We love live theatre, so we always say *YES* when Drury Lane Theatre invites us to opening night. Perhaps you know or have seen Billy Elliot before, but even if you’ve seen the film that inspired the musical it’s not the same. There’s so much more to enjoy. The entire cast is talented as we’ve come to expect from Drury Lane productions. Yet, the talent of these young kids, not just Nicholas Dantes or Kyle Halford who play Billy, but also the rest of the ensemble. Lots of young talent and I mean lots of it. Billy Elliot has the added weight of a large ensemble so their cries for solidarity drown out anything else. If you haven’t been sucked into the show by the opening, then you certainly will be. You can try to resist, but it’s best to enjoy the show.
It’s for your own good. Honestly, out of all the musicals you could see Billy Elliot is the one that will always put a smile on your face. How could you miss out on a story that tells you to be yourself? Sure there’s a place for solidarity, but first you have to find that place. Billy Elliot is all about finding your people and realizing that maybe your people have been beside you all along. You just need to be honest with your family and community. Chances are that there’s more good will than you expected.
Billy deals with resistance with his father for finding his own unique path, but at some point we all do. Didn’t your parents ever tell you that you ought to be x, y, or z rather than what you really fancied. Billy has to deal with the fallout of loving dancing but you get to see the spectacular display as he learns along his way. There’s a great dance between young Billy and older Billy, Rhet Gutter (that you might remember from West Side Story as Riff), that had the audience cheering. Actually, this was the most cheering I’ve heard during a show during almost every scene. The mood is so uplifting that we were all in awe and you can’t help but join in cheering on the cast.
So, someone might tease you for wearing a dress or dancing, but you might tease them for wearing shorts or having a loud laugh. One person’s crazy is another person’s normal. There’s certainly a great night to be had while being reminded that being yourself is phenomenal and if you happen to be someone else you can always laugh about it when you’re sober! You can experience all the wonder of Billy Elliot: The Musical at Drury Lane Theatre in Oak Brook until June 7, 2015. What are you waiting for get your tickets before they’re all sold out!
