open in Toronto before New York, but it is understood the producers, and the director, Stephen Daldry, changed their minds summer. The Sydney season will give them a chance to adjust the show for a non-British audience before it goes to New York.
In The New York Post last month, Michael Riedel said the musical was moving to Broadway in the northern summer of 2008, with the British creative team - Daldry, and writers Lee Hall and Elton political sentiments of the show hard to fathom.
In her pitch to the London producers, Withers emphasised Billy Elliot's setting, place and time in history, the Britain of 1984, are closer to the history of Newcastle and Wollongong, NSW, than they are to New York state.
"We're so English-based in many ways," Withers says.
"Yes, we're battling many adversities to find his dream to dance.
in Australia, the idea of battler winning through has been part of the Australian psyche This show has many themes. It's about community, it's about family And it's about miners, a time and place in history, people standing up for their rights.
All of Withers, who will be receiving management fees on a weekly basis, negotiated with several British producers involved with the making of the musical, among them Eric Fellner, Jon Finn, Sally Greene and Angela Morrison.
Fellner, Finn and Morrison work out of the London offices of Working Title Films, whose movie hits include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and, in 2000, Billy Elliot. works for Old Vic Productions, which came on board for Billy Elliot the musical.
The stage show opened early last year in the West End.
boys to share the role of Billy. Not only do they need great acting and dancing skills, but also they need time to develop stamina.
set of skills that goes across tap, contemporary dance and ballet. For any performer, let alone a young performer, to be able to incredible amount of strength. A lot of their training is about stamina training.
"
Instead of shouting the news to all media, Withers confined it to any contact details. The next day, Channel Seven's Sunrise as it went to a live cross to Daldry in Britain. So far, more than 600 people have asked for audition information by email.
in April when tickets go on sale. Withers has appointed Melbourne Billy search, with some input from the British casting director Jessica Ronane, who will visit Australia in the next few months. sent to a Billy Elliot school for training next Easter.
From that chosen for the show. The casting directors plan to contact 2000 Australian dance schools in the next few weeks.
They might start with Newcastle, home of great tapping and the original Tap Dogs.
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