BILLY ELLIOT the MUSICAL ----------


In an effectively and affectingly conceived and staged production depicting gloomy desperation and fierce emotional intensity during the 1984 coal miners’ strike in Northern England, young Billy Elliot struggles against repressive, negating attitudes and entrenched social circumstances that conspire to deny his passion to dance, that willfully clamp down the soaring spirit he experiences, through which is freed his need for identity and self-expression. The show presents well the rough-hewn mining existence of elemental values, an atmosphere of dark and cold, a conformist world dominated by male attitudes and raw physicality --- such as the forced boxing training Billy unwillingly endures, and the tone of non-stop aggressive belligerence and pugnacious vulgarities, a constant, high-decibel, bullying torrent which hammer at his being. In a dangerous living and frugal existence deeply exacerbated by a drag-on, year-long strike, the coarse mining life is further impoverished by the emotional repression and alienation that threatens to crush and mold Billy, in the name of carrying on with colliery. That there can be a different life has never been at issue, in neither the family’s nor the community’s mindset.

But Billy inadvertently discovers ballet, stumbling upon a different kind of physicality ... a physicality imbued with sensitivity that acknowledges his feeling psyche, the fine-grained inner dimension his hyper-masculine world rejects ... and he is irrevocably hooked. More so, for in his ballet teacher, this motherless child meets the only person in his constricted world, a woman, who fully supports his individuality, who genuinely encourages his talent and sincerely believes in his deeper sensibilities. Certain that he has failed his audition for the great Royal Ballet’s school, his unanticipated, unrehearsed, inspired pas de deux to the music of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake wins him entry to the formal dance training that will open to Billy the world beyond mining, the world of the soul’s freedom, expression, and expansion.

It is here, during these moments of Billy the danseur-to-be, that the show becomes overwhelming. It is here that one is lofted away ... by the sheer beauty of balletic movement and attitudes, by the elegance of the trained human body’s line and extensions, by the pristine sensuality of partnered dance, the choreographic imagination and aerial sequence that defies the gravity of Billy’s harsh reality and reaches for the unbounded stars, by the emotional and sonic sweep of the great Tchaikovsky score. For this is music that grips you. And with only a single spotlight upon a totally bare and black-backdropped stage, the dramatic, stark, visual clarity emphasizing the searing intensity of Billy’s heartfelt yearning for the dance, the painful, heartrending longing, we grasp viscerally his exalting exhilaration and elation in freedom at last, in becoming his dream of the future danseur noble, his future self who partners Billy in this magnificently thrilling scene. Spellbound by the enthralling tidal-wave power of the lighting, the pas de deux styling of the dance, the lifts and leaps and attitudes, the absolutely incomparable music, I surged into weeping, watching the entire scene through tears, my heart clutched in my throat.

The first hint of Billy’s undeniable talent appears early, in the “Solidarity” scene, where he rips through every dance style from tap to jazz to ballet to hip-hop, a kinetic, eclectic smorgasbord --- ‘undeniable’ in that his crude and bellicose father and aggressively hostile brother, indeed and at last, cave-in and grudgingly support Billy’s dreams. Billy appears in every scene, often screaming and yelling as is everyone else most of the show, and just as strenuously, has dance numbers throughout to the very last curtain. And yet, his very-major role would be more prominently the starring part if the rest of the cast could be just a mite toned down. The near-continuous hollering often overpowers the child’s story like a steamrolling fleet of armored tanks. Perhaps finer adjustment in the mic’ing levels would be appropriate. This is, after all, a very loud show, full of **** profanities. (And it gets wearying, exceedingly.)

Billy Elliot the Musical is written for an intelligent, sophisticated audience. Thus quite dependent upon the caveat to fill-in the blanks where character nuance and psychological development is only minimally or passingly written into the script, or sometimes not at all, the play manages to present a reasonably logical-enough trajectory and dimensionality of emotional and mental states in the players, assuming the audience’s solid, basic understanding of socio/psychodynamics. In terms of the realities of unrelieved frustrations endemic to colliery and its demise, and the rigid emotional deprivation of its repressive machismo world, it thus makes complete sense that with only the slightest provocation, Billy irrationally explodes and slugs a boy, a total stranger, in the face, and that he throws a colossal, raging tantrum in the stunning “Angry Dance.” Less satisfactorily, we are to assume that Billy’s father and his brother, especially, have apparently each plumbed their collective beliefs and private lies as far as they are able, in the process of coming to terms with Billy’s very diametric dreams and ambitions.

The script conveys many vital lessons of love, most touchingly in the friendship between Michael and Billy. Little Michael absolutely steals the show, and the entire “Expressing Yourself” scene is hands-down the most smashingly delightful moments of sheer entertainment, a highlight of the show and sure-fire winner. (Where do they find these incredible kids who are such astonishing naturals?) But when one considers the play’s time (1980s) and place (far from the urbane mentality of London and its environs, half-a-world away from San Francisco’s fame, notoriety, and pride), Billy and Michael as a friendship pair are thus a moving tribute to the possibility of simple, honest, pure, open, unbaggaged and uplifting human love, as to the spiritual sensitivities which transcend physical definitions. And as individuals, Billy and Michael are each admirable, inspiring children for allowing their hearts to lead the mind, not the other way around as is still the world’s general but now-devolving paradigm. The sweetest, most telling moments are the donations scene, where little Michael sadly and lovingly drops coin after coin after coin into Billy’s meagre collection. These young people are the show’s characters to be honored, the story’s hope in the light of its times ahead, yet to unfold.

Thanks to synthesizing electronics, the sound of musical theater’s small orchestra fills the large house of the Orpheum with the robust, sonorous depth of a full symphony orchestra, adding to live performance’s frisson. In this respect, instrumentally and orchestrally, Billy Elliot the Musical must surely be even more exciting than Billy Elliot the Film, but for the Elton John score’s not being his most inspired nor memorable. I was struck by the brass section of the orchestra, a certain timbre I heard, which I’ve since learned is a sound peculiar to English brass bands and particular to the coal-mining industry. The cast are superb, especially Mrs. Wilkinson the ballet teacher, or dance mistress, and Billy’s father, once we get past the constant yelling and swearing. The ballet girls were fabulously frothy and fun, lovably enthusiastic and effervescent. The ever-morphing staging, sets, props, and lighting were marvelously deft and clever, notably the scene where striking colliers and riot police clash (“Solidarity”). Special kudos must be given to the final ensemble scene with the miners’ helmet lights (“Company Celebration”).

I would love to see Billy Elliot the Musical again, over and over, just to savor “Expressing Yourself” with Michael and Billy and the show’s pas de deux set to the Tchaikovsky Swan Lake --- the levels up a bit for the hushed violin/cello dialogue, which was almost inaudible. These scenes have the stature to ensure that the show endures as a live theatrical experience with its timely and relevant story, its fine dancing and ensemble numbers, bringing the show to repertory status and DVD. As strictly audio CDs, however, the score does not have the cachet to stand alone. Nonetheless, to see it even once would be a treasure, just for those two superlatively memorable scenes.

Billy Elliot the Musical is leaving San Francisco soon, so get going on your ticket purchases. It’ll be gone after the 21st of August. You can win free tix at VoiceOfMusic.com and buy half-price tickets at Goldstar.com. By all means, go! See it now before it's too late!!


(See all D.Ch'an-Moriwaki's reviews at Goldstar.com, MoonManOnTheArts.blogspot.com, and Amazon.com.)