Ed Bangor’s Bootlegs
This page last update: 26 July 2014

Broadway

Billy Elliot

Covers

Date

3rd October 2009

Location

Imperial Theatre, New York, NY, USA

Source

Audience

Filmer unknown
Lineage unknown
Authored by unknown

Rating

10/10

Tech Details

DVD

Picture format: NTSC
Aspect ratio Full screen / 4:3
Audio Dolby Digital
Running time 157 mins
Song Chapters YES
Menu/s YES

Comments

Single camera filming from high up in the balcony on the right side of the stage 

with mostly a good clear view down the stairs, apart from during the 

opening number where numerous people are re-seated. 

Other than that and the usual cover ups at the end of major numbers,

there's good steady coverage of the stage, with both wide

and close ups to give an all round experience of the show.

 

An emotional night as the first of the three original US Billy's gives his final performance 

as he had out grown the role with his voice swinging back and forth from high to low,

but that may be due to the high emotion of the night, that leads to him visible 

breaking down - yet continuing to perform - and doing a 'Rex Harrison' 

(ie talking rather than singing) though some parts of the show.
For fans familiar with the show, you'll spot a lot of small touches to mark the special event

from Grandma returning Billy's kiss at the end of her song, to the use of real names in the final scene,

so you'd best have some tissues ready for what is the only Final show so far filmed.
Both discs are nicely authored, with chapter marks for the main songs, and menus.

although Disc one can have some 'issues' when played on some set ups.

Filmer's notes:

Anyway, this performance was completely electric. Spot on, and the best I've seen out of the show. 

Capture is very good, except for two minutes towards the beginning of the show, where 

an entire section of the mezzanine near me was seated incorrectly so everyone had to switch.

 The camera goes down, then comes back and is a full shot until everyone is gone. 

No other cover ups besides applause. Includes Stephen Daldry's 

speech before, and Gregory Jbara's after and Playbill shots

Cast

Kiril Kulish as Billy
Keean Johnson as Michael
Carole Shelley as Grandma
Greg Jbara as Dad
Haydn Gwynne as Mrs. Wilkinson
Erin Whyland as Debbie
Jacob Clemente as Tall Boy
Matthew Mindler as Small Boy
Will Chase as Tony
Thommie Retter as Mr. Braithwaite
Joel Hatch as George
Leah Hocking as Dead Mum
Stephen Hanna as Billy's Older Self
Daniel Orekes as Big Davey

Track Listing

DVD1

Act 1 - 82mins
Stephen Daldry Speech / Announcements

The Stars Look Down

Shine

We'd Go Dancing

Solidarity

Expressing Yourself

Dear Billy (the letter)

Born to Boogie

Angry Dance

DVD2

Act2 - 75mins
Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher

Swan Lake

He Could Be a Star

Electricity

Once We Were Kings

The Letter (reprise)

Finale

-speech & play out-