Allentown Reviews

[CJ-Rochester]

A thread for reviews of the Civic Theatre production in Allentown, PA. I of several fans who plan to attend, so hopefully there will be many reviews here.

[CJ-Rochester]

The Morning Call has this review today.

'Billy Elliot' a triumphant show for Civic Theatre's grand reopening

https://www.mcall.com/entertainment/mc- ... story.html

[CJ-Rochester]

Here's another positive review, this one from Lehigh Valley Stage:

Funny, tear-jerking, touching "Billy Elliott" unveils renovated Civic Theatre

http://lvstage.org/musical-reviews/952- ... UxzY8TWjhE

[atreyu]

Having taken in a single show on opening weekend in Allentown, I will split comments into a few general impressions, then offer some specific opinions that others may prefer to skip for now in order to have the fresh experience for themselves.

The Civic Theatre production is characterized by faithfulness to the Broadway show. Just about all the profanity is present and the choreography for the company is the same in many places and similar if somewhat simplified in a lot of other places. As this was just the 3rd performance, it was evident that a lot of actors are still concerned with where to be and what to say rather than more intricate details. A few times the band was out of sync. But these aspects should improve quickly as has been the case with other regionals.

The principal supporting roles, however, have no such difficulties. Mrs. W, Dad and Grandma all give excellent performances. Combined with the experienced pro Parker the result is a successful show. For me it was a fine reconnection to regional BETM.

For a veteran viewer, the pacing of the show can be quite challenging. It is painfully slow at the start, possibly to allow the audience to settle in, but there seems to be more to it than that. Similarly some of the scene changes are not exactly snappy. Having seen some regionals that made a point of keeping things moving, I couldn't help but think this production could benefit some from those examples.

Billy and Michael have the stage to themselves throughout Expressing Yourself. No dresses, no additional dancers, no staircase or other additions, just the two buddies. That seemed to open the door to extra knock-your-socks-off tap dancing, but alas, the tap is quite subdued.

Parker's acting talent is most impressive. Occasionally he shows a slightly impish smirk that is reminiscent of Elliott Hanna. Some may disapprove, but in this case I find it fitting with Parker's high comfort level on stage and in portraying Billy. Best examples are the scenes with strong emotion which Parker handles very well.

The best summary description I have for the Billy choreography across the Solidarity/Expressing Yourself/Born to Boogie/Angry Dance/Dream Ballet/Electricity spectrum is "Minimal Risk". No flying, of course. One can understand the need for this approach not to jeopardize the shows that follow, but there is a price. Mason Steltz is named as understudy for both Billy and Michael; likely the "emergency" substitute rather than a typical understudy.

Finally there are two interesting significant differences that I caught here that I've never seen elsewhere. First is having Billy appear much earlier in He Could Go and He Could Shine than normal. As in, around the end of the first verse. So instead of just showing up to attempt breaking up the fight, he hears a lot of Dad explaining how extraordinary he thinks Billy is, enough to cross the picket line. There is a bit of inconsistency in that Billy waits for several punches to be thrown before jumping in whereas earlier he is imploring Dad and Tony "Stop it Please!" when the first punch happens. But this is pretty minor.

Second departure is Dead Mum handing Dad the new jacket for him to give to Billy during Once We Were Kings. It is perhaps more sentimental (and I'll grant I'm a sucker for sentimentality), but this is also a little odd that Dead Mum is no longer strictly in Billy's mind.

Bottom line, I'll grade this a B, although if there were significantly less travel involved and I got to see the closing performances, it could easily achieve higher.

[tzwicky]

I am blown away by the positive reviews and that'll only get better as "Billyfanatics" weigh in.

I am locked into the final 2 shows. In years gone by I would have stopped in for 4 shows, but adult responsibilities get in the way of fun.

Besides, I am hoping that I might get to see the show again in Connecticut at the Goodspeed Opera House with a veteran Billy (read Parker) next summer.

tzwicky

[accessmenj]

Regional productions of Billy Elliot The Musical are the best. I just attended the Civic Theatre of Allentown for their production. The audience was the big difference between this presentation and some of the professional productions of the past. The crowd rewarded every humorous situation with laughter, every display of talent with applause, every sad scene with tears and choking coughs, and every surprise with incredulity. And finally, everyone gave a “standing O” with enthusiasm to the entire cast.
But the cast did much to deserve this response. Kathleen Oswald was the perfect Mrs. Wilkinson, both flawed and caring. Robert Trexler has a beautiful voice and played the gruff, but troubled Dad. He nevered smiled until Billy’s Electricity, and then his huge smile made a powerful statement of love and pride. Grandma was Joann Wilchek Basist and she won the audience with her humorous portrayal of a life of abuse and regrets. The rest of the cast had no weak performances. I wish I had time to specifically mention them all.
Billy (Parker James Fullmore) and Michael (Todd Croslis) carry the multi-layered plots and themes of this complex show. These two guys did a spectacular job of being true to the intentions of Lee Hall, under the direction of William Sanders.
Anyone considering attending the Civic Theatre for BETM, you will not be disappointed even if you have attended a professional production in the past. Parker and Todd will match up with any duo, anywhere. Spend the time, effort and money before this gem closes.

[CJ-Rochester]

Thanks for the great review, accessmenj. There will be several eager fans there tonight. I look forward to being there.
-Chris

[muck912]

There are already a number of fine reviews of this show so I am just going to add some random thoughts after my daughter and I saw the Thursday and Friday shows last week. (Thursday was the 50th show for my daughter.)


I've seen over 80 shows and I don't think I have ever seen a better Mrs. W than this Allentown one. Not on Broadway, not in Toronto, not on the tour, not anywhere. Kathleen Oswalt hit all the right notes whether she was singing, acting, or dancing. She was the loudest Mrs. W. I've ever encountered, but also a very loving one.

This show had both a small boy and a small girl. They split the role but sometimes they were on the stage together. Of course the movie had no small boy, just a small girl. Small boy Aaron Locke was just 5 years old, but did a great job. Youngest sb ever?

Most regionals don't try to pull off the complicated original choreography for Grandma's song or Solidarity. But this company pulled off both numbers beautifully. Kudos to choreographer Deena Linn.

Billy & Michael, Parker Fullmore & Todd Croslis, were fantastic. Todd played the role more flamboyantly than most and pulled it off very nicely. He got the loudest laugh I've ever heard for the Nutcracker line by changing it to 2 words "Nut Cracker" with a pause between the words. Parker is a veteran Billy who really has the show under control, never rushing anything. He always waits for the laughs or music to die down before he starts his lines so he never misses a joke or an important moment of dialog. Parker got the loudest laugh i've ever heard for the "fookin hell" line in Express. Instead of yelling it over the audience laughs at Michael's dress he waited for the audience to calm down and simply said the line in a normal tone of voice. The laughter rained down. It was the first time I haven't heard the line yelled.

Angry Dance is my favorite part of the show. Towards the end of the tour I thought that this song had devolved into something not very angry. I suggested that the show change the name to "Mildly Upset Dance." But Parker's is truly an "Angry Dance".

Parker's Electricity is also well done. His vocals are great and during those vocals his positioning is very different but very good. The only glitch during the 2 nights was when Parker knocked over the chair with his leg during his final Electricity spins.

It was so nice to hear the original bad language throughout the show. For some reason it adds a lot.

I've been told many times that I am not the sharpest tool in the shed and perhaps that is true because it took me 15 or 20 viewings of BE to fully understand the scene where Jackie becomes a scab. But here in Allentown the scene is choreographed differently and it is so easy, even for me, to understand this part of the story.

There are 4 shows left and I strongly advise everyone to drop what they are doing and head to Allentown. This show has a Broadway level Billy & Michael and a great supporting cast in a beautiful Art Deco theater. Good seats remain at very low prices ($34 for 1st row). Although both of our shows were near sellouts.

[angelenroute]

There are already a number of fine reviews of this show so I am just going to add some random thoughts after my daughter and I saw the Thursday and Friday shows last week. (Thursday was the 50th show for my daughter.)

Really enjoyed this review! Thank you!