Watching
J. P. Viernes, in the title role, dance in the number "Electricity",
when he is asked how he feels when he is dancing, reminded me of Cassie
in "A Chorus Line" doing the number "The Music and the Mirror"
explaining what dancing means to her. Viernes commands the stage with
his dancing, acting and singing as he does through the whole show.

Along
with the aforementioned number another  highlight of "Billy Elliot--The
Musical" is the show stopping number in the first act  "Expressing
Yourself" performed by Viernes and Cameron Clifford, as Michael, Billy's
friend, who is a cross-dresser, singing and dancing plus cross-dressing
about the joys of being yourself. There is a number in the second act
when Billy dances to "Swan Lake" with an older, version of Billy
(Maximilien A. Baud), and flies in the air, that is impressive with both
dances. The curtain calls provides a rousing, raising the roof finale
with the whole cast showing their joy of dancing and performing that the
audience, and seemingly J. P. Viernes, didn't want to end.

The
show, based on the 2000 film of the same name, is a story about when
the British National Union of Mineworkers went on strike, also involving
a young boy who is considered less than manly when it is discovered he
would rather dance than box.

The
large cast is artfully directed by Stephen Daldry with Peter Darling
handling the choreography both giving the adults in the cast ways of
dealing with a lot of the anger in the book written by Lee Hall. A major
problem though is allowing the cast, especially in the first act and
with the exception of the children, to use very heavy English accents
making a lot of the dialogue hard to understand.

With
Lee Hall providing the  lyrics Elton John's music is appropriate to the
time, place, songs and dancing. Very few people will walk out humming
the tunes but all will enjoy listening to them. Susan Draus assuredly
conducts the orchestra consisting of the 4 musicians who travel with the
show and the 5 local musicians.

The
cast, the ensemble, are first rate with Leah Hocking as Billy's
teacher, Rich Herbert, as his father, Cullen R. Titma as his brother and
Cynthia Darlow as his Grandma providing solid backing but it is J. P.
Viernes and Cameron Clifford who are rightfully the stars of this show.

Act 1 1 hour and 23 minutes   Intermission 15 minutes  Act 2 1 hour and 15 minutes

Lots of stage smoke and smoking  Lights aimed directly into audience
Next
coming to the Broward Performing Arts Center Rodgers &
Hammerstein's South Pacific April 10- 22 with La Cage Aux Folles
completing the 2011-2012 season June 12-24.