Q&A With Broadway Performer in 'Billy Elliot the Musical' in San Diego

Actress Cara Massey who was in the musical Legally Blonde on Broadway and now tours with Billy Elliot The Musical took time from her busy schedule to talk to Carlsbad Patch about the award-winning show coming soon to San Diego.

Patch: What do you want people who have never seen the Billy Elliot to know?

I think, from being an audience member seeing Billy Elliot on Broadway to now being in the cast on the National Tour, the most important thing to know coming into the show is a bit of the history. While the story of Billy isn't based on a true story, the circumstances surrounding the community and time in English history are all true. In the lobby, we have a large sign that tells a bit of the history of the time period, but here's a quick rundown to help set up what's happening in Northern England when the show begins:

The National Union of Mineworkers was an incredibly strong union in England up until 1984. They had been on strike before and always won, and, therefore, were used to getting their way. The country was quite dependent on coal, so of course the union had strength in the demand of their product. When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, she made it her personal goal to defeat the union, so she secretly began stockpiling coal from the Baltic states. She then announced that she would be systematically closing coal mining pits. In protest, most mining communities wanted to strike. Typically, when a union goes on strike, they have a countrywide vote, this way assuring that they will receive government assistance while unemployed. However, due to a few different factors, mainly a bit of over confidence that they would win quickly, there was never a nationwide vote held. Margaret Thatcher had such a large stock of coal that she didn't need to pits running to keep the country supplied with coal, and, thus, the strike continued on far longer than anyone imagined.

After nearly a year of unemployment, the union caved in and the strike ended. The miners returned to work, all the while knowing that it was only a matter of time before their pit would close and they would be out of work, potentially permanently. What's most important to know is that these mining pits were the center of many of the communities where they were located, so not only did a pit closure mean a lack of work for nearly every man in the community, but it meant the end of the community's culture and glue that tied them together. Needless to say, the stakes were high. 

Patch: What is your favorite song from the musical?

Without a doubt, “Grandma's Song” is my favorite number in the whole show. I don't want to give anything away, but I think her song is pretty close to perfect. The song is a complete story of the life this woman once had. It's heartbreaking and, simultaneously, absolutely hilarious, and the staging is breathtaking. The first time I saw Billy Elliot in New York, the number started, and as a dancer and actress I was so overwhelmed by the story, the uniqueness and the sheer beauty of the movement that I wept. I wasn't even conscious of it, tears just rolled down my cheeks, and I don't think I took a breath for the entirety for fear that it might interrupt the moment. There are no women other than Grandma in the number, only men, and I tell you, I watch almost every night from the wings and wish that I could be a man for those couple minutes just so I could do that number. 

Patch: Anything else you want Carlsbad-area residents to know?

 I know it sounds cliché, but I want the San Diego audience to know that Billy Elliot is an incredibly special and unique experience. Truly, you'll laugh and you'll cry (I sure did when I saw the show the first time). Whether the hardworking community, the kid who's a bit different, or the human desire to find your passion and follow your dreams, I think every single person who sees Billy Elliot can see pieces of themselves on stage, and ultimately, that's what theater is meant to be.