Billy Elliot the Forum

Thank you everybody for your reviews and comments. They are really appreciated by those of us that can't get to the NY production very often.

angelenroute wrote:I won't be seeing Joseph ever until the final weekend.

Sean

Unless Joseph is the Billy on Friday, January 6th or Sunday, January 8th then he will be the only NY Billy that I will not have seen perform

Wednesday matinee, December 21

Over the years I've seen hundreds of professional shows in Toronto, New York, and National Tours. Most run nice and smooth, but here and there you get the oddball thing happen. But nothing like today!! This Wednesday matinee will go down as the most bizarre show I've ever seen, anywhere. This show also contains the single most courageous performance I've ever seen, anywhere.

This show was my 8th and last Broadway Billy show until the January 8th finale. I was rooting for a certain Billy, Joseph, because I had seen the other 3 Billys but I was 0-for-7 with Joseph. So I hustled to the theater to check the cast board. No Joseph. At this performance the role of BILLY will be played by Peter Mazurowski. This would be my 3rd time seeing Peter and I really enjoyed the 1st two, especially his scream-filled Angry Dances. And noone does a more poignant "see ya Michael" scene than Peter.

Peter started the night off on fire. You would expect that from him. He's devoted over a year of his life to this role and he has only 6 shows left. You know he is going to give it his all. Peter was cruising beautifully through Act I. The large audience was into the show and was into Peter. The "dance, you little bastard" scene was about half way through when the unthinkable happened. Peter was standing next to Mrs. W as Tony was letting her have it from across the room. All of a sudden Peter vomited. And not just a little bit. There was a huge puddle on the stage. Patrick Mulvey (Tony) didn't realize what had happened and kept yelling at Mrs. W (Laura Marie Duncan subbing for Emily Skinner) for a few seconds. Peter was in shock and just stood there looking like he was ready to continue with his lines. Laura quickly took Peter by the arm and led him off of the stage. William Youmans (George) had the presence of mind to come to the front of the stage and tell the crowd that they would have to take a break because Billy was sick. William's speech was quickly followed by a female voice on the P.A. system saying "Peter Mazurowski, our Billy, is not feeling well and will not continue with the performance. (the crowd groans loudly) But we have another Billy, Joseph Harrington, in the theater. We will get him dressed, clean up the stage, and begin where the show left off." (Tade was also in the theater, playing Tall/Posh boy at this performance.) Two men came out on stage to clean up the mess. After only about 2 minutes the same lady came on the P.A. system again. "Peter is feeling better and wants to continue with the show. We will begin shortly." A huge cheer goes up from the crowd. But wait a minute. Is that such a good idea? With Angry Dance upcoming?

And sure enough, out onto the stage pops Peter. The show can't start right away and its not because of Peter. It's the audience. As soon as Peter appears this great audience gives him a long, loud applause, not stopping until he does a little bow. It was only about a 5-minute time span from throw-up to start-up. The show is back under way and Tony is yanking a queasy-stomached Billy up onto the table and imploring the little bastard to dance. And dance he does in a most-memorable Angry Dance. You could not tell that he was sick. This was the ultimate "the show must go on" moment. What a trouper Peter is. He absolutely gave it his all for 4 specatular minutes of wild tap, screams, f-bombs. INCREDIBLE!!! The audience was stunned, but recovered with a tremendous roar as Peter was brushing himself off and walking off the stage while glaring back at the crowd, never breaking character.

It certainly made for some interesting intermission chat. The conventional wisdom in my group was that management would rethink the situation, overrule their teenaged star, and put Joseph Harrington out for Act II. Think about what was coming up in Act II: Dream Ballet and the spinning that goes with it, and Electricity. If I was calling the shots I would have patted Peter on the back, tell him he did a great job, and then bring in the relief pitcher. I'd of played it safe. I'd of played the percentages.

But this is Peter Mazurowski. His powers of persuasion must be otherworldly because there he was walking down the aisle and up onto the stage to start Act II. And what an Act II he had. Dream Ballet didn't phase him. He was spinning out of control but managed to keep control of his stomach, and had a smile on his face throughout. Now that is acting! Maggie Thatcher, Electricity, Letter Reprise, Finale all beautifully done without a hint that he was sick.

What a kid! Puke your guts out in front of 1300 people and have the courage to come back 5 minutes later to give those 1300 people a performance that they will remember for the rest of their lives! And this loving audience showed its appreciation again with a long standing ovation. What an afternoon at the Imperial!

Wow what a review muck912. That must have been quite a show! So glad to hear Peter was ok and able to finish. It sounds like the audience was really rooting for him. That is what these Billys do to you. They get under your skin, and you as an audience become emotionally invested in them.

he has only 6 shows left.

This line hit me like a slap in the face, the reality that the Billys are down to having only a few shows remaining for each of them.

Ethel Merman would have been proud! (She was a strong believer of "the show must go on" even when she was sick.)

I must say that's a first!

What an incredible story! Peter was a brand new Billy when I saw my first performance of the show over a year ago.

muck912 wrote:This Wednesday matinee will go down as the most bizarre show I've ever seen, anywhere. This show also contains the single most courageous performance I've ever seen, anywhere.

...The show can't start right away and its not because of Peter. It's the audience. As soon as Peter appears this great audience gives him a long, loud applause, not stopping until he does a little bow.

What a kid! Puke your guts out in front of 1300 people and have the courage to come back 5 minutes later to give those 1300 people a performance that they will remember for the rest of their lives! And this loving audience showed its appreciation again with a long standing ovation. What an afternoon at the Imperial!

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of Peter for this incredible comeback!!! What an amazing kid!!! And so grateful that a great reviewer of shows was in attendance too so we would know about it!!! Thank you so much!!!

Peter is a superstar!!!

Sean

muck912 wrote:It certainly made for some interesting intermission chat. The conventional wisdom in my group was that management would rethink the situation, overrule their teenaged star, and put Joseph Harrington out for Act II. Think about what was coming up in Act II: Dream Ballet and the spinning that goes with it, and Electricity. If I was calling the shots I would have patted Peter on the back, tell him he did a great job, and then bring in the relief pitcher. I'd of played it safe. I'd of played the percentages.

That is really impressive. Peter really showed his dedication. But he may have truly not been sick anymore. I have had Scouts who have been feeling sick all day and when they finally get around to throwing up, they are completely cured by it. In any case, well done, Peter!

Good job muck912! I was also there. I luckily extended my last ever NYC Billython from 5 shows to 7, including the Wednesday matinee show. I was happy to see Peter as Billy since I remember seeing him for the first time about a week or two after his debut as Billy. I had commented to the man sitting next to me how much Peter has grown into the Billy role and how proud of him I was. He just keeps getting better and better! The man next to me thought I was a parent of one of the kids because of my glowing admoration I have with the cast, but of course , I am not!

Anyway, I was about three rows from the stage where it happened, and as muck912 stated, Peter was in disbelief. Laura Marie Duncan, acting like how a mother would when their child is sick, said to Peter, 'it's ok' and walked off. Without rehashing what muck912 said, Peter seemed evem more determined to put on a greater show than usual. His angry dance was nothing but exceptional. One of his best performances. Electricity and the reply scenes were packed with emotion, so much so that it made me cry like a baby. I admit it! I don't know if it was the determination I saw in Peter or the fact it was my second to last show, but I had the mix of emotions of saddness and 'damn proud' of that kid!

So this was my second to last show (my last show was later on Wednesday, which I was happy to see Tade as my final Billy). These two shows really made for a roller coaster of emotions for me. Later on, I will write about my billython, but as I now sit in the airport, I can say that I still have not had my fill of the show. I was lucky enough to see each Billy twice, with the exception of Joseph ( really sad about that, but at the last show, he seemed to recognize me in the MT scene and gave me the 'you back again' look with a smile and a thumbs up), but I could easily stay another week or even fly back to see the finally, but I know I cannot. This show has a true place in my heart, that will never be replaced. From talking to people sitting around me through the several performances, I am not the only one that feels this way!

Till later...Mike

Wow! Imagine the potential! A high society woman in the first row gets a whiff of the vomit and barfs all over her husband, Bob Cormier barfs on Principal Wigham, Principal Wigham barfs on the lumberjack who was sitting next to him, Mayor Grundy barfs on his wife's t*ts, then the smell really hits the crowd! Girlfriends barf on boyfriends, kids barf on their parents, a fat lady barfs in her purse, the Donnelly twins barf on each other, and the Women's Auxillary barf all over the Benevolent Order of Antelopes!


See it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STB4s7Qhf40

Now picture it spreading through the crowd at the Imperial!
A complete and total BARF-O-RAMA!