billy elliot, take 4!

As I mentioned before, Slackapalooza has officially begun! Tonight, we took in our first theatrical experience - BILLY ELLIOT. Yes, I have seen the show three other times. Yes, I managed to see all three of the original Billys in previous viewings. Tonight, I managed to see yet another Billy......Tanner Pflueger, who is the fifth boy to play Billy on Broadway. (The fourth Billy, Tommy Batchelor, is actually currently out having surgery - and they brought American dancer Tanner over from the London production of Billy to cover him. Confused?)

The show is still fantastic. The choreography is so amazing - a sure-win for the Tonys, and the actors are all fantastic. Pflueger did a nice job as Billy...his background is as a modern dancer, and I thought that really showed. His dance seemed to really tell a story - very emotional dancing - as opposed to a more technical dancer. I walked out of the theatre feeling moved, inspired and lazy. Seriously, the dancing is just plain fierce in this show....makes me so want to get into a dance studio!

Final thoughts: Every time I see this show with a different boy playing Billy, it is like seeing a different show. Beautiful story, phenomenal dancing, depressing and inspiring all at once.

photo credit: www.playbill.com