London town, part II: The season's big musicals

Yesterday certainly delivered the surprise of the week so far: "Billy Elliot - The Musical" was a damn good show. While it isn't perfect by any means, the musical heartfeltedly remembers to do two things that the other West End megamusical of the season, "Mary Poppins," forgets to do: develop the characters and develop the plot. While "Poppins" prefers to lounge on its spectacle and the familiarity of its songs, "Billy Elliot" has completely and wonderfully readapted itself for the stage, taking care to translate important pieces of story and making sure the musical numbers flow organically out of the text. Thus, that initial scratching of the head and wondering how the hell they won't making the corniest of musicals out of the whole thing is duly erased, or rather, pushed to the back of your mind as you are completely swept in by the lovable show.

The Victoria Palace Theatre

"Billy Elliot" is set in a mining town during the 1984 Miner's strike in the UK, under Prime minister Margaret Thatcher. This gives a backdrop of hopelessness for the town, out of which Billy's dancing offers a hope for the future - a way out of the dead end mining business that the town and Billy's father and older brother seem locked in. Surprisingly for a big musical, the reality of society and class struggle are presented with frankness and political pointedness - there's no beating around the bush about attitudes towards Margaret Thatcher or the hopelessness of being from the working class.

Out of this unlikely scenario comes a musical of tremendous heart. Billy's story is one of hope out of hopelessness - Billy's mother has died, and he struggles to realize himself beneath the macho atmosphere that surrounds him. The characters here are so poignantly realized, in fact, that before you know it, you tears are welling up when Billy reads (in song, of course) a letter that his dying mother wrote to him. I can't remember the last time such an emotional response was triggered by a musical - and it was an experienced shared by fellow audience members, who could be heard sniffling throughout the entire theatre.

Staging wise, director Stephen Daldry and choreographer Peter Darling have been quite clever at translating the films ideas onto the stage. Particularly, they're very adept at juxtaposing the tension of the miner's strike against the calm of the ballet class. In one number, early in Act 1, a miner's riot with police takes place along the sides of - and eventually invades the stage space of - a little girl's ballet class. It brilliantly conveys the trapped nature of the town and of Billy's predicament.

Also helping the musical along are fantastic performances in the lead roles - Haydn Gwynne as the caustic but ultimately encouraging ballet teacher who recognizes Billy's talent, James Lomas as Billy himself on Thursday night (the role alternates between three dancers), and Tim Healey and Joe Caffrey as Billy's father and older brother.

The musical is also very British, which apparently is pretty rare on the West End musical stage. There are a lot of references to British society and history, which the audience loved. This, though, makes it less transferrable to New York in its current form. But it is a great musical, an enjoyable evening out, and a message of hope in for hard times.

The Prince Edward Theatre

In contrast, "Mary Poppins" is an overgrown theme park musical. It's better than Disney Theatrical's previous offerings, "Beauty and the Beast," "Lion King," and "Aida," but that's still not saying much. There are some efforts to fill in the story and round out the characters. But overall, there seems to be more focus on replaying the famous moments from the film than actually telling a proper story. Things happen with little build up or explanation - why, for example, does Mary Poppins have to disappear in the middle of the musical saying "The children won't help themselves," when all we've seen them doing is playing with her in lavish musical numbers? If its spectacle that one is after, though, then it is spectacle that one shall get. The set is beautiful and breathtaking, and the flying effects are particularly clap-worthy. The set for Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane is particularly impressive, as parts of the house rise and fall from the sky during scene transitions. (Though the set is perhaps *too* complicated - trouble with chaning the set caused a 10 minute interuption to the performance only 5 minutes into the show). Dance numbers are energetic and entertaining, and the songs attractively and reliably sung by a happy cast. Laura Michelle Kelly and Gavin Lee, as Mary and Bert, are particularly appealing. Kelly has a playful authoritativeness that doesn't seek to overcome Julie Andrews' memorable film characterization, and Lee is simply a ball of energy that lights up the stage.

Still, however, the musical fails to tell a good story. It's just a succession of scenes and musical numbers - which is pleasing enough, I guess - but when its placed up against "Billy Elliot," the show is painfully cartoonish in comparison. Make of that what you will.