OUR PRODUCTION
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Billy Elliot the Musical will be presented in our black box studio space in an immersive setting.
Audiences take their seats in the center of the space and will be immersed in the action of the musical. The sets and performing spaces surround the seating area to enable audiences to experience 180 degrees of viewing the world of Billy Elliot. Performers will be interspersed in the audience for key musical numbers and encourage audience participation and "solidarity".
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GENDER EQUALITY
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In recent years we have seen progress in societal acceptance of gender norms in the Hudson Valley, which include increased acceptance of diverse gender identities, a greater emphasis on gender equality, and a growing awareness of the importance of breaking down traditional gender roles. Many individuals and many organizations have fought to change state and local laws to effectuate these important changes.
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LOCAL UNIONS
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The past several months have seen a bevy of union activity. Many unions have had their representatives, workers, and supporters working hard at negotiations, picket lines, and contract resolutions to have workers' voices heard, and support fair wages. We have been affected locally. We personally know union workers who are waiting for a fair wage, and are personally being affected by an ongoing strike in the writers' and television and screen actors' unions. Unions strive to ensure fair treatment, just compensation, and safe working conditions for their members. They provide a platform for employees to collectively negotiate and voice their concerns, and enhance their freedom to express grievances without fear of retaliation. Unions foster solidarity and enable workers to have a say in their working conditions and promote both dignity and freedom within the workforce.
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AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY
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Written by Lee Hall, "Billy Elliot" is based on the childhood experiences and struggle experienced by Lee Hall as he was growing up in a small village in Northern England with a passion for becoming a writer. We, the producers and directors at Theatre on Main Street, knew the time was ripe to present a show that would touch our small village and town audiences with the themes of freedom, equality, and solidarity. Over the past several months, the word "solidarity" was scrawled as the complimentary close across many a letter from our own workers' unions. And as it was read, each time the echoes of the song "Solidarity" marched in our hearts and minds. We knew our next musical had to be "Billv Elliot".
SYNOPSIS
"Billy Elliot" is a Broadway musical that artfully touches its audiences with the themes of dignity and freedom. The character of Billy, a young boy with a passion for ballet in a small British mining town, showcases his pursuit of personal freedom despite societal expectations. His determination to pursue his dream without his family's and his village's approval and express himself through dance, highlights his drive for freedom as an individual. The musical underscores how the pursuit of one's passions and the courage to break free from societal norms can be an empowering testament to both dignity and freedom.
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The musical takes place during the 1984 miners' strike in a small village in Northern England. The 1984 Miner's Strike is often remembered as a symbol of the struggle between organized labor and the government because it was a significant and highly contentious labor dispute that lasted for a year, from March 1984 to March 1985.
These small communities of miners and their families stood up for their livelihoods and the dignity of their profession. The strike was a response to the government's plans to close numerous coal mines, which threatened the jobs and communities that relied on mining. By refusing to back down and fighting for their rights, miners valued their dignity and asserted the value of their labor and commitment to their jobs. The strike symbolized the miners' refusal to be marginalized and their determination to preserve their sense of worth and pride in their work, even in the face of economic and political challenges.