Themes and sub-plots missed at first viewing

[Eltonjohn]

Good point, gpcolo, about the emotion of anger being the primary theme that binds all the other emotions together. We all appreciate the constant change from one emotion to another, because that is real life.

Billy Elliot The Musical is more about real life than most musicals. Other musicals just break into song and dance for no apparent reason. With a few exceptions, BETM has a reason for the music that is part of the plot. From "Take me up", to "Solidarity", to "Shine", to "BTB", to "Dream Ballet", "Express", "Angry Dance", "Grandma's Song", "Merry Christmas" and "Electricity", the music fits the plot and often even makes sense.

I have heard Union meetings end with a rousing chorus of "Solidarity Forever".
All kids have danced the no-talent dance of "Take me up".
Billy's first dance lessons make sense of "Shine" and "BTB".
The vivid imagination of a pre-teen explains "Dream Ballet" and "Express".
Adolescent temper tantrums look alot like "Angry Dance".
Hallucinations of someone slipping in and out of dementia explains Grandma's Song.
The Christmas Pageant normally has singing.
And finally, "Electricity" is Billy's practiced routine that he needs to show the school officials.

Some suspension of belief is of course necessary. But BETM is based on gritty reality.

Electricty was NOT practiced for the audition, rather it was completely and utterly spontaneous improvised brilliance... and that's what got him accepted into the RBS. That is the whole point of the number. It is his dream converted into reality, and he manages to pull it out when it matters the most for his future. In the film Billy does dance a chorographed routine for the audition panel however. He only verbalizes his feeling of like electricity coursing through him whenever he dances.

Grandma doesnt have hallucinations or delusions and people with dementia just have it, they don't slip in and out of this progressively degenerative neurological pathology.

[Eltonjohn]

Not a new theme, but an even stronger presentation of the theme of acceptance is the acceptance of the Billies for who they are.

A California Billy with parents from the Ukraine.
A California Billy with Filipino parentage.
A California Billy with Japanese parentage.
Two Canadian Billies with Cuban parentage.
One Canadian Billy with African parentage.
Two Iowa Billies with Asian parentage.
One Swiss Billy with Brazilian parentage.
One Australian Billy with Macedonian parentage.
One Australian Billy with Indonesian parentage.
A British Billy with Chinese parentage.
A black British Billy.

Not to mention all the Korean Billies.
Billy Elliot The Musical not only talks the talk, but walks the walk when it comes to acceptance.

Talent and other personal attributes have always transcended national, state, ethnic and other socially constructed and arbitrary, imposed labels. Why WOULDN'T a person who is capable of playing such a demanding role be anything but accepted ?

[Eltonjohn]

Good point, LiamM. But whether the Royal Ballet is on the side of the working class, or just trying to be friendly, after the hostility of the board's employees it is a surprise that they are trying to prove that they are somewhat sympathetic. Our first clue that Billy will be accepted.

To some observers, the coal miners strike has been characterized as a class war. The audition scene merely highlights how accents can differentiate classes. The same theme was used in My Fair Lady (of the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain fame).

The RBS wants (needs) talent irrespective of a prospective student's family wealth or socio class privilege. That is why the school, thanks to its wealthy benefactorsnand patrons, offers scholarships on merit to individual applicants who are elite dance-wise versus elite socio-economically. Recall that Mrs. Wilkinson had written to the RBS in advance explaining Billy's personal circumstances as a hardship case i.e. motherless, family destitute from a year long strike, inadequate training and resources for dance development, yet highly gifted and very tenacious. The latter are what matters the most to the RBS, the potential to be successful ultimately, just as for the search for future Billies.

Classical dance from its very inception around 300 years ago or so has always been connected with the nobility, upper and privileged classes or with state patronage. See for example discussions at http://www.dance.net under ballet.

The audition scene poked fun at the so-called upper classes, but at the same time showed that they are still decent, down to earth folk at heart, same as the rest of us (posh boy showing concern for down hearted Billy, posh dad trying to mke polite conversation, audition panelist extending courtesies to Mr. Elliot, the two smokers)

[OliverWaters]

When Michael is showing Billy the dresses he says something about 'his Dad doing it all the time..'' (although I don't always catch the few words before this) so is Michael saying that his trait runs in the family?

Before he says his dad does it all the time, the convo goes (something like)
Billy: won't you get in trouble?
Michael: will I bollocks! (that means "I definitely won't)

[BEtourfan]

When Michael is showing Billy the dresses he says something about 'his Dad doing it all the time..'' (although I don't always catch the few words before this) so is Michael saying that his trait runs in the family?

Before he says his dad does it all the time, the convo goes (something like)
Billy: won't you get in trouble?
Michael: will I bollocks! (that means "I definitely won't)

I believe Michael's line (at least in the US version) is "will we bollocks ...." Though I have no idea what the phrase means.

[angelenroute]

Billy basically says (and I'm using the movie which I'm sure the musical follows), "Won't we get in trouble (for putting on women's clothes?)" And he's at Michael's house, so he's referring to Michael's dad. Michael assures him that no, they won't get in trouble, because "Me dad does it all the time."

Will we? Bullocks.
Will we get in trouble? Bullsh**.
Will we get punished for this? No, we won't.

[ERinVA]

It is bollocks, not bullocks, and here's the literal translation of bollocks, which Michael is using as a swear word:

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... 20bollocks

"Will we? Bollocks!"

Bullocks, on the other hand, are steers:

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... ne+bullock

[angelenroute]

I was going by this link, which I looked up before posting: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bullocks

...but thankfully, it's not a word I need to know how to spell in my day job!

[ERinVA]

Thanks, Sean. Interesting. It never occurred to me that the spelling with U would be a variant, as I have always associated "bullocks" with cattle. We all learn something new every day, don't we?

[StevenKing]

Just when I thought I knew it all that phrase is explained...thank you all, that was one of the last ones I didn't have a clue.