West End Experts...
 

"Billy Elliott" is opening on Broadway this fall. Do you London theater experts think my 18 year-old son would like it?

Many thanks,

Jim

Totally depends on your 18 yo son. It is a very good musical for sure - but we don't know what sorts of things your son enjoys.

Well, janisj, he loves European football, especially AC Milan, rock music, and video games. He couldn't care less about ballet, which I heard "Billy" was about. (Or is it 'could care less'?), but I imagine he would enjoy Sir Elton's music.

Hope that helps.

Jim

p.s. We are also going to see Spamalot, which I know he will love.

Brits say "I couldn't care less", Americans say "I could care less"; and whilst being logically almost opposites, both seem to mean the same thing... weird, huh?

There's a a fair bit of dancing and ballet in Billy Elliot, true, but the whole thing is about fulfilling dreams in the face of opposition and prejudice; ballet just happens to be the "vehicle" for the message. There's real humour, emotion and drama in the show, and some really powerful and heart-tugging moments; I love it (amongst others), and IMHO I think it's a great show. Don't let the "ballet" thing put you off.

Not entirely sure how the UK version will move across to Broadway ; there's a strong political thread in the West End version (Maggie Thatcher trying to break the unions), and I don't know how well that translates to the US environment. But even if it moves "as is", I guess you must have dying industries and labour disputes, too. Maybe US folk who've seen Billy in London can comment on how that bit works...

Thank you, wrrllw, for your excellent review, which is what I was hoping to hear.

So I've booked a matinee of Billy Elliot, and Spamalot in the evening on the same day in October.

In North Carolina we have dying industries...textiles, furniture, and tobacco, especially.

Not much union strife in the U.S. anymore since Mrs. Thatcher's good friend fired the air traffic controllers.

The only workers who have enough leverage with management to strike anymore are millionaire ballplayers.

Jim