patc wrote:During those fantastic three hours Kaine took us all as high as the Moon. But he wasn’t content with that. He turned into a star.
I don't often comment in the London part of our Forum, as I'm a yank with enough to try and keep track of overseas, but I try to read the comings and goings here when I can. So I just wanted to chime in with a "great job" on this fun review, Pat. And wow on his bio! That's a really cool story to hear!
Thanks, Sean. Kaine had his Thursday Matinee debut yesterday and I was so glad because some of the regulars can only go on Thursdays and had been really looking forward and hoping to see him onstage soon. It was another gem of a performance and everyone left the theatre on a high. Hopefully, after Broadway finishes you WILL make that journey to the VPT and see for yourself.
patc wrote:Thanks, Sean. Kaine had his Thursday Matinee debut yesterday and I was so glad because some of the regulars can only go on Thursdays and had been really looking forward and hoping to see him onstage soon. It was another gem of a performance and everyone left the theatre on a high. Hopefully, after Broadway finishes you WILL make that journey to the VPT and see for yourself.
Pat
I will definitely try to do exactly that! My first time seeing the show was in London (Corey), so it would be fitting if my last time was as well--hopefully a long ways off still. North American Tour of Billy going strong again now after a brief hiatus.
All the best to Kaine for a long and FUN run as Billy!
Well, as Lady Luck would have it, it has been a while since I've been there when Kaine was on stage but all that was made up for last night (Wed 11th Jan) with another fantastic Billy performance. By now his star has not only risen higher in the sky but is shining even more brightly. It was a privilege to be a member of last night's audience which enjoyed such wonderful acting singing and dancing and that amazing feel-good factor.
Those who know about these things tell us that when we see a star it is not "live" but we are seeing what it was like millions of light years ago. In that case we are very lucky because we see our stars as they are now. They also tell us that stars are actually suns but much further away. In that case we are even luckier in that suns radiate immediate warmth and light and provide us with comfort and joy which is exactly what Kaine did last night and for which I am truly grateful.
Was so pleased when I arrived at the theatre tonight and saw that Kaine was on! I'd only seen him once before, and that was quite a while ago, so was excited to see how much his Billy's changed since my first time seeing him. I thought he was great the first time, but tonight I completely 'got' his take on Billy. His portrayal reminds me of Adam's Billy a bit (which I absolutely love by the way! :p), and I think it's great that there's another slightly more serious 'play-it-by-the-book' Billy in the cast
I love that he's generally a more serious Billy, and personally think it works really well! For instance, I think because his take on Billy's quite serious (and this goes for Adam too), in fun scenes like 'Expressing Yourself', you really notice the difference and appreciate the big smiles and energy coming from Kaine (or Adam). I also find that I tend to sympathise more with the character of Billy when it's played straight the way Kaine/Adam do, and for some reason find their serious scenes (eg: The Letter, the goodbyes at the end, pre-Angry Dance, etc) more emotional. I do love both ways of portraying Billy, though - Ryan and Josh are just as amazing with their unique extra facial expressions/ad-libs throughout the show!
A few highlights for me tonight:
- 'Solidarity' which was performed brilliantly by the whole cast, and Kaine really showed what a great dancer he is to first-time viewers.
- 'The Letter' scene was amazing! Very emotional, and actually had me crying... and that's down to the perfect acting from all 3 cast members involved (Kaine, Caroline Deverill and Kay Milbourne)
- 'Express' with Joe Massey was just hilarious! Kaine and Joe are a great pair together! Definitely one of the most entertaining Express scenes I've seen in all my visits.
- I thought Kaine's acting before Angry Dance was spot on. And the way he delivered the 'me mam would've let us' line couldn't have been more perfect. 'Angry Dance' itself was also breath-taking!
- 'Dream Ballet' was also performed really well and was beautiful to watch.
- His 'Electricity' was amazing! Every Billy's Electricity is incredible, but Kaine's tonight definitely had the wow-factor! Well done, Kaine!
Overall, a fab show from everyone! Muchly enjoyed it!
(Can't believe how long this review ended up being! ha! Definitely didn't plan to write so much, sorry!)
Anyone else think he bears quite a resemblance to Brad Wilson, one of the former London Billys ? I noticed it especially in the picture titled simply "Kaine Ward" showing him with the ballet girls from the Finale.
I have always said, since Kaine started in November that I thought he looked like a young James Lomas at times, especially in profile view.
The Dream Ballet pic in the link above is a prime example of this.
Having seen Kaine often, not only does he look like James at times but some of his actions and mannerisms are spookily very much like James and I keep thinking I've time-travelled back to 2005.
And wow on his bio! That's a really cool story to hear!
and see for yourself.
