Cappies Review: 'Billy Elliot' at West Potomac High School

From left to right: Grant Hamilton, Franco Cabanas, Charlie Ruppe, Lindsay Johnson

Review by Theresa Carr of The Madeira School

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- In a small coal-mining town in North England, there sits a young boy with a dream he himself has never quite realized. At West Potomac High School, the stage was transformed into this forlorn town, and lead actor Franco Cabanas danced life into the title character of Billy Elliot. With constant energy and charm, West Potomac kept the entire audience on the edge of their seats.

Based on the 2000 movie of the same name, the book and lyrics were written by Lee Hall and the music by Elton John. The show follows Billy as he discovers a passion for ballet in the class of Mrs. Wilkinson, played by Adrianna DeLorenzo. However, Billy's father (Jonathan Barger) expects Billy to grow up and be a miner like the rest of his family. Meanwhile, Billy's family and community is in turmoil as government subsidies for the mining industry are removed, and a miner's strike takes place in their town with Billy's dad and brother at the center of it. Through the help of his friend Michael (Grant Hamilton) and Ms. Wilkinson, Billy learns how to express himself despite his unstable world.

From the moment the curtain opened to the finale, Billy Elliot was jam-packed with dancing. Cabanas's expressive dancing was precise even when his character was only learning to dance, his mistakes were intentional and this realness solidified Billy's journey. Another energetic dance performance was found in Mr. Braithwaite's character, played by Josh Stein, who also made a cameo as older Billy in a dream dance number. Stein effectively portrayed the comedic relief Mr. Braithwaite provided, while charming the audience with his ballet number as Older Billy.

Strong acting performances were given by both Barger and DeLorenzo as Billy's father and dance teacher respectively. Barger developed his character with the grace of a prima ballerina as he grew to understand Billy's dream. Supported by a strong bass voice, Barger brought an emotional backbone to the show and created a very sympathetic character. DeLorenzo took pride in her bold and hilarious character as Mrs. Wilkinson, giving a comedic performance that made the audience root for not only Billy, but for her.

Ensembles gave a strong showing, accentuating the political messages of the show in an entertaining way. The ballerina ensemble were a definite highlight of the show, and the group executed their ditzy roles with pride and hilarity. The coal miner's dancing, while not as extravagant as the rest of the ballet, served to complement their roles as everymen and ground the high-flying dreams of Billy in the miners' harsh reality. These ensembles were integrated expertly in the song, "Solidarity," which was student choreographed by Natalie Edwards, with a posh ballet number interspersed between the miner's riots.

The tech elements of Billy Elliot stunned the audience with their precision and effectiveness. Lighting cues were crisp and well-timed, and succeeded in intensifying fun and dramatic moments. The production also made amazing use of their fly system by pulling Billy into the air during one dance. Microphone issues caused some problems with understanding actors at the beginning of the show, but were largely resolved as the show went on.

West Potomac's production of Billy Elliot dazzled the audience, giving a showing that was truly on-pointe!

Photo by Laura Marshall, courtesy of The Cappies