The Royal Maitoba Theatre Centre just finished up their run of Billy Elliot, and I was lucky enough to catch it on the last day! I went with my parents to the matinee show, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
This was a very late matinee, beginning at 4pm. I am glad that we went to the matinee and not the evening performance, as it began at 830 and I think I would have been incredibly tired. The Tom Hendry Warehouse is, in my opinion, one of the ugliest theatres in the history of theatres. It is all concrete and unfinished surfaces; some quick Googling tells me it is designed in the Brutalist style. Very fitting. A local photographer has some great shots of it here!
More importantly, onto Billy! Billy Elliot follows the store of a young boy who stumbles into ballet while his father, brother, and entire community are struggling through the UK Miners’ Strike in 1984-85. Not only does Billy have to learn the technique and dedication required for ballet, he also has to convince his family to allow him to continue on.
The two boys sharing the role of Billy did a fantastic job, or at least our Billy did. You can truly see the hours of training as Billy dances his way through the community and people’s hearts. My one pet peeve with the production is that most of the dancing was jazz and tap, not ballet– an interesting choice given that Billy wants to make it into the Royal Ballet School. I completely understand that jazz and tap lend themselves better to a musical, but I felt that there could have been a touch more ballet in it. My favourite moment was Billy dancing with an older version of himself- a different kind of pas des deux that really engages the audience!
Overall, this is an incredibly upbeat and fun musical! I saw the movie version when I was maybe 9, and I will completely admit that I was uninterested. Who cares about these weird miners when they could be showing ballet??? Now that I have a much greater appreciation for the nuances, and there is a fantastic balance between Billy’s storyline and the strike’s, I can see why this is such a popular musical! I would recommend to see this (from any company) if you have the chance- it’s a fantastic “intro” musical, for those who might not be overly familiar, and just as fun for those who frequent.
I have been to handful of plays at the MTC, but after looking at the season for next year I will be seeing some more. Two in particular caught my eye: The Audience, which sees Queen Elizabeth II meet with each of her Prime Ministers once a week, and Black Coffee, a Hercule Poirot mystery by the indelible Agatha Christie!
Do you have any favourite plays or musicals?? Any recommendations??
Until tomorrow,
The Historian!
I saw Billy Elliott in London when I was there a few years ago and then twice more when I was traveling- cheap seats (obviously I loved it!) But they were doing more ballet then jazz. The pas des deux between Billy and his older self was probably my favorite part. i really liked the movie and I think they transferred the story well to the stage.
I need to rewatch that movie- perhaps tomorrow! And that pas de deux was certainly mine- such an elegant and fitting climax!!!
I loved your descriptions of both the show and the theatre itself! Thank you so much for sharing your critique. I love Broadway musicals and haven’t had a chance to see Billy Elliot yet. I appreciate you warning that it contains surprisingly little ballet.
It might have been because I have 20+ years of ballet with me, but it seemed a touch lacking. However, still certainly highly entertaining!! What would you consider to be your favourite musical?
Oh gosh, I’ve seen so many, and my favorite has changed over time. As a child, Cats was my absolute favorite. I danced a lot and dreamed of joining the cast of Cats one day 🙂
Once I was a teenager, Disney’s Aida was my favorite. Given how much I love the soundtrack and still listen to it to this day, I guess I’d say it’s still my favorite!
I also love The Lion King, Phantom, and Les Mis too. What are your favorites?
Oooo, that’s tough!! I did love Aida (when, oh when, is that movie coming?? The animation would be UNREAL.), and Beauty and the Beast always enthrals me! (Probably because it’s my favourite movie!) The one that was a complete surprise was Once- I was lucky enough to see it in London. As I was living in Dublin at the time, all of the Irish banter and craic were familiar and comforting and entertaining. The music is amazing- if you have the chance, I would 150% recommend you check it out!!!
Thank you so much for the recommendation!! I will definitely keep a look out for that show! And oh my gracious, I would die of happiness if they made an animated musical of Aida!!!