On 28-Sep-2014, a special presentation of Billy Elliot The Musical was held on a Sunday at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London and beamed live to movie theaters across the UK and other parts of the world. Subsequently, replays of that “live” presentation were shown in other theaters around the world and this month will be shown in still other global markets, including the United States. A complete listing of past and future showings of the presentation can be found on the BETM official website and for showings in the United States, at the Fathom Events website.
This special presentation features a pre-show introduction by BETM director Stephen Daldry, and is performed by BETMUK’s current cast, led by Elliott Hanna in the title role, with a special one-time appearance by original Billy Liam Mower, in the role of Older Billy. A special mash-up Finale includes 25 past and current Billys dancing to the spectacular choreography of original BETM choreographer Peter Darling.
Special DVD/Blu Ray Release on November 24th
In addition to the in-theater showings, it was announced that Billy Elliot the Musical Live will be available, beginning Nov. 24 in the U.K., on Blu-ray and DVD. Here’s the trailer taken from the Live footage of the show:
Credit: Video by WhatsOnStage
Prior to the November 24th release, the DVD and Blu-ray discs can be pre-ordered through such outlets as Amazon.com. It should be noted that for this initial release, the DVD will only be playable by those living in Region 2, unless they possess a “region free” DVD player. For a description of the international region codes, go here. It is expected that the release will be expanded to other regions at a later date.
On the September 28th weekend, when the show was beamed live into theaters across the UK, the popularly of the show, which has been seen by over 9.5 million people worldwide, was again on display as it topped the UK and Ireland box office, a first for an event cinema release. The special screening took in a record £1.9m.
I was lucky enough to see this and can only say that I can’t wait for the DVD release. Elliot Hanna is one of the best Billies I have ever seen, and since Liam Mower was my all time favorite it was a special thrill to see him in the dream ballet. Liam, who now performs with Matthew Bourne’s company, has matured into a world class ballet star. It makes all the difference to see this sequence performed by such an artist (not to mention the nostalgia of seeing him on stage in Billy again). The rest of the cast is equally fine. Believe it or not, Ann Emery is still performing grandma, in which role she is as delightful as ever. I don’t think anyone can replace Haydn Gwynne, the original Mrs. Wilkinson, but Ruth Henshall is a real musical comedy star. Though not as great an actress as Gwynne, she both sings and dances better, and the role has been altered a bit to show off her talents. Her Mrs. Wilkinson is different, but no less attractive. This is not a performance to be missed, and it’s a delight to realize that it’s now one that can be treasured.
Richard,
Thank you for your comments about Billy Elliot The Musical Live and the soon to be released DVD/Blu-ray. Here in the United States, we have yet to be able to see the “live” show in a theater, but everything I’m reading and the short video clips I’ve seen of it points to its huge success. Your last sentence says it all “This is not a performance to be missed, and it’s a delight to realize that it’s now one that can be treasured.”