I may be wrong but I think Todd means there was no announcement before the start of any of the actual last shows.

Yes, that's what I meant. I remember reading after each Aussie Billy did his final performance how Forum members who were in attendance were always disappointed that no recognition was given to each Billy in the form of a pre or post show speech, etc. A casual audience member would have had no idea that there was anything out of the oridnary about that particular performance since no mention was made of it beforehand or at the end - much like was done at the 1 year anniversary show in New York this past November.

In London - on the other hand - when each of the original 3 Billys (as well as Leon Cooke) did his final performance, there was not only an announcement beforehand by Stephen Daldry but a special gathering of former, present and even future Billys at the end of the show to do a special dance together to honor their friend on his last night.

At any rate, my original post about the upcoming 5th anniversary show wasn't meant so much as sour grapes that "London gets to have all the special celebrations" but rather a curiosity as to why one production does things so differently than another when it comes to these sorts of things.

What I would like to know is where did Justin get his information from????

If this doesn`t happen there are going to be many disapointed members in the audience!!!

I think that the problem with a Forum like this is that us mere Forum Mortals have no idea of the background of the various Forum Members. We are told that cast members view the Forum - I suppose some could be members with alias style User Names. On that basis, some members could be from the creative or production teams - we are never likely to know. Maybe the Forum is used by the Production Company to 'sow seeds' or moot idea's. Anything is possible!

Because one does not have to be a member of this forum to read it, there are cast members and families who read but aren't members, and I imagine that some members of the production team may check out what is going on here as well. There may also be some cast and/or family members who actually hold memberships on here and post from time to time, but do not wish to reveal who they are, which is quite understandable since they have a right to privacy as do all members of this forum.

I do hope Lee Hall comes to the 5th birthday show....his is one autograph I need to complete my essential collection!!

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL Celebrates 5 Years In The West End on March 31. To celebrate, a special finale will be choreographed to include 19 past, present and future Billy Elliots.

http://westend.broadwayworld.com/articl ... 1_20100315

Time to play name the 19

My guess is it will be all the English Billys, including Rhys Yeomans, and only one of the American boys who played Billy in the West End (one of these: Corey Snide, Hogan Fulton, Trent Kowalik or Tanner Pflueger).

OR

If there's a new boy being trained to take Tom Holland's place (which we have to assume there is), then he would be the 19th boy and there would be none of the West End Billys from America.

If I were a betting man (which I'm not), I'd put my money on the latter scenario.

Do you mean all the British Billy's as wasn't Sam Angell Scottish? and Dean Irish/ or are you excluding them?