the lads from billy elliot: the musical prove you
are never too young to do a westend musical..

Yes, but they don't do 8 shows a week - about 3 of them share the role! That's one of the major problems with casting a 17 or 18 year old in the role of Joseph. Plus most people have lower expectations for a child. The Billy Elliot boy who was on ADWD was a fab dancer and not a bad singer, but not of the quality you'd expect for an adult.

i don't agree. billy elliot the musical has won a host of awards

It's not a question of me being "right" or not, it's just my opinion. I personally don't think he has the stage presence to carry a lead role, ALW couldn't give two hoots what I think because Lee will win anyway. I think that a lot of the younger ones have/had more charisma than him, and some have outperformed him. You're saying the young ones couldn't be ready if Lee isn't......then you're saying age doesn't matter Though I do agree to you to an extent; Lewis, for example, is only seventeen (?) and I'd worry about the long-term effects on his still developing voice if he was to start doing eight shows a week.

I'm not obsessed with him being 25, more with the fact that he's been in Phantom/Miss Saigon/touring cast of Joseph - but hasn't made it yet. Surely you'd be making connections, especially in a show like Phantom, and getting on your way? Yet he seems to have just continually been an understudy for years, when there are people his age playing leads.

(I'm just writing round and round in circles, aren't I? Sorry . Like I said, it's my opinion, I respect yours, and I'm sure you'll enjoy proving me wrong when Lee wins )

I didn't say it wasn't a good musical! I just meant that I (and probably others) are happy to see a 12 year old kid dance brilliantly and don't mind if the singing is a little below par, but I wouldn't expect the same from an adult. The show has nothing to do with it!

You know you have hit something on the nail here for me. I thought it was evident in the Beatles song with Ben . i thought Ben outperformed him but then what do i know about acting.

I do understand your point about this. It's just that so much of what happens is luck in terms of whether someone gets their big break, eg whether an understudy gets to do lots of performances. I guess it just seems a bit unfair to assume that because Lee hasn't made it yet, he isn't going to.

Ah, but the lad from billy elliot actually has talent unlike some of the young joseph contestants!

He hasn't only done uynderstudy roles, and there are so many people in this business working in different shows that where as you may get to know some people, the "make connections" think is crap - it isn't like in the films you know!

LOL

however I really don't think this show does justice to these contestants various talents. What with bad studio, awful song choices, bad direction and little rehersal time not to mention constant manipulations and pressure, its quite frustrating really.

Case in point is Aoife from the Maria show, wholy unremarkable on the show but is one of the best Roxie Harts i've ever seen and outperforms Connie as Maria Von Trapp.

Maybe - but i don't think that excuse can wash for some of the terrible performances we have seen! "cough all by myself cough"

Um - I do know that. But thanks for pointing it out in a non-patronising and gramatically correct way.

As Phil2003 pointed out, it's mostly about luck, and how many performances you get. But I fail to see how you can work on a show like Phantom (which has nutured so much musical theatre talent through its understudies, Michael Ball, John Barrowman, Simon Bowman, John Owen-Jones, Claire Moore...), and not get "spotted". Hell, there's even a massive bit in the theatre playbill about how proud they are of their young talent record! Maybe I am being unfair, but it's my opinion. Means nowt in the grand scheme of things, Lee's got it in the bag already.

I think it is silly to think someone "has it in the bag" last week proved you cannot second guess who the public vote for, or for what reason they vote, as it certainly isn't just talent! oh, and although some greats have come oyut of phantom, think about how many people star in that show in one year, there are alot more stars and amazingly brill people who don't get discovered, as i said, its not like in the films.

I like Lee a lot but I wouldn't be so sure that he's got it in the bag. I think he's there as an insurance policy rather than a chosen one and IF they can prove themselves I reckon that ALW would probably prefer one of the younger ones. Maybe not Keith (since it's Joseph he's casting) but one of the others.

Not that he's rung me up about it of course.

I reckon tonight is probably the night when one of them will have to stake their claim properly if they are going to.

I agree with your first point. The public (and ALW!) seem to have been rather erratic with their voting patterns this year! I thought Antony went too soon, even though he was awful on the night, and obviously Daniel last week - and Craig's continued survival. But, I think Lee's been in the final since day one. Just my opinion though, you can laugh at me when I'm wrong

But I do think, if you're good enough, on the show like that, you'll get picked out. The names I mentioned earlier were all "promoted" from understudies to leads, and I just think if Lee had that certain something, he would have been spotlighted.

But we're going around in circles now; you have your opinion, I have mine. Let's leave it at that, eh?

I actually think Lewis is ALW's ideal Joseph. After his descriptions of a David Beckham/Justin Timberlake type - but I think he's starting to realise a seventeen year old can't realistically be expected to preform eight times a week. It'll ruin his voice, for one thing!

I'm regretting that "in the bag" comment now! He'll be in the final, let's just leave it there :slaps forehead:

Lewis is my other favourite. I think that Daniel is probably right when he says that second place would probably be the best result for him, but we shall just have to see. I was genuinely gobsmacked when Daniel went last week so anything could happen. Ben could even sing Crying in tune and with real emotion. You never know.

Well, I am hoping for a miracle (really, could they have picked a more difficult song? I think not)

I'd agree with second for Lewis. I'd worry about him if he won the role; but he's certainly got stage presence. Given some time to mature, I think he'd be fantastic.

Looks up to heaven - yes please

Ok a lot of those left maybe underdogs but except from Lee i would not even consider going to see any other of those left in the West End.
They eliminated many of the better singers who were men in my opinion and left us with mainly young guys around 18.
I cannot see them appealing to a lot of people 25 plus and these are the typical theatre goers who have more disposable income.
Billy Elliot is a different type of show so you really cannot compare the two.

It was a mistake for Andrew to eliminate Seamus?,Daniel and not put that gospel singer in from the heats. What we are left with is pretty abysmal in my opinion.

I agree!

it makes the competition less exciting and less challenging for Lee - still would only pay to see him though out of the ones left.

Well it wouldn't have mattered who they had put in/kept in - it would always have come down to Lee.

I'm not sure about the others, but Michael Ball was originally cast as Raoul in Phantom (second casting) and has never been an understudy in any production.

He auditioned for the chorus of Pirates of Penzance at the beginning of his career and landed the leading role of Fredric. Since that time (around 1984) he has always played leading roles.

Your concept is certainly correct though - star quality gets spotted quickly.

true - if lee found himself in a sing off and snored all the
way through it, ALW would send the other joseph home.