Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post any suggestions, tweaks or problems you have.
User avatar
VaRus
Small Boy
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:26 pm
Location: Bournemouth/Moscow

Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by VaRus »

Why I left my normal reservation (Olly's thread) and invaded this remote territory? Because I have a rather ambitious suggestion: let's collectively create a bit of BETM history as a part of the Forum!

BETM's Billys (and other cast - but for the sake of simplicity I will refer only to Billys hereafter) come and - alas! - go. Each Billy was different and outstanding in his own right, and deserves to be remembered. However as time goes by it becomes increasingly difficult even for veteran fans (not saying for newbies) to remember why a certain Billy was great, what were his fortes, what was amusing about his particular interpretation of the role, why some his shows were so memorable, etc. Some Billys are known more than others (of course, the initial Billys were lucky in that respect or let's say Colin who was on the promotional video) but for those who became fans after their departure they are almost terra incognita. The Company seems not care too much (at least publicly) about legacy of its former stars - just look at the official site and try to find even former Billys' names there! A lot of reviews and other information were accumulated in the old forum and it was possible (although, difficult) to search there for information about a particular former performer. However, that content is now lost. Of course, there are Wikipedia items but they are very short and include only basic facts.

So I propose to create a kind of BETM encyclopedia to let the forum members and visitors learn everything they want to know about Billys (and, perhaps, Michaels, etc.). It should be a special section of the forum. Each Billy's "dossier" (technically it can be just a sticked thread) can include the following:

1. Short biography
2. All the basic facts&statistics relevant to that particular Billy as a performer of the role
3. References (Internet links) to all the possible sources of information about that Billy (articles in national and local press, sites, blogs, etc.). And not just references but some actual excerpts-citations from the news and articles which will give a flavour about that Billy's individualty without need to go elsewhere.
4. References to publicly available photos, video and audio clips (in Youtube, etc) with short description of the items
5. Last but not least - the most interesting and creative part, namely - the forum members' selected personal views and reviews concerned with shows (or other events) of that particular Billy.

I have no doubt that some fans keep a lot of information about some of Billys as well as about other cast and other topics (technical aspects of the show, etc). Many of us have their own old reviews at their computers (note that the actual authors rather than owners of the old forum hold a copyright!). So I believe this job can be done. At the end it can be properly presented (maybe in the form of illustrated pdf files, renewable regularly).

In terms of organisation, this will be, of course, challenging endeavour requiring a careful coordination and some proactive activity on part of admins and moderators. Of course, everybody can contribute using the present threads devoted to a particular performer; however, only a nominated person should have a right to select information and actually add it to the "dossier". It will be his/her ultimate responsibility to compile such a dosssier with help of everybody. I believe some forum members will be happy to volunteer (and probably admins & mods know better who can do the job in each particular case).

It is not difficult to guess why I am certain that this job can be done - not saying that it can be very interesting for those involved and - who knows? - maybe will give some new burst to the forum? Of course, those who remember my modest activity at the old forum know that there is one particular Billy who already has its "dossier" prepared and (after consultations with the family) published. In particular, it included everything I could find in the Internet as well as all the relevant reviews from the old forum (I think some of you took an opportunity to download it as 120-page pdf file last summer, and its new extended edition with a lot of newly found material, mainly from local press, should be available in some time). So Oliver's legacy is already secure, and it only remains to compile his dossier's concise version. So I did my bit and know it is fun!.

I understand that such a venture is well beyond the Forum's established activity. At the old forum I once tried to initiate a small scale "historic" topic "Billys are different. What's exacty different about them?". It had some very interesting posts (most of them can now be found in Oliver's dossier) but at the end the thread died without much fuss. Maybe this proposal will also befall the same fate. Anyway, no need to hurry - probably some discussion is needed.

P.S. Well, on the wave of that my (probably short-lived) enthusiasm I can even put another proposal: to collectively create "BETM dictionary"... Probably, I should shut up immediately...
Valery
User avatar
Geridith
Tall Boy
Posts: 160
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:50 am
Location: New York City, USA

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by Geridith »

I love the idea. I agree that it will take a lot of work and organization to create something this massive collectively, but the end product could be phenomenal. Its final incarnation might be better displayed as a traditional website rather than in a forum format though, just an idea.
LONDON: Liam M (1), Tom (3), Rhys Y (2), Dean Charles (1); NEW YORK: Trent (11), Tommy (10), Kiril (9), David (8), Tanner (3), Liam R (3), Dayton (3), Michael D (3), Alex (2), Jacob (1); CHICAGO: Tommy (1), Giuseppe (1), Cesar (1) = 63 shows total :)
BETMNY Billy Schedule on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/BETMNY
User avatar
electric
Small Boy
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:08 am
Location: BC, Canada

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by electric »

Wonderful, wonderful idea. As a fairly new BETM fan I've had to do countless hours of research on my own time (not that I minded at all, it was fun!) to 'acquaint' myself with all of the Billys and other previous cast members. It would be great to have all of this info in one place! It definitely is a very ambitious project, but I do hope that enough people show interest in it to actually make it happen.
London:
Billy: Tanner x2, Fox x2, Tom x2, Brad x1
Micheal: Lewis x3, George x3, Dean x1

New York:
Billy: Trent x1
Micheal: Frank x1
User avatar
jen
Miner
Posts: 366
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:14 pm
Location: London/Essex Border

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by jen »

Good idea
It is a great show that people do come and see. Because it's not
just a show for adults, or just for children, or just for people that
like theatre, I'd say for everyone, and it's got so much emotion
behind it. Because who ever comes and sees it, feels the story -
so I think: it's brilliant!" (GM)
Justin
Tall Boy
Posts: 198
Joined: Wed May 13, 2009 12:18 am
Location: Cambridge

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by Justin »

Just pushing this thread up because..well I thought the outcome might be interesting.

The old forum contained more than 3 years worth of reviews and thoughts, alot of them contributed by members now on this forum.

I'm the nostalgic sort. I like reading old reviews and recalling first nights, last nights, the birthday shows, gala nights. It's like a walk down memory lane. Most of all, I like remembering the Billy's I've seen. Those moving, tear-inducing performers who never ceased to give their all at each performance and who's effort we so graciously lapped up and praised when it was merited. It'd be a shame if time made them to blurry to recall with the kind of incisiveness their performances warranted.

So did anyone save any of their old reviews? How much of that first birthday do we remember - which Billy did what?

I'd be up for contributing to such a project. Definitely.
Red's my colour
User avatar
jen
Miner
Posts: 366
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:14 pm
Location: London/Essex Border

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by jen »

Well have reviews of every show I have seen about 26
It is a great show that people do come and see. Because it's not
just a show for adults, or just for children, or just for people that
like theatre, I'd say for everyone, and it's got so much emotion
behind it. Because who ever comes and sees it, feels the story -
so I think: it's brilliant!" (GM)
User avatar
chocchipcookie26
Tony
Posts: 712
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:04 am

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by chocchipcookie26 »

I think this is a brilliant idea.. shame there isn't really anything i can contribute.. except a couple of reviews from February.. i think i made a thread called Old Reviews, so yes, i think people should post them :)
x
User avatar
bubsycm
Debbie
Posts: 955
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:21 pm
Location: Amongst the Beautiful People

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by bubsycm »

This is a good idea! I was actually going to ask the other day whether or not there is somewhere with a list of all the old Billys etc. It would be wonderful to have all the info in one place, I still don't know of all the former cast.
Charlotte x
User avatar
NIKKIE-NIKKIE
Forum Founder
Forum Founder
Posts: 1910
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:21 pm

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by NIKKIE-NIKKIE »

Take life with a pinch of salt.....a slice of lime, and a shot of tequila.
User avatar
bubsycm
Debbie
Posts: 955
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:21 pm
Location: Amongst the Beautiful People

Re: Let's start BETM encyclopedia!

Post by bubsycm »

Ha, thanks! :)
Charlotte x
Post Reply

Return to “The Forum - Suggestions, Tweaks or Problems”