July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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Continued from above

Expressing Yourself
Dayton channels some Elvis and a ton of fun with Michael D.
I would bet that this is the first time that the line from Billy(f**K*ng h**l)really meant something to Michael D :lol: . Seeing Dayton come out wearing the dress :!: There was a couple of nice things that Dayton did in the role. Dayton did have a few small problems as well :D . One of the things I liked was this look he gave Michael D after he puts the sweater on him and gives him the push. It was a whats wrong with you I am doing nothing wrong live with it. Dayton channeled an Elvis move(hip swivel) and sound(ahhu)at the start of Expressing Yourself. Dayton did not get the purse on to Michael D's head right so Michael had to let it flop down on his back :shock: :D . As for the dance and tap what do you think happened. Two long time Billy's no problem dancing together or tapping. Dayton and Michael D were in in step and having fun all the way. Michael D seems to bring another higher gear to his game on special occasions. They both had huge smiles when they met up in the back for the arm in arm (finish)and so did I.

Angry Dance
I think for Michael D they should change this to the Maniacal Dance ;) . That is the best way to describe the way he looks during AD. He amazes me that he has any voice left for the second act by the time he gets done screaming and venting his rage. I would not want to be the Music Director, row A or the police line and face that look night after night. Michael's tap and dance are out of this world. His final scream sends shivers down your spine and daggers to your soul.

Maggie Thatcher
I can see Dayton in the back playing with the Maggie doll and singing along with the song. One other funny moment today. When Seth goes to push the ensemble player who volunteers to sing out of the way. Seth pushes so hard that he goes off balance and falls on his face. Seth got up and laughed it off :) .

Deep into the ground

Michael D is a funny young nut. When Dayton pulls out the Barbie and Michael D takes it. He gives it a full body inspection looking under the dress and has the audience in an uproar laughing. Dayton does a great job with tone of voice for his lines. He becomes softer and more vulnerable sounding with(I'm just warming your hands)and(you wont tell any body)and still draws the laughs for (your not a poof) line. For the kiss I would have loved to have esp and be able to read Michael D and Dayton's thoughts ;) :lol: . They handled themselves on the outside with pure professionalism 8-)By the way I did not have the guts to ask them after the show :lol: . Dayton's tutu dance had some street and Michael Jackson moves mixed in. The nutcracker joke was funny as heck coming from him.

Dream Ballet
Michael D and Stephen are a joy to watch. Michael has this look of contentment and a small smile on his face throughout. I would bet that Michael probably likes roller coasters because he really seems to enjoy the wire and spin to the top of stage. Michael has amazing balance after coming down from the wire and doing the one leg 360. His leg up in the air is almost always straight and steady.

Electricity
Michael is feeling the emotions today. After an outstanding performance Michael lets his emotions well up on his face and his eyes tear up. My hands hurt from clapping so hard and long for Michael. The audience and I made sure he knew how we felt. I admit I have no shame when it comes to Michael I yelled (Bravo and his name loudly at the end so that he heard)

Finale
Another great show in a long line of great shows By Michael D, Dayton and cast. I would love to see Dayton get another chance to play Michael. It would be great if he could do it on Michael's last NY show before leaving for the tour :D .
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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

Post by BillyAddict »

It would be even greater if the director could repeat this performance late August early September when a few of the Oz fans are back in NY :). :)

Thanks MF for keeping us fans down under informed. I know we all wish we could have been there to see Dayton debut as Michael.
167 Performances!

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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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BillyAddict wrote:It would be even greater if the director could repeat this performance late August early September when a few of the Oz fans are back in NY :). :)

Thanks MF for keeping us fans down under informed. I know we all wish we could have been there to see Dayton debut as Michael.
Your welcome BA its has been a pleasure to watch the OZ boys.

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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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sctwins wrote:Thanks for your wonderful review,Sam! I can literally picture those scenes in my head! :D Glad that both Michael and Dayton seemed to have a lot of fun and so happy/jealous that you got to see them!!!!! :lol:
Thank you sctwins. It was an incredible experience. I know I have been lucky to see some great performances. I have also seen some interesting combination's of people on stage.

Sam
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Todd
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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

Post by Todd »

Wednesday, July 21 - matinee

Billy - Alex Ko
Michael - Jake Evan Schwencke
Grandma - Merle Louise
Big Davey - Eric Gunhus
All other cast were regulars

I hadn't anticipated being able to return to New York this summer to see BETM, but a good air fare deal became available so here I am for the next couple of days ! It worked out nice, since I had been wanting to see Greg Jbara again in the show (the last time I saw him was the 1 year anniversary show last November) and I also thought it would be a treat to see David Bologna while he was back in New York (which I hopefully will in the next 2 performances I see).

It was a sold-out theater - pretty impressive for a weekday afternoon - and my first time to get to see Alex Ko as Billy. He did an excellent job, making it look effortless with his dancing and acting. I sometimes find myself thinking, "What would it be like if I was up there trying to do what he's doing right now?" and it makes me all the more impressed at what these kids - and adults - are able to do and make it look so easy in the process.

The highlights for me were "Angry Dance" and "Electricity," both of which almost brought me to tears by the effort that Alex put into both of them. I did find myself almost grimacing when he would do a particular jump or move, knowing his history of injuries and being afraid he was going to come up limping. I was reminded of that also, each time he had shorts on and the knee wraps were visible. But he looked pretty much fully recovered, as there were no signs of any problems.

I thoroughly enjoyed Greg Jbara as Dad and Jake as Michael. It was hard to take your eyes off them when they were on stage, so compelling were their performances. Jake has amazing comic sense and appears to be talented enough that he could carry a show on his own in a lead role. I look forward to hopefully seeing him in that sort of role someday. I did find myself missing Carole Shelley as Grandma, as I prefer her take on the role over Merle Louise, who plays it a bit over the top for my tastes.

Afterwards, Alex and Jake and Ben Cook (who played the tall boy/posh boy) posed for many photos outside the stage door and signed many autographs - in the 90 degree-plus heat, I might add. As a footnote, BETM in New York continues to be about the most fan-friendly show I've ever seen. A large group of youngsters (probably around 7 or 8 years old) were waiting at the stage door and visiting with the cast when they came out. Pretty soon, the adult leader of the group said, "Hey guys, we've been invited in to get a picture on stage !" When one of the other adults leaders asked how that was able to be worked out, the other adult said, "Someone from the show just saw the kids and thought they were cute, and invited us in." Very impressive to see them go the extra mile for the fans . . . . just another bonus that adds to the over-all experience of the best show on Broadway.
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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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Todd wrote:Pretty soon, the adult leader of the group said, "Hey guys, we've been invited in to get a picture on stage !" When one of the other adults leaders asked how that was able to be worked out, the other adult said, "Someone from the show just saw the kids and thought they were cute, and invited us in." Very impressive to see them go the extra mile for the fans . . . . just another bonus that adds to the over-all experience of the best show on Broadway.
Agreed, Todd. It's an excellent example of the sensitivity the BETM company has for it's Broadway fans. Gratifying to hear the theater was full and that the cast, led by Alex, put on a great show for them.

Thanks for the review.
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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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Todd wrote:I hadn't anticipated being able to return to New York this summer to see BETM, but a good air fare deal became available so here I am for the next couple of days !

...

A large group of youngsters (probably around 7 or 8 years old) were waiting at the stage door and visiting with the cast when they came out. Pretty soon, the adult leader of the group said, "Hey guys, we've been invited in to get a picture on stage !" When one of the other adults leaders asked how that was able to be worked out, the other adult said, "Someone from the show just saw the kids and thought they were cute, and invited us in." Very impressive to see them go the extra mile for the fans . . . . just another bonus that adds to the over-all experience of the best show on Broadway.
Congratulations and welcome back Todd! =) Glad you're able to catch a few shows! And great tidbit about the kids being invited in, that's really cool. =)

Sean

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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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Wednesday evening, July 21

Billy - Michael Dameski
Michael - David Bologna
Grandma - Merle Louise
Big Davey - Eric Gunhus
All other cast were regulars

A show for the ages . . . . that would be a quick summation of this evening's performance. When I decided to come catch 3 shows in New York this week, one of the things I was looking forward to was seeing one of the Billys I hadn't seen yet. But at the same time, I was hoping to see Michael Dameski again - so powerful was his performance when I saw him this past March. Somehow the stars alligned tonight so that he was paired with David Bologna as Michael - a double-whammy if there ever was one.

The same things that impressesd me about Michael's performance before were intact tonight: amazing acting skills, jaw-dropping dancing, and powerful singing. I'm not sure if I've seen another Billy who draws my attention to his every move on stage the way Michael Dameski does. Every reaction he gives to every situation seems spontaneous, as if he's experiencing everything on stage for the first time. After countless number of performances, he somehow manages to make it look like the first time he's been in the situation he's in. He's either a natural in knowing how to react to something, or he's gotten some excellent acting instruction along the way that he's taken to heart.

It helped that the audience at tonight's show was very appreciative in applauding enthusiastically and laughing loudly throughout the show. Speaking of laughs, Michael seems to have a true knack at comic timing. I'd love to see him perform as Michael sometime - or in another show sometime in the future where he can let his comic talents shine. He let out a long, painful scream when Mrs. Wilkinson sat down on his knee in "Shine" and then later in "The Letter" when she was trying to explain what dancing was, he slowly developed a confused look on his face before saying, "What?" When he pulled out the Star Trek magazine and Mrs. Wilkinson said, "Star Trek annual," he got this confident look on his face and answered with a bit of swagger, "Yeah!" as if to say, "Duh ! Who wouldn't think this was cool?" It got a bigger laugh from the audience than I've ever heard that line get before.

Needless to say, the teaming of Michael and David Bologna was amazing in "Express Yourself" - a number I didn't want to see come to an end. Their tapping in that number was so in sync that it almost sounded like one dancer instead of two - reminiscent of when Trent Kowalik and David used to team up. In "Angry Dance," Michael looked like he was expending every ounce of energy, as if it was his final performance and didn't want to leave anything in the tank.

As for "Electricity," I don't think I've ever seen it performed better than what Michael did tonight. I love the way he belts out the number (much like Travis Yates used to do it in London) and doesn't waste any opportunity to mirror the lyrics in his acting during the song. As for his dancing, there were several times tonight where I found myself shaking my head at what I was seeing. His no-hands cartwheels and flips had to be seen to be believed, and his spins at the end were as fast and as tight as any I've ever seen. The applause went on and on, even after he came out of his finish position. He finally realized he wasn't going to be able to continue since the applause kept coming in waves, and finally allowed himself a moment to scan the audience and soak it up. Rather than breaking into a smile like most of the Billys do, he almost seemed to get emotional as the adulation kept coming his way - and deservedly so.

One of the fun things about the Finale is seeing the cast basically being themselves and just having fun up there. The fondness they have for one another is very evident, as shown by the occasional side comment and laugh, or the elbowing and laughing that David and Michael were doing to each other just before the curtain fell. There's an aire of confidence in knowing they gave it their all and put on a great show, while still appreciating the fans and recognizing the part they played in energizing the cast by their applause and laughter.

This was an evening of seasoned professionals at the top of their game - from Michael Dameski to David Bologna to Greg Jbara to the ballet girls and on down the line. I found myself wishing I could have a filmed copy of tonight's performance to remind myself why the show is so great and why I love watching it so much. I feel priviledged to have seen David Bologna perform one more time as Michael and to have seen Michael Dameski as Billy once again. If you haven't seen either of these amazingly talented young men perform, try to make it to New York in the next few weeks (or to the fall tour that Michael will be going on). You won't be disappointed.
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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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Thursday evening, July 22

Billy - Liam Redhead
Michael - Jake Evan Schwencke
Grandma - Merle Louise
Big Davey - Eric Gunhus
All other cast were regulars

Another full house tonight, as it's been fun seeing the huge and appreciative crowds that have been at the 3 shows I saw this week.

This was my 2nd time seeing Liam as Billy (the other time being this past March). He appears to have stretched out a bit, but still seems to look the right age for the part. As has been mentioned before, he plays a much more smiley Billy than most any other one I've seen. Despite it being a different interpretation than the way it's normally done (Corey Snide and Tommy Batchelor come to mind as others who have played it that way), I think it works fine that way and seems a natural extension of the actor's personality. As Billy is supposed to be going through a lot of struggles, it makes sense that he should be serious much of the time. But the times Liam smiled seemed very appropriate to the situation, and showed off one of his best traits - that being his engaging smile.

It's a credit to his fine acting that I couldn't tell if he really was getting tickled at Jake (as Michael) during the beginning of "Express Yourself" or if he was just playing it that way . . . which would make sense, since Michael is a pretty funny kid. The same question crossed my mind during "Grandma's Song," as his laughing and smiling seemed very genuine - even though I believe the Billys are supposed to do this during the humorous parts of the song.

There has been discussion before on the Forum about how much singing should enter into the equation when it comes to casting the Billys. The producers have said on several occasions that dancing is the first thing they look for when selecting the Billys . . .which makes sense since dance is one of the main themes of the show. In that area, Liam gets an A+ in my book, as his grace and smoothness in all areas of his dancing are as good as any Billy I've seen. With his singing, it seems to have improved somewhat since the last time I saw him, but there were still times during this performance where he was a bit flat. I did find it pretty distracting unfortunately, but that could be because I have a choral background from my high school days and maybe notice problems in that area more than I would in the acting or dancing, since I don't have much personal experience in those areas.

Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed Greg Jbara and Jake Evan Schwenke, as well as Georgi James as Debbie. The tall boy is one I never have seen before - Ben Cook - who I assume is pretty new to the cast. I thought he seemed like a very natural performer and does a good job in the role he's asked to play. Jeff Kready is also new to me as Tony, and I thought he did a fine job. He seems to have the right amount of attitude and bravado, without playing it too far over the top which I've seen some other actors do when playing Tony.

Special mention should also go to Seth Fromowitz, who's one of the cutest and most humorous small boys I've seen. His groan that he lets out at the end of his push-ups at the beginning of the boxing scene are hilarious, as he then collapses face first onto the stage as if those 3 push-ups just about did him in. At Wednesday afternoon's show, he accidentally got knocked down during all the running and chasing towards the end of "The Stars Look Down." One of the young girls in the scene stopped to see if he was OK and he handled it well, as he got right back up with a big smile on his face and was a good sport about it.

I was sorry to miss seeing Jacob Clemente and Dayton Tavares on this trip, as I have yet to see either one of them perform as Billy. I did see Dayton come out the stage door after Wednesday's shows and I also saw Jacob walking down 8th Avenue with his family that same afternoon, if that counts ! I'm really glad I was able to work out this short trip to see the Broadway production 3 times, as it was great fun along with excellent entertainment. At all 3 shows, the audience left the theater very upbeat as I heard random comments about how much this or that person had enjoyed the show. The cast's extra effort in meeting the fans after the show is icing on the cake, and helps complete a fun and memorable experience for anyone fortunate enough to see the show.
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Re: July 2010 Reviews- NYC

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Thanks for the great reviews, Todd. Always enjoy reading them.
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