Billy Elliot The Musical live on stage in Chicago

I believe this is a "sit-down" production that is in Chicago for a long stay. Judging by the full house and enthusiastic audience, Billy Elliot The Musical deserves a good run.

It took me a while to get my head around this show; it breaks some conventions that I have stuck in my craw about musicals. Mostly, the expectation that the moving moments of a show will be during songs; here the highlights are during dances. Billy's dancing was of course the standout and Cesar Corrales, the young performer who played Billy in the matinee I saw, was excellent. Not just a well-trained dancer, but an actual stage presence.

The music by Elton John was a little disappointing to me. Apart from Billy's "Electricity", the songs don't have a tune that you can leave the theater humming. And Billy's song is nearly immediately swept out of your head by the wonderful dance number that follows. Having seen Sir Elton's Lion King and Aida, I know the man can write effective stage musical songs.

In Billy Elliot, there are three roles other than the title character who have primary songs--Billy's father; dance instructor Mrs. Wilkinson; and Billy's friend Michael. Mrs. Wilkinson is portrayed in Chicago by Emily Skinner, an accomplished Broadway veteran from Side Show, Jekyll & Hyde, and The Full Monty. That experience shown in her performance. Armand Schultz as Billy's father was best when not singing.

One thing this show did a lot, and usually well, was blend Billy's real life with his fantasy life. This happened in the dancing dress number for Billy and Michael, the pas de deux for Billy and Grown Billy, and in scenes between Billy and his deceased mother. Even the struggle between striking miners and British police authorities was a blend of realities of sorts--although I found this less effective. Perhaps purposely, the police presence was made into a joke with their first entrance that seemed straight out of Gilbert and Sullivan.

I have to end with a probing question that kept me awake last night: why when Billy left at the end of the show to go off to The Royal Ballet school, did the actor climb into the orchestra pit?

Billy Elliot The Musical
Music by Elton John
Book and lyrics by Lee Hall
Opened in London in 2005, the New York production opened in October, 2008
This Chicago production opened in March, 2010 and has an open run.
Cast: Emily Skinner, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Cesar Corrales (my Billy), Gabriel Rush (my Michael),