We Want Billy!
By Suzy Evans in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 24, 2009 7:40PM
via nytimes.com. Photo by Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
From Hollywood to the West End to Broadway, Billy Elliot has been around the world and back, and now the show’s making its fourth stop in the Windy City. The twirling and tumbling Billys are chasséing their way into the Loop next spring for the show’s first post-Broadway incarnation. The show opens in March, tickets go on sale in November, and the show will run as long as Chicagoans are willing to pay top dollar for seats.
By claiming Chicago as its touring home, Billy Elliot bumped the national tour of Shrek The Musical, which launches in June, from its original home at the Ford Center to the Cadillac Palace Theatre and the August: Osage County tour will also change its venue to the Palace. While we fear (and know) Billy Elliot will become the next Wicked or Jersey Boys, it really does live up to all the buzz. We saw the show in London two and a half years ago, and in the words of the Brits, it’s bloody brilliant. With songs by Elton John and this year’s Tony Award for Best Musical, it’s a real crowd and critic pleaser. The story revolves around young Billy Elliot who gets caught in a dance class after boxing one day, and he turns out to be a dance prodigy. While his town and family crumble around him, he continues to dance and inspire change in his community. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and yes, you will be $100 poorer. But you really won’t care that much.