Search Is On For Dutch BILLY ELLIOT

Stage Entertainment, led by Joop Van Den Ende, have announced it will start a nationwide search for young boys to take on the challenging title role in a Dutch production of Billy Elliot. The company has included Billy Elliot in its to-do list for years, and now takes a first step towards realizing this plan.

Talented boys of ages up to 11 years are invited to join the so-called "Billy Elliot sCOOL" where they will be taught by a team from Stage Entertainment, the National Ballet, and the Lucia Marthas Dance Academy. Training takes place over a period from October 2013 to May 2014, during which the boys will attend classes for two afternoons per week and in weekends. The purpose is to convince the English creatives that indeed there are sufficient boys of sufficient talent to enable a succesful run of the show in the Netherlands.

The availability of talented boys to play the role of Billy is a particular challenge if a Dutch production were to succeed. Due to labour laws that are more strict than in the UK or USA, Dutch children are in principle only allowed to play 24 days per year. Thus, a Dutch version of Billy Elliot would require many more alternating Billys than elsewhere. Clearly, the original team behind the success of the musical, is worried that a small country such as the Netherlands might not offer sufficient talent. It is unclear if the production will attempt to get some sort of an exemption from the Dutch child labour legislation.

On their website, www.musicals.nl, Stage Entertainment specifically calls for boys with a passion for dance who aren't necessarily classically trained at a high level, but who have the guts, openness and stamina to become Billy Elliot. Hopefuls will first need to audition for the Billy sCOOL. Candidates from Belgium who speak Dutch are also invited.

Only after potential Billys have proven themselves, will the company continue its search for and training of the other young roles in the musical, including Michael and Debby.

Billy Elliot the Musical is the joyous celebration of one boy's journey to make his dreams come true against all odds. 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. In London, the musical is currently in its 9th year and recently welcomes its 4 millionth visitor. The West End production was nominated for nine 2006 Laurence Olivier Awards and won four, including Best New Musical. The Broadway production received a whopping fifteen 2009 Tony Award nominations and won ten, including Best Musical.

A Dutch production of Billy Elliot, if it were to happen, would not be the first non-English Billy Elliot. In 2010, a South Korean production opened in Seoul.

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