April 2011 Reviews - NYC

[accessmenj]

Remember that "Electricity" is performed in front of a panel of school officals who are appreciative of dance. So we can imagine that they expressed their admiration at the end of this great number(think about the judges reaction after a great performance in TV dance shows). Billy may not be out of character when he looks around and smiles.

[angelenroute]

I'd also like to add to the praise for Jacob! I really hope I get to see him perform again soon. And as for this aspect of breaking character, I LOVE IT!!! I don't remember him doing it, but I was in the back row of rear mezz so I may not have really caught it. =) As to standing ovations, strangely enough I need to start at the very end of the show...

After seeing the show from close up last Sunday, I was reminded at Billy's private curtain call just how deserving these boys are of adulation. Peter played Billy Sunday night and as the curtain rose and he walked toward the audience with the Billy sign behind him, you have this moment where you realize what just transpired over the past 3 hours. A young boy has just performed this most incredible role before your eyes, a forceful thunderstorm of activity, dance, singing and triumphant acting, that has yanked every possible emotion from your soul. And upon seeing him before you as just a boy, a 4-foot something kid, you're just smacked with the realization that you have completely taken this fact for granted, that it was a 13- or 14-year-old who just exploded in front of you as the star of this incredible Broadway musical!

Standing ovations. I've mentioned this here before, but as this Forum is thick with comments, and many will never reach most people, I want to say it again. This is a little bit of advice from me to all of you my fellow super fans, or BEeps as I like to say. When I (if I) stand, particularly after Electricity, I think about the audience around me who will see me stand. I think how powerful and how wonderful it will be if not just I but many others stand as well, how appreciated that would be by whoever is on that day as Billy.

And so I've learned to train myself, to not just leap up right at the last beat of the song. Do I want to very often? Of course! But when you allow the audience their authentic moment of cheering first in those first few seconds, and then stand up, it seems to often bring more people to their feet with you. A quick jump up from your seat will (to some) seem inauthentic or too forced or too enthusiastic (even though they are in a moment of enthusiasm too of course). But when you let the roar come, and then rise naturally after, I dunno, 3-5 seconds? Can't remember how long I wait. It just feels like I can get more people to stand too.

And I say all this because 95% of the time, they do absolutely deserve a standing ovation. But people are timid and don't want to stand out from the crowd. So my little waiting game seems to help them, seems to teach them standing ovations are natural, spontaneous creations that happen upon realizing that cheering from your seat just isn't enough.

I know, I know, I think too much. =) I'm simply sharing what I have found to be a tiny, helpful technique to encourage others to stand as well when shy reluctance may be keeping them back. And I hope the Billys know that seated patrons does not mean anything more than silly human nature to want to stay in their seat. =)

Just some thoughts. Anyway, I'll go now.

Sean

[atreyu]

And I say all this because 95% of the time, they do absolutely deserve a standing ovation. But people are timid and don't want to stand out from the crowd. So my little waiting game seems to help them, seems to teach them standing ovations are natural, spontaneous creations that happen upon realizing that cheering from your seat just isn't enough.

Sean, that is excellent advice. I, for one, appreciate hearing about your experiences since I find myself in just that dilemma. There appears to be a fine line between seeming insincere and providing the feedback that the Billys richly deserve in the form of an enthusiastic standing ovation for all the reasons you elaborated. Particularly right after Electricity when the audience has the opportunity to return some energy to carry through the remainder of the show.

[cincinnati]

I really agree with what angleroute wrote.....and very well thought out and well written I might add.......I stand all the time, I know for a fact that this means so much to the performer......and you are exactly right....the little wait does help others to go ahead and stand too.......DITTO angleroute....well done

[johnnyc]

(Edited to add info I missed before)

Thursday, April 28 was my first time seeing Billy in New York again after seeing a number of shows on the national tour, both in Cleveland and in Charlotte. I'm going to write a few impressions of Thursday's performance - I seldom do reviews. This was only the second time I've seen Peter as Billy, and his acting and dancing were impressive. There was a slight slip up at the end of Angry Dance, but I doubt that the audience noticed that Peter fell to the floor several beats before the orchestra ended the piece. I won't say anything about Cameron as Michael, since this was only my first time seeing him, and I need to see a few more of his performances before commenting on his way of playing the character. Robbie Roby was OK as Mr. Braithwaite, but I really missed seeing Thommie in that role. Joel Hatch played dad in Gregg's absence, and he was convincing, I really like his portrayel of dad, and I thought his singing voice was outstanding. I saw something new during the boxing scene. :O In all the prior shows I've seen, Tall Boy was the only one to do proper press ups. Michael and Small Boy only gave half-hearted attempts. Well, on Thursday, Tall Boy Ben Cooke did almost nothing but shake his amply head of hair up and down! I thought that was very funny.

I found myself missing a few of the changes that were made in Chicago and on the tour. I have never liked the London/NY version of the scene where Billy reads the letter from the Royal Ballet. You can't see much of his expression up in that bed room, and dad running back down the stairs shouting "down, down down," just never made any sense to me. Sorry, the audience chuckles, I know, but I think it's silly. The way it's done on the tour is much better, in my opinion. Billy stands on the stage facing the audience as he reads the letter, with dad, Tony and grandma trying to look over his shoulder. The audience sees every nuance of Billys expression as he reads. Very effective, I think.

Just one other comment. The language. It's hard listing to all the f word useage here in NY after seeing on the tour that the play works equally well with the language toned down. Yes, I know the NY/London way is more authentic, as that's how characters talked in the play's setting. But it doesn't have to be that way! Some of my friends will disagree heatedly, but I don't care. And that's it for now. Even though I'm doing a six-performance Billython, I may not have much more to say, unless something spectacular happens at one of the shows, such as a wayward police baton flying into the audience and knocking out cold the fellow who annoyed everyone by being on his cell phone the whole time.

[dongringo]

Gee, there must have been something enjoyable about it.

[johnnyc]

I never meant to imply the Thursday performance wasn't enjoyable. I've never seen a Billy Elliot show that was not enjoyable. My intent was to give my impressions of a few actors I hadn't been exposed to before, and to make some comparisons between the NY show and the way it's done in other cities. Some of my comments were favorable to the Broadway production and some were not. That's just the way I see it. But did I have a wonderful time at the show Thursday night? Yes I did.

[johnnyc]

After the Friday show featuring Alex and Neil, I asked Ben Cook about the way he's doing press ups in the boxing scene now - just bobbing his head up and down, and not moving the rest of his body. Ben explained he came up with this idea about two weeks ago. I told him it was great and to keep doing it that way. Ben flashed a big smile, and thanked me.

By the way, Ben has a great personality and seems to be a really nice person. I hope he's with the production for a long time.

[dongringo]

I never meant to imply the Thursday performance wasn't enjoyable. I've never seen a Billy Elliot show that was not enjoyable. My intent was to give my impressions of a few actors I hadn't been exposed to before, and to make some comparisons between the NY show and the way it's done in other cities. Some of my comments were favorable to the Broadway production and some were not. That's just the way I see it. But did I have a wonderful time at the show Thursday night? Yes I did.

Glad you had a good time.

Funny about Ben's pushup technique. Sounds like that would be really funny to see.

[Todd]

The way it's done on the tour is much better, in my opinion. Billy stands on the stage facing the audience as he reads the letter, with dad, Tony and grandma trying to look over his shoulder. The audience sees every nuance of Billys expression as he reads. Very effective, I think.

Just one other comment. The language. It's hard listing to all the f word useage here in NY after seeing on the tour that the play works equally well with the language toned down.

I would agree with you on both of these points. It will be interesting to see the Broadway show again in June, after having been to see it on the tour in Chicago, Durham, Charlotte, and Houston since I was last in New York. Like you, I didn't miss the extra f-words not being in the tour shows. And I also like the RBS letter scene, as you described, with Billy reading the letter facing the audience.

Another change I've grown to like is at the end of the confrontation scene between Dad and Tony, when Billy is scheduled to meet Mrs. Wilkinson for his private dance lessons (right before "The Letter.") I like the way he plops himself down on the stage in front of the piano, still visibly upset with the tension in his home between his dad and older brother. I think this makes a more believable transition to the Letter scene, and is reminiscent of the way it's done in the film with Billy sitting on the canvas of the boxing ring waiting for Mrs. Wilkinson to come in.

That being said, I'm looking forward to seeing the show with the film portions included, both at the very beginning and in "Angry Dance" when Margaret Thatcher and the riots are projected onto the police shields.