The Changing Actors of Billy
June 26, 2010
As the production of Billy Elliot approaches its two year anniversary on Broadway it’s no surprise that a new “Billy” is in the works of replacing the current one. The character of Billy Elliot is the star of the show – a young boy chasing his dreams to dance in a time of struggle for northern England’s working class. Billy has a flawless, youthful voice and can pirouette, plie, and grand jete across Broadway’s stage for an hour and a half each show, eight shows a week. For anyone that knows dance, theater, and constant stage perfection understands that it can be extremely rewarding but also tiring. And for that reason alone is why Billy replacements are part of the game in Broadway’s Billy Elliot.
The search for new Billies is a continuous process that has been made into a system. “Billy schools” have been established across the world by the Billy Elliot creative team that help them discover fresh theater and dance talent. The Broadway musical has received multiple prestigious awards and tops the sales charts week to week, impressing audiences not just on Broadway but across the world as well. The role of Billy being the most important makes it crucial to find the perfect young boy to fill that spot. With a rehearsal process lasting four to five weeks and the training schedule long and demanding, these Billies get whipped into Broadway shape fast. But once they hit that Broadway spotlight and the standing ovation brings the night to an end, those boys know it was worth it.
Billy Elliot tickets are among the most sought after tickets that theater has to offer. The production snags a top 5 spot on the chart-toppers list week after week and the rave reviews continue to roll in. If you haven’t seen what this breath-taking musical has to offer, then you are missing one of the most heart warming stories, most talented cast, and most beautiful overall production out there. See what Billy Elliot is all about.
Stephen Daldry Will Oversee 2012 Olympics Ceremonies
June 24, 2010
- Image by Getty Images via @daylife
When the Olympics come to London in 2012 be prepared to see Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry overseeing the creative aspect of the London Games. Billy Elliot tickets are very much on the radar right now, and they will be in 2012, you can guarantee that! Alongside Stephen Daldry we will see “Trainspotting” director Danny Boyle too, and what a couple they should make. The London games will have a great West End-meets-Hollywood feel about them for sure, now that these two are heading up the creative team. Boyle won an Oscar for his brilliant “Slumdog Millionaire”, a film that transformed the way people saw the world. Be ready to see Billy Elliot tickets meets “The Beach” in London in 2012, theaterlovers!
Billy Elliot’s Dad Loves the Show!
June 24, 2010
- Image via Wikipedia
With the Billy Elliot schedule extended a little longer for the Billy Elliot Chicago run, theatergoers, here’s a little glimpse into one of the people who are making Billy Elliot tickets sell so well. The Billy Elliot soundtrack by Elton John is as humorous as it is moving, and the emotions evoked by the story have propelled Billy Elliot tickets to the pinnacle of Broadway tickets sales. One of the central characters is Billy’s father, played by Gregory Jbara. Jbara has recently been honored for the way in which he plays a macho dad clutching for ways to deal with (the northern English tragedy of having) a son who likes to ballet dance. Jbara appeared on Broadway in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels several years ago, but he says his playing alongside the mercurial Billy has brought feelings out in him that he finds hard to disguise.
“It’s such a gift to surrender to my awe for this child and watch him dance,” says Jbara, who won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, one of Billy Elliot’s 10 Tonys. “It’s easy to get to that place. I get to take that ride every night and fall in love with that boy. I’m imbued with such amazing pride. I’m feeling it as an actor.” With sentiments like that, it’s no surprise that Billy Elliot tickets are among Broadway’s biggest sellers.
Jbara won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and he is proud to have been the recipient of one of Billy Elliot’s 10 Tony Awards. Among the acting community is it known that whichever boy actor plays Billy, the inevitable breaking of the voice leads to that young man losing the role. It is a bittersweet commentary on life itself, and Jbara has now worked with 10 actors who have alternated as Billy. This includes the original three who won a Tony Award in 2009 for Best Actor in a Musical. The expressive-faced Jbara says one of his chief pleasures of performing this Broadway run is that he is often stopped on the street by men – not a common occurrence for a stage production. He puts this down to the fact that Billy Elliot is a powerful father-son story. “And, of course, happy endings are nice,” Jbara says, with a smile…get your Billy Elliot tickets now and experience this brilliant tale from the coal-pits of northeast England to the bright lights of London and Broadway!
