Parets is remarkable in the role of ‘Billy’ – (It really doesn’t matter which Billy you see they have been handpicked like bits of diamonds out of rock and put through rigorous training for months, so you are sure to be blown away!) He is technically outstanding in dance and very relaxed in his character. And, what’s more important, he is enjoying himself up on that stage!
Everyone should have a ‘Mrs. Wilkinson’ in their lives – Dickinson plays her with that tough
Northern England attitude that overlies a soft heart – she’s someone who is trapped in a town of macho from where there is no escape – for her. She sees in Billy what she wanted for herself and she fights to get it for him. It’s a cracker of a role and she bites right into it. (She was a wonderful interview on Showtime last month.)
One of the highlights of the evening was provided by Patrick Wetzel as ‘Mr. Braithwaite’. A rather large, somewhat overweight barrel of Guinness of a man who tickles the ivories, shakes his booty and gets down with his dancer self, to the utter delight of the audience – he is fabulous.
Patti Perkins rounds out the leads with a beautiful performance – an over the top granny who adds much needed comic relief to the heavy topic of the 1980s miner’s strike in Great Britain.
Rich Hebert also buts in a solid performance as ‘Dad’ – not an easy role to play as he is the straight man throughout the show.
I have seen the touring show before and, as much as I enjoyed it, felt this one lacking in
a couple of areas. The fact that it was in a venue with a large seating capacity made it less intimate. In some cases, the performances weren’t reaching out to the back of the house. I know that the producers want to make money and more seats mean more cash but it did not serve the production well. And, they really focused on the drama in this show, at times with long, overbearing pauses that were unnecessary. It simply knocked the pacing off –
Having said that, Billy Elliot will take you on a heart-soaring emotional ride that you will long remember. It is the story of acceptance, perseverance, of having the courage to be oneself and follow dreams no matter what or who stands in the way.
I think, we can all relate to that.
This is NOT a production for young children – it is long and, quite frankly, the story of Maggie Thatcher and the miners strike in the 80’s really won’t hold their attention. So age 10 and up perhaps –
