CMU School of Drama


Sunday, October 26, 2008

Throwing Song, Dance and Kitchen-Sink Drama Into the Stage ‘Billy Elliot’

NYTimes.com: "On-screen, “Billy Elliot” begins with close-ups of its hero, a boy whose passion for ballet liberates him from his working-class town. During the opening credits we see Billy dancing on his bed, flailing his arms and making funny faces, and we know he’s the reason the movie exists.

Onstage, however, the story starts with something bigger. In the musical “Billy Elliot,” in previews at the Imperial Theater, we first see a group of coal miners and their families, all singing a hymn as they prepare for the miners’ strike that shook northern England in 1984 and ’85. By the time Billy scampers on, the show is as much about his troubled community as it is about his personal journey."

1 comment:

Serrano said...

I wonder if the show will resonate with American audiences. Its an English show, and we might not relate. It's the same reason Wicked is a hit hear, but isn't as big a hit on the west end; the wizard of oz is more of an American story.