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music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall,

directed by Stephen Daldry

Mirvish Productions, Canon Theatre, Toronto

March 1-September 3, 2011

Billy Elliot is one musical worthy of all the accolades showered on it.  Now that Toronto has its own production, equal to those in London and New York, the show should be on every Toronto must-see list for years to come.  The presence of Sir Elton and husband David Furnish at opening night certainly upped the crowd’s excitement, but it was the thrilling performances on stage, especially by the amazingly talented 14-year-old Cesar Corrales as Billy, that garnered unprecedented mid-show standing ovations.

In Billy Elliot, unlike so many musicals based on movies, director Stephen Daldry and writer Lee Hall had the courage to take their film from 2000 and thoroughly re-imagine it for the stage.  The result is a series of one theatrically powerful scene after the next, the best infused with Peter Darling’s passionate imaginative choreography.  Like the film the musical is set during the 1984-85 miner’s strike in in Northern England.  As the region’s very livelihood is thrown into question, motherless Billy finds himself drawn to the ballet classes offered by the hard-edged Mrs. Wilkinson (Kate Hennig in a wonderfully big-hearted performance).  She, in turn, for the first time sees in Billy someone who actually has the potential to succeed in dance.  Her campaign to get him an audition for the Royal Ballet School is as much a chance to have his talent recognized as a chance to help him escape the hopeless future of the mining town.          

    

The show is filled with unforgettable scenes.  There’s the tap-dance extravaganza that bursts to life when straight Billy and his gay friend Michael (13-year-old Dillon Stevens in a fabulous, gutsy performance) try on women’s clothes.  There’s the beautiful ballet pas de deux between Billy and dream of the adult dancer he hoped he become.  And there’s Billy’s big number “Electricity” where Billy tries to explain in song then in a fantastic dance sequence what dancing means to him. 

Billy Elliot is that rare modern musical that has the richness of a novel.  Complex people face difficult decisions, both social and personal, for which there are no simple answers.  If that weren’t enough, it also has Elton John’s most varied, deeply felt score.  It’s a great musical in a production second to none. 

Three actors besides Corrales (Myles Erlick, Marcus Pei and J.P. Viernes) share the role of Billy.  You may want to see them all.  

©Christopher Hoile

Note: A version of this review appeared in Eye Weekly 2001-03-02..

Photo: Cesar Corrales as Billy Elliot. ©Joan Marcus.