Billy Elliot - The Musical

One of my favorite movies of all time is Billy Elliot. Set in County Durham in northern England during the miners' strike of 1984, it's the story of a boy who discovers, much to the dismay of his miner father and brother, that he has a marvelous talent for ballet. The story is truly heartwarming (unlike every other movie that's been assigned this adjective by movie critics) and the acting is brilliant. The scene in which Billy shares a letter from his deceased mother with his ballet teacher is one of the simplest, most moving moments of all cinematic history. I tear up just writing about it here.

I had the opportunity to see the newly-staged Billy Elliot - The Musical when I was in London last May. Considering my general distaste for a lot of Elton John's music (he composed the music for the show), I was nervous about this production and had no idea what to expect. Looking past the socialist themes, which are to be expected in a show with the miners' strike as a backdrop, the show was really lovely. It didn't quite achieve the emotional impact of the movie (surprising and a somewhat disappointing when you consider the emotional power music usually adds to art), but there were some truly beautiful moments. The letter scene was handled perfectly with simple music and uncomplicated staging. One fabulous scene had the girls' ballet class sharing the stage with police in riot gear. It may sound hokey, but it was brilliantly staged and it worked.

So, what has prompted me to write about this now? Well, the cast recording for the musical was released recently, and listening to the show has brought it all back to me. Especially listening to "The Letter" and "The Letter - Reprise" over and over. Sniff, sniff.