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Not all of us may have what it takes to become pro dancers,
but “Billy Elliot” suggests there is a little dancing queen (or king) in
everyone. The new Broadway musical definitely emanates passion and ideals, thus
creating a magical atmosphere that makes viewers want to put on their tutus and
ballet shoes and fly on the feeling-inspiring stage. In spite of the fact that
some may lack the talent of the play’s title character, who is the son of a
working class coal miner in northern England, the appealing, tastefully
constructed idea on which “Billy Elliot” is based, claims that each and every
one has impulses and inclinations toward dancing.
The musical, which debuted on Thursday night at the Imperial
Theater, not only explores the depths of humanity and its tendencies, but also
analyzes the most deep-seated and durable charm of sound and movement.
“Billy Elliot” takes its outstanding power from its own
capacity of combining effortlessly the shiny dreams of an 11-year-old boy and
the cruel reality in which he is forced to linger. The battle between the inner
force and the exterior one can be noticed in every stage element, from director
Stephen Daldry’s exquisitely ingenious way of highlighting the conflict, to
Peter Darling’s exceptional choreography, Ian MacNeil’s lithely touching sets
and Rick Fisher’s darkness-spreading lighting.
And the story is engaging in its attempt to depict the road
Billy takes in order to surpass his condition, risking to fall into the menacing
traps of clichés. However, it’s uniqueness comes exactly from this type of
naturalness and lack of pretension. Billy (impersonated by Trent Kowalik, Kiril
Kulish and David Alvarez) is a young boy who lives only with his illiterate
father (Gregory Jbara) and grandmother, played by Carole Shelley, since his
mother has died.
Evidently, the spark of natural gift in Billy is pointed out
by the unavoidable encouraging teacher going by the name of Mrs. Wilkinson
(Haydn Gwynne). She discovers that the little one definitely has potential and
decides to send him to London
for an audition. Nevertheless, his dad and brother (Santino Fontana) disagree
with Billy’s departure and, thus, the conflict begins to shape up.
By the end of the show, you will feel the little dancer
hiding underneath more down-to-earth issues inside of you jump and dance as if
he were a wind-blown leaf. And you’ll be able to feel childhood magic again,
taste innocence and touch the wildest dreams.
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