This encourages me to post more in detail (from my archive, ha-ha) the flow of that unforgettable theatre night - mainly for reminicence of those who were so lucky to attend: (had already sent it by PM to sgv123)
BETM Gala 1st anniversary show 12 May 2006 - who did what:
Billy: James & George & Liam
Tony: Chris Lennon
Michael: Brad Kavanagh
Dead Mum: Stephanie Putson
Dad: Phil Whitchurch
Older Billy: Isaac James
Mrs. W: Haydn Gwynne
Mr. B: Alex Delamere
Debbie: Brooke Havana Bailey
George (Boxing-Teacher): Paul Broughton
Grandma: Ann Emery
Speech of the Director, Stephen Daldry - brilliant! (And fantastic change-overs between the 3 Billys throughout the show!)
Act I
* Opening (The Stars Look Down) - Liam
Amazingly all three Billys could be spotted very briefly among the children chasing each other at the very beginning, but then Liam walked in behind Dad and did the "Take me up". (He went off with the Miners, and when the bed came up, George was already on)
* Breakfast Scene / Boxing Scene / Shine - George
George with a more mature voice now, but still a very reliable Billy - cheeky, impish, angry as ever - and his acting, just great - you can feel his love and care for grandma! He always pushes back when pushed by the ballet girls, and tickles them with that large feather - and very funny moves in the boxing scene. James joined George doing some slow-motion “arabesque”-pantomimes in white spotlight after Shine (totally synchronized and very beautiful), after which George stepped aside, looked like a control check at James still in position, smiled, gave him the thumbs up and James carried on. Extra-applause for that.
* Grandma's Song / Solidarity Part I - James
James clearly has outgrown the role and now quite a deep voice - but what fun, and still the sensitive actor! (And later his tap-dancing, just as great as ever.) James then exited in the middle of Solidarity part I by the back door and George came in across the front of the stage simultaneously (on “come on Rudolph Nureyev” - extra-applause) and did the spins across the stage.
* Solidarity Part II (from the spins across stage up until the final pirouette section) - George
Most impressive, when George’s cheeky, impish, angry “working class- / miner’s son” Billy “from next door” first gets to that full upright position (that arabesque with “elbow, wrist, tummy, chin” - near to the end of “Solidarity I”), and the whole audience of the VP gets absolutely quiet and stunned, because everyone feels this sudden change: that this “street-kid from next door” shows within seconds all the potential of a wonderful ballet-dancer, and everyone discovers that surprising grace in it - no other Billy has that effect to this utmost extend! Changeover to Liam just before the final pirouette.
* Solidarity Part III (final pirouette section) - Liam
James and George joined Liam on stage for the finish of Solidarity, jumping in from the wings from both sides exactly with the ending of Liam’s pirouette, all of them wonderfully synchronised into that upright “arabesque” position (and the audience therefore in ecstasy!!) - after which Dad said: "what the hell is going on here!” (Very funny, as he was seeing 3 Billys…) - and George and Liam shouted 'run', leaving James on stage.
* Mrs W-Billy toilet scene / Expressing Yourself / Confrontation Dad-Tony - James
What a great fun that was, Brad in best-form - and that now quite handsome youngster James with extra-deep voice and in strangely coloured women’s clothes - ad-lib by Brad: “Oh, your voice has gone deep, Billy!” And the most fantastic tap-dancing I have seen in EY so far! Ovations!! Then, after the confrontation scene, James shouted 'stop it' and ran up the first part of the stairs, where Liam was obviously hiding on the backside and carried on in one synchronized move - in the dark it looked as if James was just going up and laying himself on the bed - but when he then opened his mouth we realized he somehow had changed into Liam - a real magic - most amazingly done!!!
* The Letter / Born to Boogie - Liam
Moving letter scene of this a bit more introvert Billy, and a great boogie - have never seen Liam that excited before! Great jump from the piano to upright standing - the two adults destroyed to his feet! Liam then went into the toilet after that, where George was obviously hiding, who took over the scene.
* Debbie-Billy Toilet Scene / Confrontation Dad, Tony, Mrs W / Angry Dance / end of Act I - George
Very funny that “f**ny” scene with George waiting quite a while with his reply - And then his Angry Dance - how can one express so much frustration, rage and anger in a dance - just: wow!!! Just listen to it on YouTube - the audio part of the following is from that 1st anniversary show:
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=iBdUrRhSUEs
Shouts from the audience: “Go on George!” from the very beginning (one of them: Travis!). The first full standing ovation!
Act II
* St. Claus / Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher / Deep into the Ground / Winter Scene - George (with still great singing voice at the end of "Deep...")
Great interaction of George and Brad on the Winter Scene then - always “his” Michael in earlier days… And Brad’s ad-libs like: “How is it, Billy, when you are NOT dancing?” (like that famous question in Electricity) - and meant was of course George himself - his reply: “Crap!” - moving!
* Swan Lake - Liam
The switch from George to Liam was exquisitely done: as the music was playing from the radio, George was sitting on the chair staring at the ground. He then stood up, proceeded to change the music, picked up the chair, went with ballet steps into ballet pose, and started spinning it. Then Liam walked onto the stage from stage left with ballet steps towards George, took position opposite him, and George gracefully handed it while spinning to Liam, also in ballet pose - both illuminated by white spotlights (extra enthusiastic applause!), and both of them smiled at each other so lovingly - with George waiting there till Liam proceeded to dance Swan Lake (and then George went off in ballet pose with ballet steps.) The dancing was spectacular as always and well synchronized, and Liam got a well deserved lasting ovation.
* Audition and Electricity - Liam
Liam gave his All in Electricity - and maybe was a bit overdoing - and then the fastest pirouette I had ever seen before his Last Night, but he wobbled a bit before stand-still at the end. But of course he got his so well deserved lasting standing ovation at the end! (The funny joker as ever, George came on in the audition scene dressed up as one of the stage hands to move a speaker!! And a few have even discovered James as well as a stage hand cleaning the snow away!)
* Billy-Michael after the audition / Receiving the Letter from the Royal Ballet School - George
Funny as always, that “William Elliot is queer” - George then handed the letter to James at the end of that scene and James read it again.
* Mrs W Goodbye Scene / Once we were Kings / The Letter Reply - James
Excellent moving interaction with Haydn - she was in tears really, excellent singing of the reply, all very emotional, lots of tears! James had done this final farewell now for the third time: 17 Sep 2005 when he had to finish because of voice break, then 07 Jan 2006 after he had been invited back during that little crisis of Liam, and now unexpectedly a third very final farewell - what a rollercoaster of emotions for this so sensitive young lad! George and Liam joined James at the aisle - all three dressed in their parkas and with suitcases, and they all turned round at Michael's 'Oi, Dancing Boy!' before James jumped up and delivered the kiss. Thereafter the three of them marched up the aisle together, James in the lead with tears running down his face, and the other two side by side behind him - somehow just their faces illuminated by a low spotlight - very moving!!!
Finale
* The Finale was led mainly by George
And nearly all the house supported him early on with “Go on, George!” and with handclapping, with Liam and James joining in the middle section (then leading three groups of Ballet Girls, Miners and senior cast) and with Liam in the middle for the ending section (as the only one still in the show), and all three Billys high up in the air at the end of it - and after that they changed back to their “normal” approach with George in the middle.
* Obligatory Happy Birthday song led by Sir Elton John and short nice speech.
* Final Billys Dance by the three Billys, supported by all cast - and Elton tried to join in…
And the house was going mad really already from the beginning of the finale, but now standing all the time - and absolutely in hysterics!!!
And with all these complicated unusual change-over things etc, the perhaps most stunning was that nothing, absolutely nothing went wrong. Real and great Pros!!