Billy Elliot the Musical

I loved the movie Billy Elliot, and have watched it twice before. And tonight, I went to the musical adaptation of the movie.

A special little boy with a talent for dancing set against the backdrop of the mine strikes of 1980s Britain. While the adults argued and struggled to get by, while the Margret Thatcher sent in the police and strikers were pitted against "scabs", a boy just wants to dance! Dance to get his emotions and frustrations out, dance because he feels like dancing, dance because he feels free and hears music even when no music is playing.

But dancing for a boy is reason for ridicule. "Poof", "fruit", they called him because he wanted to dance the ballet. His dad and brother were dead set against it, but soon they realise that though their livelihoods and dreams are over, they cannot stand in the way of a boy with dreams and hopes. And how much the boy has gone through, having already lost his mother at the young age of 11.

It's a beautiful story about hope and hard work, striving and gain. It's also partly about loss and letting go. There is a scene in which  a letter from his late mother is read out (see other post). I could not keep from sobbing. The words reached deep inside me and wrenched my heart and caused a flood of tears:

And it will have been a long, long time
And I will have missed you growing,
And I'll have missed you crying
And I'll have missed you laugh.
Missed your stomping and your shouting,
I'll have missed telling you off,
But please Billy,
Know that I was always there.
I was with you through everything.

I enjoyed the musical, I really did. It was beautiful production, perhaps the most animated and well choreographed musical I've seen to date. It was  comical and extremely, extremely moving. And amazing what this scrawny little kid could do with his voice and feet on stage. But for me, personally, and a reason why I dreaded going to see the performance in a way, the most touching was that moment when the words and love of a late mother were transported into the present. Love, beautiful love, never dies...