Critics are Spoiled

Critics are spoiled. Whenever they go to see a play or concert they sit in the best seats in the house. They hear perfect sound, see every grimaced facial expression the actors can muster and feel like they’re actually part of the action. So, when YOU are sitting in a drafty seat in the back of the hall behind a post, not hearing or seeing a thing, don’t blame the critic when you read the rave review in the paper the next day (“Were we at the same play??”). Now I know what it’s like. When I attended East Lansing’s Wharton Center’s current run of the hit musical Billy Elliot, I was surprised to be shown my seats in the Grand Tier. First, you must understand that Wharton’s Grand Tier is higher off the floor than most other venues (you actually have to take a ski lift to get there) because the architects wanted to keep good acoustics for the main floor seats underneath. Wharton’s Grand Tier is truly a bird’s eye view. I was really looking forward to seeing this award-winning musical but sitting up in the Grand Tier made me feel strangely detached from it all. Yes I heard OK and there was no post in front of me but I couldn’t see the actor’s’ faces and some of the dialogue was garbled. So I feel somewhat hampered in reviewing the show in those less than optimum conditions. But – I’ll take a stab at it. Billy Elliot is a poignant story of a tragic coal miners’ strike in northern England in the early eighties. While the blokes are on strike, one of the rough and tumble miners sends his 12-year old son (actually 15-year-old Ben Cook) for boxing lessons at the community center. The boy has little interest in socking his friends in the face, but he notices a ballet class going on in the next room and it’s love a first sight. His dad is none too happy by the turn of events. The story of acceptance, following your dreams, layered over an economic tragedy is eloquently told. Cook is a stunningly good dancer and performer and the supporting cast makes his pain and the pain of the entire town achingly real. Billy Elliot’s teacher, Janet Dickson, is a sassy, blustery and funny actress who sees the boy’s talent immediately. Elton John’s music is enjoyable but forgettable. The choreography, script, and scenic design, however, flowed together perfectly to make the story strong and touching. Although sitting that fa away limited my emotional connection with the stage, I’m sure it was no different than any other auditorium's balcony. In fact, for orchestra concerts I prefer sitting in the Grand Tier. But now I know why house seats are in the center of the hall, five rows from the stage. Everything just looks and sounds better there.