Winner of 10 Tony Awards for 2009, including Best Musical! Billy Elliot the Musical is the new show that has captured Broadway’s heart, delighted the critics and swept the awards - winning ten 2009 Tony Awards including Best Musical! Called “Extraordinarily uplifting” by Time Out New York and “Intoxicating” by The New York Times, Billy Elliot is a joyous, exciting and feel-good celebration of one boy following his heart and making his dreams come true.
Based on the critically acclaimed feature film, Billy Elliot is brought to life by the movie’s original creative team – director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and writer Lee Hall – along with music legend Elton John, who has written what the New York Post calls “His best score yet!”
Come discover for yourself why Billy Elliot was the most lauded new Broadway show of 2009.
What works in this show, though, is the ballet. The sequences set in Mrs. Wilkinson's studio are delightful (they feature a corps of little girls who are deliberately dancing poorly, and they're charming). The sequences where Billy learns to dance under the tutelage of Mrs. Wilkinson and her accompanist Mr. Braithwaite are gorgeous. And the sequence where Billy imagines himself a grown-up ballet dancer (Older Billy is performed by New York City Ballet principal dancer Stephen Hanna) is the highlight, despite the fact that unnecessary stage fog obscures some of it, and despite the fact that it doesn't actually make much sense for a boy to dream of being partnered by his older self. The contemporary choreography—all of the dances are by Peter Darling—is more scattershot; Darling doesn't seem to have a handle on how to match movements to Billy's body or to his personality. The score, by Elton John with lyrics by bookwriter/original screenwriter Lee Hall, is nondescript in the book songs (which are actually relatively few in number; this is a book-heavy musical with lots of dancing but not much singing). Steven Daldry's direction gets the job done efficiently.
It's so rare that a show lives up to its hype that I was all set to be underwhelmed by Billy Elliot: The Musical, the London mega-smash based on the 2000 film about a coal miner's son who longs to join the ballet. Reports from across the pond had this tuner the greatest thing since sliced bread. Well, count me as a big old Billy fan. What could easily have become a feel-good treacle fest — particularly with the king of pop ballads, Elton John, composing the music — turns out to be one of the smartest and most satisfying Broadway musicals in years.
2005 | West End |
Original London Production West End |
2008 |
Australian Production |
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2008 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2010 | US Tour |
1st National Tour US Tour |
2010 | US Tour |
2nd National Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Lee Hall |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Choreography | Peter Darling |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Stephen Daldry |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Gregory Jbara |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Haydn Gwynne |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Musical | Kiril Kulish |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Musical | Trent Kowalik |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Musical | David Alvarez |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Musical | Billy Elliot |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Orchestrations | Martin Koch |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Original Score | Elton John |
2009 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Sound Design | Paul Arditti |
2009 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Production of a Musical | 0 |
2009 | New York Drama Critics Circle Awards | Best Musical | Lee Hall |
2009 | New York Drama Critics Circle Awards | Best Musical | Elton John |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Peter Darling |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Nicky Gillibrand |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Stephen Daldry |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Stephen Daldry |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Gregory Jbara |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Haydn Gwynne |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Carole Shelley |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Rick Fisher |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | 0 |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Score | 0 |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Set Design | Ian MacNeil |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Special Achievement Award | Trent Kowalik |
2009 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Special Achievement Award | Kiril Kulish |
2009 | Theatre World Awards | Performance | Haydn Gwynne |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Lee Hall |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Peter Darling |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Nicky Gillibrand |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Stephen Daldry |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Rick Fisher |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Weinstein Live Entertainment |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Old Vic Productions |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Working Title Films |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Universal Pictures Stage Productions |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Martin Koch |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Elton John |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Lee Hall |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Gregory Jbara |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | David Bologna |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Kiril Kulish |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Trent Kowalik |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | David Alvarez |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Haydn Gwynne |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Carole Shelley |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Ian MacNeil |
2009 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Paul Arditti |
2008 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | Lee Hall |
2008 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Peter Darling |
2008 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Stephen Daldry |
2008 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical | Rick Fisher |
2008 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music | Elton John |
2008 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Martin Koch |
2008 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design | Paul Arditti |
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