Only a true cynic’s heart would not melt during Billy Elliot. All of those cute kids. The desire of one kid to express himself inspiring an entire community. This is the stuff of good musicals. But it is the juxtaposition of uplifting material with a dark tale of a fight for human dignity, a miners’ strike that is decimating a community, that makes Billy Elliot soar.
The design elements are impeccable, the cast is phenomenal (lots of Tony wins likely with both groups), but it is all about the dancing and Billy doesn’t disappoint.
In some ways the show didn’t feel like a musical or a play. It felt more like a wonderful piece of dance unrolling slowly before our eyes reaching a crescendo in the second act at in all important audition scene. The dance was supported by a wonderful score, mostly non-traditional musical numbers that were essential to the balance of the two tones of the show, and short narrative scenes that didn’t over-explain the story.
I found myself on the edge of my seat at end of act one’s Angry Dance. It was an act break like no other. Almost completely dance, completely entrancing and more evocative of the story than another showstopper I had ever seen. And one of the funniest and most endearing numbers ever to be performed has to be when Billy and Michael sing Expressing yourself. This is certainly the first time a show’s dream ballet not only made sense but moved the story forward with beauty and grace.
The story we all know from the movie, but one can’t help think of the current economic crisis during the show. You have to root for Billy (Trent Kowalik portrayed Billy at the show we saw, and he tore my heart out at the end of the show as he walked down the aisle past me with a tear rolling down his cheek). His father’s struggle as a single parent maybe a familiar story but it is portrayed with such heart and emotion, you want to leap to the stage and hug the wonderful Gregory Jbara. Haydn Gwynne’s dance teacher captured the magic of seeing a great talent for the first time and the heartbreak that goes along with nurturing that talent, but not being able to fully nurture the child. I also have to mention David Bologna who played Michael with the comic wit of an actor three times his age.
At the end of the show, I was struck by the fact that this was not a traditional musical but I didn’t mind in any way. It is a beautiful show and will likely win a lot of awards Sunday night. Anyone who has ever worked in the arts should see this show. So should anyone who has a dream. I just wished I had kept up dance classes when I was young, because after the show I inspired and wanted to pirouette down Broadway.
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