Did you know our production of Billy Elliot the Musical is the Midwest premiere of this production? Once a show closes on Broadway and goes on tour, it is made available for regional community and professional productions. The Lawrence Arts Center is the first theatre to do this production in the Midwest. It opens next weekend, February 24th, and we are so excited for it. Tickets are on sale now.
This week in rehearsals we have been polishing the scenes and dance numbers to make sure every moment is just right. The technical team has helped the cast work set pieces and props into their scenes. Transformed from an 80s dance night where the cast pulled together costumes out of their closets, the cast has now had costume fittings with the costume designer and looks their parts. No longer carrying scripts in hand, the actors have their lines and music memorized.
It is a week of putting everything together, and not a moment goes to waste. When actors are not working a scene on stage, they have been heading to secondary rehearsal spaces to practice choreography, lines, and songs with their cast mates. The commitment the actors have to developing their individual pieces is particularly important because one song alone uses almost the whole cast for over 30 pages of music in the score.
The complexity of the show is just one of the reasons it will be an exceptional production. The music and story have so much to offer, and our team of directors and actors has done amazing work bringing those things to life. We look forward to seeing you in the audience!