Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The 2009 Tony Award-Winning BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL Electrifies Philadelphia at Academy of Music, Nov. 16 – 27

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

"Billy's the Best. It's got Heart, Passion and the best Elton John Score Ever."

—New York Post

 

Tickets On Sale Now!

 

NETworks Presentations, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions bring the 2009 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Billy Elliot the Musical to Philadelphia’s Academy of Music from November 16 through 27, part of  the Broadway Season, presented by The Kimmel Center and The Shubert Organization. Based on the international smash-hit film and featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical has earned critical acclaim on Broadway including 10 Tony Awards. The press opening is Thursday, November 17 at 7:30 pm.

 

Tickets ranging in price from $20 to $150 are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-731-3333, online at kimmelcenter.org/broadway, at the Kimmel Center box office, Broad & Spruce Sts. (open daily 10 am to 6 pm)  or at the Academy of Music box office, Broad & Locust Sts. (open during performances only). Groups of 15 or more will receive discounts for select performances by calling 215-790-5883 or 866-276-2947.  Performances include:  Tuesday – Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm; Friday & Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm; Sunday evenings at 6:30 pm; and matinees Saturday at 2:00 pm and Sunday at 1:00 pm. Weekday matinees include Thurs. Nov. 17 and Fri. Nov. 25 at 2:00 pm.  No performances are scheduled for Thurs. Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day.   

 

Billy Elliot the Musical is the joyous celebration of one boy’s journey to make his dreams come true. Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising talent that inspires his family and his whole community and changes his life forever.

 

Billy Elliot the Musical features Ty Forhan, Ethan Fuller, Kylend Hetherington and J.P. Viernes in the role of ‘Billy.’

 

Also featured are Leah Hocking (Mrs. Wilkinson); Rich Hebert (Dad); Patti Perkins (Grandma); Cullen Titmas (Tony); Ben Cook and Jacob Zelonky (Michael); and Samantha Blaire Cutler (Debbie).

 

Ben Brantley of the New York Times says that Billy Elliot “Sends audiences into a mass swoon!”  Time Out says it’s “The most electric and passionate show in years.”  The Daily News calls Billy “So exhilarating that you feel like leaping!” Liz Smith calls the show “Absolutely awesome,” The New York Observer raves that Billy is “The best thing to happen to Broadway in a long while,” and WOR’s Dave Richardson cheers, “All I can say is WOW!

 

The production features original direction by Stephen Daldry, choreography by Peter Darling, scenic design by Ian MacNeil, the associate director is Julian Webber, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch.  Touring production direction by Justin Marting and choreography Kathryn Dunn.

 

The production has been awarded 81 national and international awards including ten Tony Awards, Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle.

 

Additional information about Billy Elliot the Musical is available at www.BillyElliotTour.com.

 

The Broadway Season is presented by the Kimmel Center and The Shubert Organization with productions at the Academy of Music, Forrest Theatre and Merriam Theater.  Subscription packages for the new Broadway Season are still available by calling 215-893-1955 or online at kimmelcenter.org/broadway1112. 

 

In addition to BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, the new Broadway Season includes; ROCK OF AGES (Oct. 18 – 23) at the Merriam Theater;  HAIR (Jan 3 - 8, 2012); MEMPHIS (Jan. 17 – 22, 2012); FELA! (Mar. 20 – 25, 2012) and WEST SIDE STORY (Mar. 27 – Apr. 8, 2012), all at the Academy of Music. The new season will also welcome the return of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award Winning Best Musical JERSEY BOYS (Dec. 6, 2011- Jan. 14, 2012) at the Forrest Theatre. Additional shows will include: GAZILLION BUBBLE SHOW ( Nov. 5 & 6 ) and THE WIZARD OF OZ (Dec. 27 & 28), both at the Merriam Theater; RAIN – A Tribute To The Beatles (Jan. 31 – Feb. 5) and the premiere of a spectacular new production of Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (June 5 – 10, 2012), both at the Academy of Music.

 

KIMMEL CENTER, INC., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center.  Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, and the University of the Arts Merriam Theater. Our mission is to operate a world class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience which includes providing arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity of programming. The 2011/2012 season is sponsored by Citi. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.

 

THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION is responsible for the ownership and/or operation of 21 theatres in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC and continues its involvement in the presentation of distinguished theatrical productions. They include Cats, Sunday in the Park with George, Dreamgirls, Little Shop of Horrors, The Heidi Chronicles, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Lettice & Lovage, Dancin’, Amadeus, The Gin Game, Passion and Indiscretions. The Shubert Organization’s activities include the revitalization of the American theatre, participation in civic and community affairs, the introduction of phone and charge ticket sales and a computerized ticketing system.  This wide range of operation has proven highly effective in New York and throughout the country. 

 

NETworks PRESENTATIONS, LLC (Producer) Since 1995, NETworks has produced and managed over 45 touring productions in the US., U.K. and internationally. Current productions include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Young Frankenstein, Rodgers and Hammer-stein’s South Pacific, Blue Man Group National Tour, La Cage, Shrek The Musical and The New 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables. Future productions include Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, Flashdance the Musical and National Theatre of Great Britain’s production of War Horse touring the U.S.

 

UNIVERSAL PICTURES STAGE PRODUCTIONS is the theatrical production unit of the world-famous motion picture studio. Universal’s stage credits include the acclaimed worldwide productions of Wicked and Billy Elliot the Musical and licensed productions including Cry-Baby and Xanadu.  Universal Pictures’ upcoming films include It’s Complicated, a comedy starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin; The Wolfman, a reimagining of the Universal classic film starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt; and Despicable Me, a 3D CGI-animated feature starring Steve Carell.

 

WORKING TITLE FILMS has been co-chaired by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner since 1992. Between them, the pair has produced over 90 feature films which have amassed more than $4.5 billion at the box office worldwide. To date, their films have won 6 Academy Awards, 26 BAFTA Awards and won prestigious prizes at the Cannes and Berlin film festivals. The company's commercial and critical hits include Frost Nixon; Burn After Reading; State of Play; Atonement; Hot Fuzz; Pride & Prejudice; Mr. Bean’s Holiday; About a Boy; Notting Hill; Elizabeth; Fargo; Dead Man Walking; High Fidelity; Johnny English; Billy Elliot; Four Weddings and a Funeral; Bridget Jones’s Diary; Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason; O Brother Where Art Thou?; Love Actually; Shaun Of The Dead; Nanny McPhee; and United 93. Forthcoming releases include The Green Zone, directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear and Amy Ryan; Paul directed by Greg Mottola and written by and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang directed by Susanna White and written by and starring Emma Thompson, alongside Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maggie Smith, and Ralph Fiennes.

 

OLD VIC PRODUCTIONS is a producer of Billy Elliot the Musical worldwide, including productions in London, on Broadway and recently in Sydney and Melbourne. Created by Sally Greene, and run by Sally and executive producer Joseph Smith, OVP has co-produced or partnered in more than 70 productions in the West End and on Broadway, winning numerous awards. Productions include Taking Sides; Cyrano de Bergerac; The Reduced Shakespeare Company; The Vagina Monologues (London); The Weir; Car Man; Medea; Life (x) 3; Benefactors; Elaine Stritch: At Liberty; Macbeth; Sexual Perversity in Chicago and Hamlet. OVP is a major partner in Kevin Spacey’s first five seasons of the Old Vic Theatre Company and continues to have a creative and commercial association with the company most recently with the hit revival of Speed the Plow starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum and the groundbreaking production of The Norman Conquests presented in the round.  Sally Greene is chief executive of London’s Old Vic Theatre, the Criterion Theatre and Greene Light Films. She also owns two London restaurants: the award-winning Cheyne Walk Brasserie and the Waterloo Brasserie. She is proprietor of the world famous jazz club Ronnie Scott’s.

> index of news releases
> For more information, and to request high resolution images for press use, send us a message online.