Video: Get A First Look At Goodspeed Musicals' BILLY ELLIOT

Sometimes being brave means being yourself! This fall Goodspeed Musicals' production of Billy Elliot The Musical will spark with infectious energy. This tour-de-force of dance based on the British movie of the same name, runs now throufh November 24 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn. Get a first look at the production below!

Young Billy Elliot is pulled between his family's coal-mining roots and his newly discovered passion to dance. Is his future boxing gloves or ballet shoes? In the hardscrabble world of a changing England, reaching high becomes a leap of faith. Following your dream-and overcoming obstacles-has never been more electric than in the 10-time Tony winning Broadway phenomenon with songs by the legendary Elton John. Celebrate the idea of being yourself in the Goodspeed premiere of this powerful dance-filled story

Billy Elliot The Musical features book and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Lee Hall with music by Tony, Academy and Grammy Award-winner Elton John and was originally directed by Tony Award-winner Stephen Daldry.

Billy will be played by Taven Blanke and Liam Vincent Hutt.

Taven Blanke has played Colin Craven in The Rose Center Theater's production of The Secret Garden and Jojo in Seussical at Top Hat 8 Repertory as well as numerous productions with Clubhouse Academy in CA.

Liam Vincent Hutt credits include Elf the musical National Tour, Cabaret at the Florida Repertory Theater, The Secret Garden at Theater Zone where he played the role of Colin, as well as Pippin, Mary Poppins, Phantom and Evita at Broadway Palm. He is also the recipient of a Young Artist Award.

Dad will be played Sean Hayden, who performed in the National Tours of The Light in the Piazza and Mamma Mia!. He has also performed in Freaky Friday at the North Shore Music Theatre, The Bridges of Madison County at Music Theatre of Connecticut, Next To Normal with Charleston Stage, as Lancelot in Camelot with Sacramento Music Circus and as Billy Bigelow in Carousel with West Virginia Public Theatre.

Michael will be played by Jon Martens. Jon's credits include the role of John in Fun Home at Baltimore Center Stage, Young Charlie in the Kinky Boots US Tour Asia, as well as A Christmas Carol and Peter Pan. His New York credits include Show & Tell and NYC Tap Crew. On TV he appeared in Happy! for SyFy and Evil Lives Here for Investigative Discovery.

Gabriel Sidney Brown will play Tony. Last seen in the National Tour of Les Misérables, Brown's other recent credits include The Secret Garden, King Lear at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and Dogfight at The Beck Center.

Barbara Marineau will play Grandma. Barbara has appeared in Goodspeed Musicals productions of Pippin and Sweeney Todd, for which she received a Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. Ms. Marineau's numerous theater credits include eight Broadway shows, ten National/International Tours and many Off-Broadway and regional performances. She recently co-stared in Fosse/Verdon on FX and Murphy Brown on CBS. She is a Western Michigan University Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

Mrs. Wilkinson will be played by Michelle Aravena, whose credits include Broadway performances in A Chorus Line, Jersey Boys, Rocky and a Bronx Tale. In addition to performing as The Kid in Goodspeed's The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd, Ms. Aravena performed in the National Tours of A Bronx Tale as Rosina, West Side Story as Anita, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys. Michelle is also a two-time Jeff Award nominee and winner for her portrayal of Anita at Drury Lane.

Erica Parks will play Debbie. Regionally, she has appeared in Billy Elliot at Seacoast Repertory Theatre, The Music Man at North Shore Music Theatre, and A Christmas Carol The Hanover Theatre. Erica is also a World Tap Dance Champion.

Featured in the ensemble will be Rachel Rhodes-Devey as Dead Mum (Goodspeed's The Most Happy Fella, National Tours of South Pacific and White Christmas, City Center Encores! The Most Happy Fella, Carousel at New York Philharmonic and PBS Live from Lincoln Center); Nick Silverio as Older Billy/Dance Captain (Goodspeed's La Cage aux Folles, National Tour of Elf the Musical, Dance Lab NY, DanceBreak and Red Bucket Follies); Byron St. Cyr as Big Davey (National Tour of My Fair Lady, On Your Feet at WBT, Elf the Musical at Syracuse Stage); and Jesse Swimm as George (Goodspeed's High Button Shoes and Fiddler on the Roof, Broadway's School of Rock; National Tours of Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Grease; and Shrek at NSMT).

Joining them will be Margot Anderson-Song (Sunday in the Park with George at Huntington Theatre Company, Gypsy at Lyric Stage, A Christmas Carol at Central Square); Amy Button (National Tour of The Wizard of Oz, The Music Man at Arizona Theatre Company, Into the Woods at Lyric Stage and South Pacific at CityRep); and Billy Cohen (Soul Doctor tour, Oklahoma at Weston Playhouse, Striking 12 at Prospect Theater, Peter and the Starcatcher at Theatre Aspen, Once at The Engeman, Million Dollar Quartet at Lyric Theatre).

Rounding out the ensemble will be Richard Costa (Goodspeed's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Chocolate Soldier, Broadway's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Off-Broadway's Once Upon a Mattress, National Tours of Spamalot and Annie); Julia Louise Hosack (National Tours of Elf the musical and Beauty and the Beast); Erik Gratton (National Tour of Elf the musical, The Foreigner and The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes at Village Theatre, New York Classical Theatre); Emily Larger (National Tours of Elf the Musical, The 39 Steps and Cabaret); Connor McRory (National Tours of Finding Neverland and White Christmas, Off-Broadway Trip of Love); Simon Pearl (Broadway/National Tour Les Misérables, regional Blood Brothers, Dice House, The Libertine, Little Shop of Horrors, Anything Goes); William Daniel Russell (Goodspeed's The Music Man, A Christmas Carol at The Hanover Theatre, Peter Pan at The Norwood Theatre and Willy Wonka Jr.); Tess Santarsiero (Goodspeed's Because of Winn Dixie); and Camiel Warren-Taylor (Matilda at Olney Theatre Center, Honk! at Delaware Theatre Company, Annie at Walnut Street Theatre). The swings will be Gerard Lanzerotti and Samantha Littleford.

Billy Elliot The Musical will be directed by Gabriel Barre. Gabriel is an internationally-acclaimed director whose recent Goodspeed production of Amazing Grace went on to both Broadway and Washington, DC. His Off-Broadway credits include the original production of Manhattan Theatre Club's The Wild Party; Summer of '42; john & jen and Almost, Maine. His National Tours include Amazing Grace, Pippin and Cinderella. Regional theatre credits include the original productions of Memphis at North Shore Music Theatre and Theatreworks in Palo Alto, CA and Sweeney Todd, Finian's Rainbow, Houdini and many others at The Goodspeed and The Terris Theatre. International credits include the Mexican premiere of Billy Elliot and The Scarlet Pimpernel in Japan, as well as numerous shows in Korea, China, and The Czech Republic, including the world premiere of the new Czech Musical Holmes, The Legend which opened last fall. Barre also directed the Frank Wildhorn musical Carmen, which recently celebrated its 10th sold-out year anniversary.

Choreography will be by Marc Kimelman, who was the associate choreographer for the Broadway and National Tour of A Bronx Tale. In addition, he choreographed Off-Broadway's Play It Cool and The Apple Boys, the National Tour of Saturday Night Fever, Man of La Mancha at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera at NYMF, Songbird and The Ballad of Little Jo at Two River Theater and Once on this Island for which he won the Dora Award for Outstanding Choreography. His TV/Film credits include Degrassi: The Next Generation and Don't Talk to Irene starring Geena Davis. Marc is movement consultant for Vogue magazine. He was the Associate Choreographer for Broadway's A Bronx Tale The Musical and Assistant Choreographer for the revival Jesus Christ Superstar, National Tour of Queen's We Will Rock You and the workshops Freaky Friday and Hands on a Hardbody. This fall he will serve as Associate Choreographer for Broadway's Jagged Little Pill.

The Music Director for Billy Elliot will be Michael O'Flaherty, who is in his 28th season as Goodspeed's Resident Music Director.

Scenic Design will be by Walt Spangler, whose designs for Goodspeed Musicals include The Terris Theatre productions of Camille Claudel, The Flight of the Lawnchair Man, Happy Days, Lucky Guy, The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown and The Roar of the Greasepaint.... In addition to nearly 30 Off-Broadway productions, Mr. Spangler has designed the Broadway productions of Escape to Margaritaville, Tuck Everlasting, Scandalous, A Christmas Story the musical, and Desire Under the Elms.

Costume Design will be by Jennifer Caprio, who previously designed Goodspeed's A Wonderful Life, LMNOP and A Sign of the Times. Her work on Broadway includes Falsettos and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Ms. Caprio designed the West End production of The Lion. Her work on National and International Tours include Falsettos, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Lion, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Kaleidoscope.

Lighting Design will be by Jason Kantrowitz, whose Broadway credits include Dames at Sea, Dame Edna, Tru, Starmites and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Other NYC/Off-Broadway credits include City Center Encores!, Audible/Minetta Lane, Second Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout, Primary Stages, Cherry Lane, LaMama, ETC, and Ensemble Studio Theatre. He designed the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and over 150 LORT productions.

Sound design will be by Jay Hilton, who has designed countless productions at both The Terris Theatre and The Goodspeed. His work has also been heard on Broadway, National Tours and Regional Theatres from coast to coast. He also serves as Goodspeed's audio supervisor.

Wig and Hair design will be by Mark Adam Rampmeyer, who has designed more than 20 productions for Goodspeed Musicals, including the current production of Because of Winn Dixie, The Music Man, 42nd Street, La Cage aux Folles, and Oklahoma!. As a stylist, he was fortunate enough to be a part of the Broadway productions of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Sunset Boulevard, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and 42nd Street. Other Broadway design credits include West Side Story, Lysistrata Jones, The Farnsworth Invention. Off-Broadway: The Toxic Avenger, Horton Foote's Orphans' Home Cycle and The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore with Olympia Dukakis. Regional: The Legend of Georgia McBride and Christmas on the Rocks for TheaterWorks and many productions for Hartford Stage Company. He is the recipient of a 2010 Drama Desk Award for Horton Foote's Orphans' Home Cycle at Signature Theatre Company.

Orchestrations will be by Dan DeLange. This marks his 21st year and 55th show for Goodspeed Musicals.

The Fight Director for Billy Elliot will be UnkleDave's Fight-House. Their Goodspeed credits include Oliver! and Oklahoma. Their Broadway credits include Escape to Margaritaville, Tuck Everlasting, An American in Paris and Disgraced. Off-Broadway credits include The Secret Life of Bees, Mojada, The Girl From The North Country, Happy Talk, and The Rolling Stone.

The Dialect Coach will be Jennifer Scapetis. Jennifer's credits include work for Berkshire Theatre Group, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Bated Breath Theatre at 59E59 NYC, Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, The Know Theatre Cincinnati, Saratoga Shakespeare Company, Bay Street Theatre, Dirty Pretty Theatre at 45 Downstairs in Melbourne, Australia, and The Rose Theatre Bankside in London. Jennifer is on the faculty of UConn's Drama Department and coaches for their resident Connecticut Repertory Theatre. Jennifer trained as a voice coach at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, and as an actor at ArtsEd, London.

Billy Elliot The Musical features Book and Lyrics by Lee Hall. He has been writer-in-residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Live Theatre in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Some of his credits include Wittgenstein of Tyne, Bollocks, Genie, Cooking With Elvis, Spoonface Steinberg, Two's Company, Pitmen Painters and Leonce and Lena.

Music for Billy Elliot the Musical is by singer/songwriter Elton John. Sir Elton John has had a monumental career being one of the top-selling solo artists of all time with 35 gold and 25 platinum albums and more than 250 million records sold worldwide. He also collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice on a number of award-winning musicals, including the multi-genre sensation The Lion King. Elton has also been awarded the Grammy Legend Award.

Casting for Billy Elliot is by Paul Hardt of Stewart/Whitley Casting.

Executive producers (original production), Angela Morrison and David Furnish. Producers (original production), Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn, Sally Green.

Billy Elliot will run September 13 - November 24th, 2019 [Official Press Opening October 2] Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00 p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.).

Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), open seven days a week, or online at goodspeed.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.