Daldry: Billy Elliot May Arrive in U.S. in 2008

By Robert Simonson
10 Apr 2006

Billy Elliot—The Musical, the hit London musical written by Elton John and directed to Stephen Daldry, may reach the U.S. in 2008, the director said.

Daldry told Playbill.com columnist Harry Haun that the plan to bring Billy to Toronto, Canada, before New York is off. "We thought we might go to Canada first, but we're not now. I think I might bring it in in 2008."

Daldry added that he planned to direct a new movie before attending to further productions of Billy.

Stephen Daldry's production won Best New Musical at the 2006 Olivier Awards. Peter Darling picked up the Best Theatre Choreographer Award while the Best Actor in a Musical Award was shared by James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower, who rotated in the title role.

The Elton John musical, which also won the Evening Standard's Best Musical Award, is currently booking at the West End's Victoria Palace until October 2006.

Set in England's North East against the background of the miners' strike, the show is about a working-class boy's dream of becoming a ballet dancer.