No more Electricity for Billy Elliot as lights turn off on Broadway

One of the biggest musical success stories of the past decade, Billy Elliot, is to close on Broadway after three years.
The last show, the 1,304th performance, will be on January 8th 2012, its producers have announced.
Previews were first shown in the US on October 1st 2008 and it has attracted around 1,659,967 theatregoers.
“After three unforgettable years, we are announcing the final performance of Billy Elliot the Musical on Broadway,” announced producer Eric Fellner.
“To see this story of a small boy from a small town in the North East of England achieve such enormous success and receive such an incredible response from the musical theatre capital of the world has been hugely rewarding.
On praising the other producers and the creative team who worked on the project over the three years, he added that “all great things must come to an end”. The success of the musical is evident after winning ten Tony Awards in 2009, including Best Musical.
The US touring production of Billy Elliot is still travelling across the country, while the musical is also going strong on London’s West End, where it began back in 2005.
Elton John, who composed the music from the musical including The Stars Look Down, Solidarity and Electricity, said: “I’ve said it before and it remains true today, Billy Elliot has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life – seeing this show produced on Broadway is a dream fulfilled.
“I’m so proud of the brilliant young performers who have mastered the role of Billy on Broadway-their commitment and sheer talent has been the backbone of this production.”
One major expense of the production, which is based on the BAFTA-winning 2000 film of the same name, is the Billy Elliot dance school, where future boy stars are trained for the role.