Theater News

Leave it to Billy

Family fun this month includes Billy Elliot: The Musical, 13 the Musical, Rewind, Hunchback, Wintuk, Russian American Kids Circus The Adventures of the Puppet Prince, and Percussion People.

Kiril Kulish, David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik
star in Billy Elliot: The Musical
(© Peter Lueders/Paul Kolnik Studio)
Kiril Kulish, David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik
star in Billy Elliot: The Musical
(© Peter Lueders/Paul Kolnik Studio)

Elton John’s music will begin filling the Imperial Theatre when the Olivier Award-winning musical, Billy Elliot, starts previews October 1. Bring the whole family to this celebration of one young boy’s dream to become a dancer. Also, 13 the Musical officially opens at Broadway’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on October 5. Jason Robert Brown’s new tuner follows 13-year-old Evan Goldman as he is transplanted from a popular life in New York City to a small town in Indiana.

Also in Times Square, the New Victory Theater has several engaging choices. Breakdancers have been wowing crowds for decades, and Knucklehead Zoo plans to explore the past, present and future of breaking with Rewind (October 3-November 19), a lightning fast B-boy extravaganza. Redmoon Theater’s Hunchback (October 24-November 9) will also grace the New Victory stage with a comic adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel. Set on the crooked cobblestone streets of Paris, Redmoon uses puppetry, masks, dramatic music, and striking physicality to bring the story to life.

Cirque du Soliel’s holiday show, Wintuk (October 30-January 4), will return to the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden this month with a cast of 50 performers who will weave circus arts, theatrical effects, and original songs together for their family-friendly adventure. For more acrobatic delights, the Russian American Kids Circus (October 4) will take the stage at NYU’s Skirball Center. Performed by children, ages 6-16, the show was created by veterans from the Moscow Circus and it will sport enough spangles, acrobatics, synchronized unicycling, juggling, and clowning to entertain the whole family.

Looking Glass Theatre will present a Balinese fairytale, The Adventures of the Puppet Princess (October 18-November 23), the story of Putu and Nyoman who must make a puppet show to impress a witch to escape the jungle they stumbled into and return home. Galli Theater has that usual collection of weekend fairytales including Galli’s Frog Prince (October 4-5), Galli’s Snow White (October 11-12), Galli’s Star Money (October 17-18), Galli’s Rapunzel (October 18-19), Galli’s Little Red Riding Hood (October 25-26), as well as a clown show titled Galli’s Who Nose? (October 10-11).

For a little noisy fun, the Players Theatre will present Percussion People, an interactive family concert set to open October 5. Lead by Michale Sgouros, the musicians will play a variety of both traditional and non-traditional instruments. Audience participation is encouraged. Racoco Productions will join the party with How Many Licks? (October 3-11), a reprise of the company’s first New York season, including pieces such as “Pinata Masks,” “Divas playing the game of Twister,” “Of My Eye,” and “Looks Good On Paper.”