Review: In ‘Billy Elliot’ at Paramount Theatre, Elton John’s songs still come through

“Billy Elliot” certainly belongs on any list of the greatest British musicals of all time, eclipsed by “Les Miserables” for sure, but right up there with “Matilda,” “Mamma Mia!” and “Blood Brothers.”

The 2005 West End show, a monster international hit that would probably still be playing if hadn’t cost such a fortune to operate, was based on the 2000 movie that Elton John, who composed the score for Lee Hall’s book, saw at the Cannes Film Festival and found himself crying in his seat. It tells the story of a miner’s kid who dreams of a ballet future even as then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher rips apart the unionized British coal industry during the mid-1980s.

Anyone who has been around this town’s theater for a while will recall the 2010 dedicated Chicago production, a magnificently produced affair that the original director, Stephen Daldry, came to town to direct himself, gifting Chicago with a level of production values and artistic excellence that we rarely see. Many of the kids who shared the title role here went on to major ballet careers. Also in my memory bank: the late Rachel Rockwell’s gorgeous first regional staging at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace in 2015.

On Friday, Paramount Theatre took on this epic title with a huge and dystopian set from Michelle Lilly that looked like something out of Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis.” The humanity and sense of humor of South Yorkshire was squelched a bit there, although it’s certainly a potent bit of expressionism that added a whole new level to the ensemble singing of the mineworkers.

Picking up that theme, director Trent Stork’s production feels overly chilly to me, in places; this capable young director really has to watch the danger of too much stuff overwhelming the crucial emotional trajectory of their shows, which is what I also felt about their staging of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” although “Billy Elliot” is much stronger material.

In the end, a fabulous performance from Ron E. Rains, who plays Billy’s heartbroken dad, brings the show home in the far stronger second act. It’s a deeply moving performance that’s a perfect match for the excellent Michelle Aravena, who plays the sardonic dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson, a character that Hall intended to offer an example of a different kind of love, the one that pushes you to be your best and put your energies and work into situations where you can actually have an impact. I also greatly enjoyed young Neo Del Corral in the title role (he shares the part with Sam Duncan); Del Corral offers a gymnastic take on his young dancer, a great way for a kid to go, as choreographed by Isaiah Silvia-Chandley.

Some of the smaller moments needed more work, especially Billy’s interactions with his mum (Jennie Sophia), which all seemed to land upstage. And I felt the massively talented Spencer Davis Milford, playing Tony, also didn’t always get the focus he deserved. Stork has this hugely talented cast of young performers doing all kinds of frenetic stuff, often more than we need, frankly. I’d have liked to seen some of them given a few quieter beats when they could have let us see their characters’ hearts.

Musically speaking, the show has its rousing harmonics very much in place from the fine ensemble, although the rock elements of John’s score didn’t pop entirely as they should, especially when the Rocket Man was playing with the contrast of the miners’ choral traditions with the excitement of a kid channelling all his frustrations into the arts. John was notorious for showing up and turning up the volume on his shows — and had he walked into this theater, the slider on the sound board would have been heading upwards. The show is all about musical shape-shifting, mirroring the central character, and I’ve watched the interplay with an orchestra at this particular theater feel far more organic than seemed to be the case at the weekend.

All that said, “Billy Elliot” still works and, if you’ve never seen the show before, you’ll likely be crying by the end. This is John’s best score for the theater (better than “The Lion King”) and the project that he cared about the most. As the real events of the narrative retreat further into history, it’s good to see the musical continue.

It’s also fascinating to be reminded that the British left once fought so hard for coal power, a form of heating that many now want to see disappear for environmental reasons. But that’s not the main point of a show all about the arts as a means of self-actualization and escape. I’ve always thought “Billy Elliot” to be the most wonderful tribute to ballet teachers in a thousand small studios, lifting up kids to a happier life.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Review: “Billy Elliot: The Musical” (3 stars)

When: Through March 24

Where: Parmamount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd.

Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Tickets: $38-$79 at 630-896-6666 and paramountaurora.com