Broadway Buzz - Billy Takes On Broadway

BILLY ELLIOT The Musical opened to rave reviews at the Imperial Theatre in New York November 13 after breaking box office records in London and Sydney. The show is based on the 2000 film and features music by Elton John, with the book and lyrics by the films writer Lee Hall.

Set against the backdrop of the coal miner’s strikes of Northern England in the eighties, the new musical tells the story of young Billy Elliot who discovers a talent and love of dance and follows his struggle for happiness and self-acceptance. But this version of the story has as much to do with the problems facing Elliot’s community as it does about his journey. The musical is more than just a carbon copy of the film, it is a reinterpretation and the producers, while hopeful fans of the film will come to the musical, aren’t counting on their attendance. Unlike many adaptations of film to musical, the creative team behind BILLY ELLIOT believes the musical stands on its own.