out some of the tap and used the riot parts that have been added to the American one instead to make up their version.

[Billy Whiz]

Thanks for the reviews everybody.

when Michael goes to kiss Billy, Billy pushes him away

This has happened in both shows that I have attended at Kendal and Penrith.

[Billy Whiz]

Grandma's Song from Ricards Lodge School, London

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeWQRTEt ... r_embedded