Theatre review: Billy Elliot (The Musical)

Loved it!

I won't recap the story for you here since you would have lived under a rock if you haven't heard about Billy Elliot or seen the movie.

Oh wait...I do know someone. So, before we watched the musical, we watched the movie as apparently we'll get to appreciate the musical more if we did. Having done that, I wouldn't disagree. There are certain nuances to the character and certain pacing in the movie script that gives you a bit more insight. While the musical kept the characters and situations intact, you can certainly call upon your memories of the movie to add more dimension to what is said and done on stage.

The music by Elton John is great, although I have to admit it's not at the same level as, say, The Lion King. For me, though, what really stole the show was Billy himself. Not only can the kid act and make you believe that he honestly can't dance at the beginning, but boy, can he dance! It's the energy that he brings to the performance that makes you root for him, not just for the Billy Elliot character, but for the actor himself - it's amazing to see such skill from someone so young!

All in all, I was glad to have paid full price for this one...go see it while it's in town!