BILLY ELLIOT Featured on CBS's 'Sunday Morning' 11/9

On Sunday, November 9th, Billy Elliot the Musical will be featured on CBS "Sunday Morning."  Composer Elton John, director Stephen Daldry and stars David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish sat down with CBS' Katie Couric to discuss the new musical.  "Sunday Morning" airs locally on channel 2 – WCBS in the tri-state area.

The multi-award winning Billy Elliot the Musical will open at Broadway's Imperial Theatre (240 W 45th St) Thursday, November 13th.  Featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall and directed by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical began previews Wednesday, October 1st.  The show is presented by Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions in association with Weinstein Live Entertainment, based on the Universal Pictures/Studio Canal film.Billy Elliot stars David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish as Billy, Haydn Gwynne, who 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; Gregory Jbara (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Victor/Victoria) as Dad; Tony winner Carole Shelley (The Elephant Man, Wicked) as Grandma; Santino Fontana (Sunday in the Park with George revival) as Tony, David Bologna and Frank Dolce alternating in the role of Billy's friend Michael, Stephen Hanna as Billy's Older Self, Joel Hatch as George, Leah Hocking as Mum, Thommie Retter as Mr. Braithwaite and Erin Whyland as Debbie.  Hadyn Gwynne is appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association. Billy Elliot the Musical is the funny, heartwarming tale of a young boy with a dream, and a celebration of his triumph against the odds.  Set against the historic British miners' strike of the 1980s, the story 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.Billy Elliot the Musical, based on the beloved 2000 film which garnered three Academy Award and 13 BAFTA nominations, opened at London's Victoria Palace in May 2005 to unanimous critical acclaim.  The Mail on Sunday wrote, "Truly electrifying…this heart-stopping show is a must-see." The Sunday Express raved, "êêêêê! Pure magic." And The Daily Telegraph proclaimed it simply, "The greatest British musical I have ever seen." The production went on to sweep London's nine awards for Best Musical, including the Olivier, Evening Standard and Critics' Circle Theatre Awards.  It has played over 1,400 performances and celebrated its 3rd anniversary in May '08. Billy Elliot the Musical next opened to equal acclaim at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, Australia in December 2007. The Australian wrote, "Billy Elliot should come with a warning: abandon cynicism all ye who enter. Open your heart, get out the tissues and surrender."  The Sydney Morning Herald raved, "Joyously entertaining, Billy Elliot bursts into starry-eyed showbiz magic … A rapturous pinnacle of self-expression and fulfillment." The Sunday Telegraph called it, "Bloody brilliant! Funny, exuberantly rude and heartbreakingly moving." The Sydney production went on to win seven 2008 Helpmann Awards, including Best Musical.Billy Elliot has now played to over 2.4 million people worldwide.Billy Elliot the Musical is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene. Angela Morrison and David Furnish are Executive Producers. 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. For tickets and information visit www.billyelliotbroadway.com

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