• Jump for joy: The five young actors playing the titular character in the Japan-made version of 'Billy Elliot' are (from left) Kousei Kato, Sakuya Kimura, Haruto Maeda, Kazuki Mirai and Riki Yamashiro.
    Jump for joy: The five young actors playing the titular character in the Japan-made version of "Billy Elliot" are (from left) Kousei Kato, Sakuya Kimura, Haruto Maeda, Kazuki Mirai and Riki Yamashiro.
  • SHARE

When the call for auditions went out in November 2015, 1,346 boys sent in their head shots and resumes hoping to land what could be a life-changing role as the titular lead in a Japanese production of “Billy Elliot.”

The competition was fierce — around 900 couldn’t even get through the door — but why wouldn’t it be? The musical is based on the award-winning film of the same name that made a star out of its young lead, Jamie Bell. A hugely successful musical in London’s West End that ran for 11 years followed. It received four Olivier Awards before closing in April last year after 4,600 performances.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

PHOTO GALLERY (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

, ,