You feel it in your body as families unite to save their communities and livelihoods, and later as schisms open up as the strike progresses and the son of one of the miners finds his Nirvana in that industrial hell. This is the desperate time in which the musical is set, and the show recreates it brilliantly. Thatcher won, and 200,000 people lost their jobs. Any adult in 1984 will recall the bitter and bloody miners’ strike of northern England, as the National Union of Minerworkers under firebrand union boss Arthur Scargill walked out of the pits and into prolonged hunger and deprivation as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher implemented policies that would strangle the workers’ livelihoods and settle a matrix of privatisation over the coal mining industry. Had La Mirada Theatre's production felt fresher and expanded beyond the focus of the cast, Billy Elliot could have had a much greater impact.Kelley Abbey and Jamie Rogers in Billy Elliot. However, resting an entire musical on the shoulders of one actor is not enough. The dancers are disorderly and lack precession.īilly Elliot relies heavily on its cast and direction, and Mitchell Tobin, who possesses the talent of several adults, gives audiences someone about whom we care deeply. The choreography by Dana Solimado is scattered and stiff. In many numbers, the mostly male ensemble members sound like they're all singing the same notes, instead of creating the sweeping harmonies that the songs require. Musical Director John Glaudini crisply conducts an orchestra that sounds great in both the upbeat numbers and folk medleys, but Glaudini does not get texture from the singing chorus. This role, meant to give Billy support from beyond the grave, lacked an ethereal presence. The mother's scenes could have been staged more cleverly rather than having the ghost of Billy's mum (played by Kim Huber) simply walking in from the side of the stage. The ensemble scenes with the miners lack purpose and focused direction. The opening number, which is supposed to deliver a powerful punch in the gut, is static and devoid of impact, with the striking miners just sitting gloomily in the protest waiting room. In numbers like "Expressing Yourself" and "We Were Born to Boogie," the cast appears to mug for the audience as opposed to letting the audience come to them. There's a flatness to her portrayal that does not endear her to the audience. Wilkinson, she sings the role well and manages the mannerisms and accent of a Northeastern-English woman, but she seems disengaged. Vicki Lewis is one of L.A.'s most fiery presences.
Atkinson lets the audience witness his character's evolution from a gruff, stalwart common man to one accepting and loving of his child, despite their different interests. Because Tobin is reaching puberty, the actor has lost his upper register and strains in the solo vocal numbers, but this becomes an asset for the role, adding vulnerability to the character. He evokes the frustration of a boy mourning his mother's death and the consternation of being passionate for something he knows is stereotypically unmanly. Tobin, who played Billy in London and on the U.S. Once his father (David Atkinson) discovers his son's secret, however, there is hell to pay. She fosters Billy's dancing abilities and pushes him to audition for the Royal Ballet in London. Wilkinson (Vicki Lewis), a dance teacher who recognizes the boy's innate talent. Billy is growing up without a mother, but he finds a maternal figure in Mrs. His father and brother are out of work, as are most in the town, and the anger over the current government, particularly PM Margaret Thatcher, seeps into everything like a thick fog. Unfortunately, the production at La Mirada Theatre itself lacks innovation.įollowing the original movie's screenplay, young Billy lives in a town ravaged by the U.K. That's a heavy burden, and youngster Mitchell Tobin makes a winning Billy. To make it more daunting, the lead actor must be an adolescent. As well as leading nine songs, it's a heavy dancing part, requiring one to shine in tap, ballet, and interpretive dance. The musical adaptation of 2000's sleeper hit film Billy Elliot must survive on the actor hired for the title role.
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