Photo: René Tanner
His father wanted him to become a boxer. But eleven-year-old working-class son Billy Elliot is more interested in ballet. This moving story from the film "Billy Elliot - I Will Dance" is now being presented as a musical at the Maag Halle in Zurich. The German premiere of the comedy-drama runs from October 31 to March 23, 2025 and is the biggest musical production ever staged in Switzerland.
Billy's story takes place in 1984 in the north of England, in the midst of miners' strikes against mine closures. Billy grows up in this tense environment. Although he is pushed into boxing, he accidentally discovers his true calling in ballet. He secretly begins to dance, but soon has to fight against prejudice and for his self-realization.
The film became an international success in 2000: it grossed 109 million US dollars and received numerous awards, including three British Academy Film Awards and three Oscar nominations.
Inspired by the film's success, Elton John composed the music for the musical, which has been staged at London's Victoria Palace Theatre since 2004 and later also found its way onto Broadway in New York. The stage work even surpassed the success of the film and won ten Tony Awards in 2009.
Although the musical has already been translated into several languages, a German version has been missing until now. The makers at Maag Music & Arts AG are now closing this gap. From November 1, the large-scale production can be seen in the Maag Halle in Zurich. And it is the biggest Swiss musical production to date, with production costs of CHF 5 million and special challenges: as children play the main roles, they have to be cast several times.
Leo Lemmerich (13) and Nevio Reymond (12) therefore share the leading role of Billy Elliot with Moritz Fischli (12). His best friend Michael is played by Justin Périer (12), Elias Meier (12) and Charlie Bänziger (13). With Isabelle Flachsmann, Sabine Martin and Pasquale Aleardi, the leading adult roles are played by seasoned musical professionals.