BWW Reviews: BILLY ELLIOT Will Have You Dancing the Night Away

Billy Elliot the winner of 10 Tony Awards in 2009 has made its way to the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha. Knowing very little about this show, I was hesitant as to what I might think about it. I knew the general story behind the show and I knew that it had won several Tony Awards while on Broadway, I even lived in New York City the majority of its Broadway run, but never did I have any desire to see it. Boy was I wrong! Now that I have seen this wonderful show I am kicking myself for not having given it the chance in New York but at the same time I am happy to say that I can now check it off my list and I will forever remember this phenomenal cast and their performance.

From the moment the show begins, it draws you in to this little town full of hard working people that are currently in a financial crisis as they are on strike with their employer.  You see that most of the people in the town are low income and pretty rough around The Edges. Let’s just say, if you knew nothing about this show, you probably wouldn’t be thinking that you were about to watch a musical about ballet.

Ben Cook who played the title role, Billy Elliot tonight was a true delight. Not only can he dance his butt off, he played the part of Billy with such ease that you’d almost think that he truly was Billy Elliott. Cook is a true triple threat in the theatre world, he can dance, sing and act and many times all at the same time! Cook will make you laugh and cry; he will wow you with his moves and make you wonder how in the world he remembers such lengthy choreography.

Janet Dickinson who played the fantastic Mrs. Wilkinson was one of a kind! Dickinson owned the stage tonight and put on one of the best performances of the evening. She kept you laughing with her constant harsh personality and witty remarks. Mrs. Wilkinson is a multi-dimensional character and Dickinson played every side to perfection! With such a lovely voice and stage presence you are bound to love her as much as I did.

Rich Hebert played the Dad to Billy. Hebert portrayed one of the more difficult and emotional characters. As a dad he is trying to grasp why his son would want to do ballet and is afraid of what others might think. Coming to terms with how special his son truly is, he learns to accept him for who he is and what he is passionate about. Hebert knocks it out of the park, winning the audience over in the end with “if you want my body and you think I’m sexy” and showing off where Billy might have learned his moves.

Overall, the cast was phenomenal, from Michael who is one of the most hysterical kids you have ever seen to the ballet girls who will have you laughing out loud with their crazy dance moves and funny expressions. Grandma (Patti Perkins) also has many moments in this show where she will have you rolling over in laughter. The cast as a whole deserves a thunderous applause for putting on one of the best shows I have seen in awhile!

Billy Elliot is playing the Orpheum Theatre from now through December 2^nd, 2012. For tickets and more information on Billy Elliot please visit www.ticketomaha.com or call the Ticket Omaha Box Office at (402)345-0606. Make sure to act fast as I am sure tickets are selling quickly! Parental Advisory: Billy Elliot does have strong language.

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