Summer Flashback: BILLY ELLIOT Opens on Broadway!

By: Jul. 12, 2019
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We're feeling electricity because we're looking back at the 2009 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Billy Elliot! Take a look at the show's opening night at Broadway's Imperial Theatre with the show's stars David Alvarez, Gregory Jbara, Santino Fontana, and more! Check out all the footage below!

Billy Elliot the Musical was the winner of ten 2009 Tony Awards including: Best Musical; Best Book of a Musical (Lee Hall); Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish); Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Gregory Jbara); Best Direction of a Musical (Stephen Daldry); Best Choreography (Peter Darling); Best Orchestrations (Martin Koch); Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Ian MacNeil); Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Rick Fisher); Best Sound Design of a Musical (Paul Arditti). The Broadway production was the recipient of a total of 35 awards including being named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle.

The production recouped its $18 million investment in only 14 months over 492 performances and on Broadway, the show has been seen by more than 1.7 million theatergoers. Featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreographed by Peter Darling and directed by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot began previews Wednesday, October 1 and opened to critical acclaim on November 13, 2008 and played its final performance on January 8, 2012 after playing 40 previews and 1,304 regular performances.

Billy Elliot the Musical is the joyous celebration of one boy's journey to make his dreams come true. Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising talent that inspires his family and his whole community and changes his life forever.

The original Broadway company featured David Alvarez, Kiril Kulish and Trent Kowalik alternating in the role of Billy, as well as Haydn Gwynne as Mrs. Wilkinson, Gregory Jbara as Dad, Carole Shelley as Grandma, Santino Fontana as Tony, David Bologna and Frank Dolce alternating as Billy's friend Michael, Stephen Hanna as Billy's Older Self, Joel Hatch as George, Leah Hocking as Mum, Thommie Retter as Mr. Braithwaite and Erin Whyland as Debbie.

The cast also included Juliette Allen Angelo, Tommy Batchelor, Kevin Bernard, Grady McLeod Bowman, Heather Burns, Maria Connelly, Samantha Czulada, Kyle DesChamps, Eboni Edwards, Brianna Fragomeni, Greg Graham, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Eric Gunhus, Meg Guzulescu, Izzy Hanson-Johnston, Keean Johnson, Aaron Kaburick, Donnie Kehr, Cara Kjellman, Kara Klein, David Koch, Jeff Kready, Stephanie Kurtzuba, David Larsen, Caroline London, Merle Louise, Marina Micalizzi, Mitch Michaliszyn, Matthew Mindler, Tessa Netting, Daniel Oreskes, Jayne Paterson, Liz Pearce, Corrieanne Stein, Jamie Torcellini, Grant Turner and Casey Whyland.



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