Billy Elliot — The Musical

Chances are that Billy Elliott – The Musical, a monster hit in London and still going strong, will hang out at Broadway's Imperial Theatre at least until spring, when it can collect its share of awards.

Based on the Academy Award winning film, Billy Elliott theatrically expresses the vulnerability of a young boy who scorns boxing and yearns to dance. The year is 1984 in a rough down-market northern English mining town where the townspeople have a deep dislike for Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who resolved to smash the unions and privatize the mines. The steeliness of politics and inequities of the British class system is the background for Billy, with powerful dancing and Sir Elton John's music, to live out his dream.

Three dynamic young dancers play Billy — David Alvarez, Kiril Kudish, and Trent Kowalik (pictured). In the performance attended, Kowalik, a slim 14-year-old, charged through the lengthy challenges of classical and modern ballet, tap, street dancing, and awe-inspiring acrobatics with fireworks and grace. He plays Billy with sensitivity and inner strength, his face and body movements reflecting the emotions of a boy who lost his mother at a young age and strives to please Jackie, his father, and Tony, his older brother, both striking coal miners. In an incandescent "Electricity," he expresses what dance means to him.

It is in Mrs. Wilkinson's ballet class that Billy comes alive. The chain-smoking Mrs. Wilkinson is no soft touch, but she quickly recognizes Billy's talent and convinces him to take private lessons from her. When he wants to continue the lessons at the Royal Ballet School, he gets no support from his father and brother or the tough community. Even his friend, Michael, a cheeky youngster who likes to cross-dress, has reservations about Billy's ambitions. His encouragement at home comes from Grandma, a tad ditsy but kind-hearted, and the memory of his Mum (Leah Hocking) who returns frequently from the grave.

Director Stephen Daldry builds the story's tension with the violence between miners and police played against Billy's ballet. Note the outstanding aerobic explosiveness of "Solidarity." The community's tension is repeated at home with domestic unease between Grandma and Billy's father and brother.

Gregory Jbara as Jackie is impressive, even touching, as a hard-boiled miner who eventually sees beyond his own biases to appreciate his son's talent in ballet. Jackie is able to imagine his son's future as portrayed in a dream pas de deux between the boy today and Stephen Hanna portraying Billy in the future. He is then able to bring around his older son, played emotionally on the edge by Santino Fontana.

Haydn Gwynne, who appeared in the London production, plays Mrs. Wilkinson with stiff-backed earthiness masking her open heart. With "Shine," she enlightens Billy about expressing whatever talents you may have, or not, through dance. She has a rough-edged daughter, Debbie (Erin Whyland), in the little girls' ballet class, who is two steps ahead of Billy in maturity, as most girls are at that age. She has a crush on Billy. Telling him that ballet dancers are plenty masculine, she reminds him about Rudolph Nureyev, asserting, "He's not a 'puff'."

Carole Shelley brings out the sass and warmth of Grandma. Singing "We'd Go Dancing," she tells Billy how she once loved to dance although her husband had two left feet. In her few appearances, Leah Hocking plays Billy's late Mum with tender subtlety. David Bologna played Billy's chum, Michael, in this performance. He shows he is already an accomplished scene-stealer when he and Billy strut out "Expressing Yourself" and in the full "Company Celebration." Kowalik is authoritative as Billy Elliott.

This is not a pretty musical but it is as tough and gritty as the times. Nicky Gillibrand designed earth-toned costumes for the impoverished townspeople and Ian MacNeil's set is mobile and versatile. Peter Darling's choreography is emotional and narrative. It often sparkles, as in the magical "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher." Elton John's music is tightly woven into the plot. The melodies are not exceptional, with dollops from different genres and even some reminiscences of his earlier pop songs. It works, but does not sound fresh. Nevertheless, it is in Lee Hall's unmemorable lyrics that the score falls short, and Hall's book cries for editing. The play runs close to three hours, which snips away at the emotional core. In addition, Stephen Daltry's direction, generally well-focused, bogs down in numerous transitions, creating wrinkles instead of smoothness.

In a season yearning for a fresh musical, Billy Elliott – The Musical is a contender. It is not perfect, but its warm plot and hot performances earn a green light on the award path.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
November 21, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org