Haydn Gwynne, Gregory Jbara, Carole Shelley & More Join Billy Elliot
The full cast of the Broadway production of Billy Elliot has been announced, including Haydn Gwynne, Gregory Jbara, Carole Shelley and Santino Fontana. The musical will begin previews on October 1 at the Imperial Theatre and open on November 13, directed by Stephen Daldry.
Gwynne created the role of dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson in the show's original London cast and will make her Broadway debut recreating her Olivier Award-nominated performance. Jbara Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Victor/Victoria, Chicago will play Dad; Tony winner Carole Shelley The Elephant Man, Wicked, Cabaret will play Grandma; and Santino Fontana Sunday in the Park with George, The Fantasticks will play Billy's brother Tony. They join the previously announced Broadway Billys David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish.
Featured actors in the show will include David Bologna and Frank Dolce alternating in the role of Billy's friend Michael, Stephen Hanna as Billy's Older Self, Joel Hatch Adding Machine as George, Leah Hocking Mamma Mia!, All Shook Up as Mum, Thommie Retter as Mr. Braithwaite and Erin Whyland as Debbie.
The original Broadway company will also feature Juliette Allen Angelo, Tommy Batchelor, Kevin Bernard, Grady McLeod Bowman, Heather Burns, Maria Connelly, Samantha Czulada, Kyle DesChamps, Eboni Edwards, Brianna Fragomeni, Greg Graham, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Eric Gunhus, Meg Guzulescu, Izzy Hanson-Johnston, Keean Johnson, Aaron Kaburick, Donnie Kehr, Cara Kjellman, Kara Klein, David Koch, Jeff Kready, Stephanie Kurtzuba, David Larsen, Caroline London, Merle Louise, Marina Micalizzi, Mitch Michaliszyn, Matthew Mindler, Tessa Netting, Daniel Oreskes, Jayne Paterson, Liz Pearce, Corrieanne Stein, Jamie Torcellini, Grant Turner and Casey Whyland.
Billy Elliot features music by Elton John and book and lyrics by Lee Hall andl is based on the 2000 feature film. The musical opened at London's Victoria Palace in May 2005 and swept London's nine awards for Best Musical, including the Olivier, Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. It has played over 1,300 performances and recently celebrated its third anniversary. Another production opened in Sydney, Australia, in December 2007.
Set against the historic British miners' strike of the 1980s, Billy Elliot follows Billy's journey as a boy in a small mining town who, after stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, realizes that his future lay not in the boxing ring but on stage as a dancer.
The production features choreography by Peter Darling, scenic design by Ian MacNeil, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.
Billy Elliot is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene. Angela Morrison and David Furnish are Executive Producers.
