Musicals in London: HairSpray and Billy Elliot

During this trip to London, I was fortunate to be able to catch 2 highly-rated musicals – Hairspray and Billy Elliot. 

Hairspray:  I’ve seen the movie and loved it.  But the musical is amazing, imagine actors and actresses who are also singers and dancers, doing it live!  It was a visually stunning show, with bright lights and brilliant colours, visible eventhough I sat far above.  The music was just as I remembered it to be, except better because it was live.  It was a wonderful experience for the senses, which ended with rapturous applause from everyone.  If you like colours, dancing and singing, I highly recommend this.  One of my fave songs in the musical is ” Without Love”: 

Billy Elliot:  A friend told me that this was from a movie, but I hadn’t seen it and didn’t know what to expect.  Only that I’d received many comments that THIS is the musical to watch.  I managed to get last minute tickets at a steal – GBP22 for the upper floors, but considering that it was most often sold out.. this was a very good deal.  Its a story about a boy who is talented in dancing but faces resistance from his family.  It ends with his family supporting him on his dream.  It’s filled with emotions, sadness and humour but the one thing that I was greatly impressed with was the professional dancing.  Little children who must be about 6 or 7 yo, were tap-dancing with adults…. WOW! The star of the musical is a boy of about 12yo and not only did he act, but he also sang and danced like a pro.  Such talent…. WOW.  My only complaint was my poor understanding of their English accent, which made it difficult to understand what they were saying.  Here’s a YouTube treat”

Hairspray is a feel-good kind of musical, compared to Billy Elliot, which has its serious moments.  Depending on what you like, they both offer something different with the same wow experience.

Photolog: London at Christmas

Some pictures I took of London at Christmas

 

Ice-skating rink in the Museum of Natural History

This is the intersection near Leicester Sq

 

Hyde Park at sunset

 

Selfridges & Co’s ad for Christmas.  This billboard was in the Underground station.

It could Snow in London

I’m currently in London and yesterday, someone said that it snowed in London a few weeks ago.  Not only was it abnormally early for winter but it hasn’t snowed in October, in London for 70 years!!

There’s possibility of snow, during the next couple of days and I’ll be happy as a Tweety Bird if that happens.  I’ve never touched snow, so if this happens it will be my first.

Update as at 13 Dec 08: During my 2 weeks in London, it didn’ t snow.  But it was terribly cold, often going past zero’C.  Even with several layers of clothes and socks, I could feel the cold in my bones.. it was as good as being naked.  I was walking through Hyde Park on a Sunday evening and saw a pile of snow in one part of the park.  It struck me as odd but didn’t stop some kids and their parents from stomping on this “pile”.  I couldn’t resist and stomped too.. this may be as close as I’ll ever get to snow.