London with Grace: Billy Elliot

Livin' the Dream

Billy Elliot was so amazing the first time that I saw it that Grace decided that she wanted to see it while in London and our neighbors were generous enough to buy us tickets. It was really a dream come true.

After napping we got ready in our hostel to hit the town that night. After getting ready we went to the general area of the theatre and found a restaurant which happened to be Italian. It was good food and we got in with plenty of time to get to the theatre.

Grace and I had tickets for the first row in the Grand Circle which were great seats, although sometimes the rail would get in the way. Also, here was a sign that was in the theatre:

I think it's pretty funny considering the whole show is about embracing dance but apparently Westminster doesn't want any of that happening  in their theatre. Another funny thing is that I've seen 3 different Billies after seeing the show only twice. That is because about halfway through this show one of the Billies went offstage and never came back. Instead the production manager came on stage and told us that he was unable to finish the show and a new Billy would take over. I had my concerns that this Billy would be subpar compared to the other one who I liked, but it was the opposite. This Billy was amazing! And you could tell that he was loving every minute on stage (you can always tell who is really having fun out there).

Here are some other points about the show:

• I had the same Michael and Mrs. Wilkinson (no complaints) but a different Dad and Debbie.
• I frequently shouted "Billy Elliot" during it because I loved it so much.
• Grace loved it too, so much so that she got a t-shirt that matches the one that I got in February.
• Grace and I waited outside the stage door and saw many of the little girls come out, as well as the actor who played the brother (which I thought did a great job!)

After a great show the two of us took the Tube to the hostel, talking about how fantastic it was all the way back.

London-Day 3: Billy Elliot

Best Valentine’s Day present ever!

Outside the Victoria Palace Theatre. I am beaming.

After resting at the hostel for about 40 minutes Brittany and I hopped on the tube to Victoria Station to see our prospective shows; I was going to see Billy Elliot, a gift from my parents for V-Day, and Brittany was going to see Wicked. It just turned out that the theatres that were right next to each other so it worked out perfectly.

It is every theatre lovers’ dream to see a West End show and I chose my first to be Billy Elliot because I heard it was amazing and I knew that it won the Tony. It did not disappoint. I always worry that I build the show so much in my head that it can never meet my expectations but it went far above them.

I got a great seat in the Victoria Palace Theatre (seat L31 in the stalls) and the theatre was pretty small and intimate. The show started and I laughed, I cried, I cheered. Here are some of the good memories.

• The dancing was so great and the actor who played Billy (Fox Jackson-Keen) used to be a gymnast and there were a lot of gymnastics in it which I enjoyed. He was just an adorable Billy.
• The little boy in the beginning looked at lot like Rodger Combs because he had a mop of white blond hair and was small.
• The audience was phenomenal. When the fake snow started falling everyone went “oooh.” They were really receptive. And the lady next to me was also crying, as well as much of the audience judging by the sniffles I heard.
• I loved the Michael I had (Jake Pratt) because he was kinda chubby and had glasses, and when he dressed up in drag it was so adorable. I loved the tap dancing with those silver shoes! Can you ever beat tap dancing? No.
• The little girls were also adorable. The girl who played Debbie (Emily Smith) did a great job. I love when the little girls dance with the grown men.
• Just the quality of the show was spectacular and I expected nothing less from the West End.
• The actress who played Mrs. Wilkinson was Joanna Riley and she was great as well. Everyone was great! I could watch it again right now.
• I did have a little problem understanding the dialects sometimes but no big deal.
• The music was so great and powerful. I love when they had different groups of people layered on top of each other. In the words of Liza at the Tonys, “Yay Elton!”
• At intermission “my parents bought me a t-shirt” as part of my Valentine’s Day present. I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted so I asked both the guy working the stand and the lady in line after me. I made a good choice and wear my “Billy Elliot London” shirt all the time with pride.

Inside the theatre. Sorry it's dark but I couldn't use a flash.

It was such a great experience and I just never want to forget it (hence the detailed blog entry.) It was everything I hoped it would be and I watched the story unfold in front of my like a kid at Disneyland, jaw dropping and eyes shining.

Adventures continue with London-Day 3: Photoshoot and French Fries