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| Photo Provided By Stratford Festival. Taken By Cylla von Tiedemann |
Yesterday we had the opportunity to attend the Opening Night
of Billy
Elliot the Musical at the Stratford Festival Theatre
in nearby Stratford Ontario.
This musical production brought about a range of emotion
from beginning to end. It was much more
than show about a boy wanting to study ballet. Instead it was representation of
the social dynamics of the mid 80s within a mining town. It reflected the era with interactions
between angry workers and authorities, Fathers and Sons and how bucking the
social norms can result in conflict and consequences.
Billy Elliot the Musical opens with the local miners on the
cusp of strike. They are awaiting word
from their union and are determined to have their wages increased. Being that the majority of the townspeople work
for the coal mining company the outcome will have an economic on the whole
area.
Soon after the strike becomes official we are introduced to
Billy Elliot and his family which consists of Billy’s Father who is trying to take
care of the household while attending to his duties as part of the union picket line,
Billy’s older Brother who is also a coal miner on strike and Billy’s
Grandmother who shows signs of the onset of dementia. Because there is really no one able to keep
watch of Billy he is sent the community centre for boxing lessons and this is
where story really takes off.
From boxing to ballet with the addition of tap, jazz and hip
hop thrown in the mix, we see the characters perform a range of emotions
through both sensational song and dance. As the show
goes on each character evolves in skills and self-awareness.
We believe the Stratford Festival’s Billy Elliot would make
a fantastic PARENTS NIGHT OUT.
We also think families that are wanting learn more about
inclusivity may enjoy the messages in this story, but we must mention that the
show contains coarse language and addresses the theme of how one identifies
their sexuality.
Find Your Way to the Stratford Festival
The Stratford Festival Theatre is less than an hour from
Kitchener Waterloo by car, but don’t fret if you don’t have a vehicle. They have introduced a round trip shuttle
that picks up and drops off in front on Angie’s Kitchener on Erb St. in Waterloo.
The $19 price for the shuttle service is
in addition to the price of the performance tickets. For those a little further from the area
there are also shuttles from Toronto and Vaughn ($29 for shuttle service from
these areas). Get all the info at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/whatson/busbooking
Grab Your Tickets Before They Are Gone
Once the word gets out it may be difficult to get tickets,
but right now there are several promotional prices available for this must see musical!
Save on performances from now until June 24 by visiting https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/spring
New for this year, the Stratford Festival Theatre has
introduced the BRAVO ZONE with tickets for $41 which includes the fees! Also be sure to check out their 2-for-1
Evenings deal that will happen all season long and we know our readers are
often looking for deals on tickets for their kids. Find the $18.50 kids promo info at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/DiscountsAndDeals/Deals/Kids-Tickets
Don’t see a deal that best suits you yet? Then visit the
Billy Elliot the Musical ticket page at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Billy-Elliot/BuyTickets
and under the SAVE ON YOUR TICKETS listing you can see all the ticket deals
available in their drop down menu or by calling the box office toll free at
1-800-567-1600
For more info about the Stratford Festival be sure to visit
these links
Website: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratfest
Instagram: https://instagram.com/stratfest
Let us know about the show! Are you going to see Billy Elliot the Musical in Stratford? We want to know what your thoughts were. Leave a comment below!
Let us know about the show! Are you going to see Billy Elliot the Musical in Stratford? We want to know what your thoughts were. Leave a comment below!
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