Big house, SRO audience, big musical score and story about real people in the North of England at the start of the `80s era of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Big-Business conservatives: Still (unfortunately) relevant!
With his mother dead and his grandmother often suffering from dementia, young Billy Elliot's father is finding parenting a problem. In a town where everyone is or will be a miner, Dad (Philip Whitchurch, realistic as a workman) sends his son for boxing lessons. But Billy is attracted to the ballet classes run by Mrs. Wilkinson (made so sympathetic by Haydn Gwynne) and so sneaks into them. When the miners go on strike -- to the best tune, "We Will Always Stand Together" -- the last thing anyone but Billy and his teacher are thinking about is sending him to the school of the Royal Ballet.
Well, that's the conflict the young hero must resolve. It's as formidable as the great puppet head of Maggie Thatcher raised above the strikers at their bleak Christmas party. But when Billy actually flies, we know he'll get over his problems and at least score one victory for the miners (who are otherwise changed forever, as is Britain, as are all labor-management relations everywhere). Too bad only the individual triumphs, but it's very heartwarming watching him do so.
On the Saturday night I attended the musical, Travis Yates made a wonderful, hopeful and high-flying Billy in Act I. At intermission, it was announced he could not continue (was it a fall?); Leon Cooke then took over, and the production continued seamlessly. So should the musical -- both in London and on worldwide stages.
