Wed. Sept. 1 - 8 pm (show two of three)
There were several forum members in attendance tonight, so we will probably see multiple reviews. Here is my take on the evening.
Billy - Peter (his 2nd show),
Michael - Gabe,
Small Boy - Alex,
+ understudys: Older Billy/Scottish Dancer - Michaeljon Slinger, Scab/Posh Dad - David Koch, Lesley - Cara Kjellman.
Take Me Up -
Peter has a nice high pitched voice. Alex is such a tiny small boy, but Peter is a tiny Billy.
Breakfast -
In the pasty bit with Grandma, Peter's acting is intense and he projects well. He shows some of the same mannerisms I have seen with Michael D. in this scene.
Boxing -
Gabe hit Peter with both gloves together. This scene was especially funny tonight and the audience loved it. When Joel threw the glove as Gabe ran off to the toilet, it hit him square on the back. Good shot!
Shine -
Kate was in top form and great voice. I had fun noticing how much the ballet girls push and shove each other during the number. Peter gets knocked around by the girls quite a bit. He does a great job of being the confused and frustrated new dance student.
Solidarity -
Peter says the 'rip off' line as he pays his 50p quite loud and clear.
The number ended with an incredible finish that shows off Peter's ballet form. He has great poise and control of his body. Huge applause!
Express -
Gabe is very intense and deliberate with every word he speaks and sings. This is also what I noticed when I saw him in Chicago. He is an incredible tap dancer. There is a nice chemistry between Gabe and Peter. They make a great pair. Big applause at the end, which Gabe did a nice job of milking.
Letter -
I think Peter is second only to Jacob in tear production. This started early in the song. At the end when Kate said "she must have been a very special..." she sounded like she had been crying as well. There was applause at the end. It is not easy to applaud this number because of how the music works leading to the next scene. I have often felt the actors were cheated out of their applause here. Tonight they received it, which was well deserved.
B2B -
Thommie was hysterical tonight and had the audience laughing like crazy. Peter got mixed up a bit in Kate's jump rope, but finished with a nice Billy jump off the piano.
Angry Dance -
Wow!! Very intense, high energy and lots of tight spins.
Tutu Scene -
Gabe showed some very nice ballet-like moves during his "just a little bit" piece. His program bio doesn't mention what kind of dance background he has, but it looks like he must have some ballet training.
Dream Ballet -
Peter and Michaeljon are very well matched. This is one of those cases where we can easily believe it is older Billy.
Royal Ballet -
Greg seems to have added more to the bit with Dad and Scottish Dancer. Greg is much more obvious in noticing the dancer's bulge and playing it for laughs.
Electricity -
Peter did a great job, with amazing spins for such a small guy.
During the curtain call I noticed Tessa was giggling. Someone in the audience was holding up a sign that said Happy Birthday Tessa.
Later I heard it was Tessa's mum.
It is hard to believe this was only Peter's second performance. He definitely knows what he is doing. There were a few times when his accent faded and he sounded more like an American boy, but I think this will improve with time.
Prior to the show I ran into Thommie and Will outside the stage door. I told them how exited I was to be seeing a new Billy. Thommie replied that he feels simply that "Peter IS Billy Elliot". No argument here. Peter has the looks, talent, and especially personality to become one of the great Billys.
At the stage door Peter was very sweet to meet in person and gladly signed playbills and posed for pictures. I had a chance to meet his dad and congratulate him. Peter's dad was pretty surprised that there are people who have seen the show so many times.
-Chris