BILLY ELLIOT to Open in South Korea in Summer 2010

According to the New York Times, the hit Broadway musical Billy Elliot will be making its way to South Korea by Auguust 2010. The producers of "Billy Elliot the Musical" said that a Korean-language version of the show, will play in Seoul.   Years in the making, the South Korean production includes a cast of local actors including four young Billys.

Eric Fellner, a co-chairman of Working Title said in an interview with the New York Times that producers from Japan, South Korea, Germany and the Netherlands all expressed interest before Broadway took notice of the show. The earliest foreign deals for "Billy Elliot," he said, were struck in 2007 and 2008, including one for the production in South Korea.

Based on the international smash hit film and featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical has earned critical acclaim on Broadway including 10 Tony Awards. It is part of the 2010/11 Broadway Across America-Minneapolis Season and will be included in season ticket packages available in April, along with information about other productions for the Broadway season. Single tickets will go on sale at a later date. Further information will be posted on www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

Billy Elliot the Musical is the funny, heartwarming tale of a young boy with a dream and a celebration of his triumph against the odds. Set against the historic British miners' strike of the 1980s, the story follows Billy's journey as a boy in a small mining town who, after stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, realizes that his future lay not in the boxing ring, but on stage as a dancer.

In addition to the prestigious Tony Award for Best Musical, Billy Elliot the Musical received the award for Best Book of a Musical (Lee Hall), Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish), Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Gregory Jbara), Best Direction of a Musical (Stephen Daldry), Best Choreography (Peter Darling), Best Orchestrations (Martin Koch), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Ian MacNeil), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Rick Fisher) and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Paul Arditti). The production was the recipient of 35 awards including being named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle.

To read the full article in the New York Times, click here.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.