Billy Elliot the Forum

Tommy has been a regular Billy in the rotation since February. That's a long time for people to keep thinking he is an understudy, don't you agree?

But to answer your question, yes, from when the show opened until February, Tommy was listed in the program as the understudy for Billy.

Was there a reason why there was a specific understudy as opposed to just 3/4 Billys in rotation from the start? Did the other Billys not just understudy each other like they do now?

I have no idea why they chose to start out with Tommy as an understudy. It could have been that they wanted to maintain the 3 Billy concept in NY to go along with what they did in London. It could also be that the three originals were more ready stamina-wise when the show started, and Tommy needed a bit more time to build his up. It could also have been that the NY organization insisted on understudies for Billy and Michael, although there aren't any now.

Finding Billy Chicago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amf3tLMWtmk

Most of this is familiar territory, but there is a good shot of Tommy working on the wire, and the ending shows the three Chicago boys.

Check out Giuseppe and Cesar's threads for youtube links.

Article with pics from the Chicago press launch.

http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/ ... e-musical/

Nice entry in the Broadway in Chicago weblog:

http://broadwayinchicago.wordpress.com/

Wow, big news day!!!

A very big congratulations to this enormously talented trio!!!

Another article with bios of the Billys from Broadway World.

http://baltimore.broadwayworld.com/arti ... T_20010101

I know this is going to upset a lot of people and I will get an onslaught of comments about this directed at me, but about the Tommy understudy thing...
Equity requires that any major role on Broadway have an understudy. Tommy is amazing and just as talented as the other three but he is still "contractually" the understudy even though he is in full rotation with the others. Someone has to be the understudy by union rules. I love Tommy and was there on his first performance.
There were 3 originally because, also by Equity rules, the number of actors playing a role at the opening must be maintained throughout the run. Therefore, they can always have more than three Billy's but they must always have three. They didn't want to start with four because then they would always have to have a minimum of four plus the understudy.
Love Tommy, he is fantastic. I am excited that he is going to anchor the Chicago show. Now he will get the press that he missed out on in NY. But keep in mind, there is a fourth Chicago Billy (or there will be) that we do not know yet because they will have to have an understudy too.

A good point well made dancinboi. Thanks for that.

just an added comment. Leon was there from the beginning as the fourth Billy as well if I remember correctly. He was also a great Billy, and actually my first Billy. I think he is the longest running Billy.(correct me if I'm wrong) Let's face it. If you make to becoming a Billy you are an amazing dancer and performer and you have done all this before you are 14 or 15. The labels are just a formality. If you take the stage, any of them, as Billy, you have achieved something that a very few have attained and that all of us admire and respect. To be a Billy is amazing and they know that. We as spectators are the ones that are categorizing it. Enjoy the dance. They are all exceptional!!!