Billy Elliot [2000]

Product Information

Featherstone, David; Kelliher, Diarmaid; Donovan, David; Conway, Terry; Davison, Sally (18 July 2018). " 'An enormous sense of solidarity': London and the 1984-5 miners' strike". Soundings. 69 (69): 99–112. doi: 10.3898/SOUN:69.06.2018. ISSN 1362-6620. S2CID 158898452. Nigel Reynolds, “ How real-life Billy Elliot’s dream ended in tears,” The Telegraph (Sept 30, 2006), Joanna Riding to join cast of Billy Elliot". londontheatre.co.uk. 28 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 . Retrieved 6 August 2010.

Lathan, Peter (29 July 2004). "No Newcastle Premiere for Billy Elliot". The British Theatre Guide. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011 . Retrieved 10 July 2011. On 10 April 2017 it was announced that Billy Elliot would open at Sydney's Lyric Theatre in October 2019. The production transferred to Adelaide, followed by Melbourne where it was scheduled to close in April 2020. [25] The adult cast featured Kelley Abbey as Mrs. Wilkinson, Justin Smith as Billy's dad, Vivien Davis as Grandma and Drew Livingston as Troy. Mid-way through the run, Abbey withdrew from the show and was replaced by her understudy Lisa Sontag as Mrs. Wilkinson. On 28 November, Elton John watched the show from a private box and surprised the cast and audience by participating in the final bows. [26] The show closed just over a month early in Melbourne, on 16 March 2020, due to audience restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [27] Original Broadway production [ edit ] Stephen Daldry (Theatre show Director) (28 October 2014). Billy Elliot Live (Live Theatre Event). London, UK: Universal Pictures. Archived from the original on 30 September 2014.A second tour opened at the Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, North Carolina, on 30 October 2010. Although this is the first production of the musical to tour the United States in a "touring" manner, this is still considered to be the Second National Tour. [49] Varley, Eddie (21 July 2009). "BILLY ELLIOT To Launch National Tour In Chicago At The Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre In March 2010". BroadwayWorld. a b "Billy Elliot – The Musical to open at the Imperial Theatre on 16 Oct". New York Theatre Guide. 15 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. The original cast album was released on 10 January 2006. On 12 May 2006, the three original Billys appeared together in a performance of the musical to celebrate its first anniversary. The three rotated the role during the performance and were joined at the end by Elton John. [9] In 2013, the show won another Olivier Award, the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award (voted for by theatre goers), after many years of being finalists for the award. [10] After Margaret Thatcher died in 2013, according to director Stephen Daldry, the audience were given the choice to decide whether the song "Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher" would be included in the performance that day, since the lyrics include the sentence: "We all celebrate today 'cause it's one day closer to your death". As only three audience members voted against it, the performance went ahead as usual. [11] [12] On 3 July 2015, 12-year-old Nat Sweeney from Birmingham became the 41st actor to play the role of Billy, making him the 100th to play the role worldwide. [13] Elton John appeared on stage at the final West End performance in April 2016. [14] Billy Elliot the Musical Live [ edit ] Within the social context of the 1984–85 miner's strike, Billy Elliot's personal struggle to continue dancing is contrasted powerfully to choreographed violence due to the strike. The repetition of 'solidarity forever' is an empowering musical motif to represent the perceived power of the miners union. [76] The message of strength in unity is assisted by emotive and colloquial lyrics, producing audience affect as the empowered everyday working men fight ardently against the British government. [77] However the eventual fall of the worker's strike suggests that class differences are inevitable, yet there remains an allusion to strength despite this loss of power. [78] Ultimately Billy's passion for dance remains empowering enough to allow his movement to a middle class education.

The production is notable in its empowering promotion of the subversion of traditional gender roles, promoting acceptance and open-mindedness; both implicitly in the show's decision to represent drag and the challenging of traditional masculinity in a positive light, and explicitly, in the shows lyrics and repeated core message of the value of 'expressing yourself' and embracing one's 'individuality.' Billy's subversion of traditional masculine "gender performativity" [74] is highlighted against the contrast of Durham's extremely masculine working-class society. With this focus, Billy Elliot has the position of being "the first mainstream British entertainment to directly interrogate homophobic prejudice as a function of patriarchal society." [75] With the impact of its empowering message of acceptance entering public discourse and education campaigns [19] thanks to the prominence and financial success of the show. Hernandez, Ernio (13 December 2007). "Elton John and Lee Hall Take a Bow at Billy Elliot 's Australian Opening Dec. 13". Playbill . Retrieved 12 January 2022.

However, I needn’t have worried, because this excellent piece of musical theatre drama gradually draws in the viewer at home, just as it does when you are present in the theatre. Indeed, by the time I had experienced the emotional rollercoaster that is Billy Elliot the Musical Live, and had witnessed the stunning finale featuring 25 current and former Billy Elliots (including all three originals – James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower) united on stage in a specially choreographed mash-up finale, I couldn’t come up with enough superlatives to describe what a fantastic buy this DVD is. Who he? Billy Elliott star Tom Holland". thelondonpaper.com. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 10 August 2010.