Billy

Gifted boy in the shadow
music theatre

America, 1915. In a working class neighbourhood a little black boy is born. He hardly survives his birth, but his crooked legs grow straight. At the age of five he is viable enough to get a name: Billy. It seems he will live a life like his father's: working hard in a steel factory, drinking a lot. Father Strayhorn uses to work off his frustrations concerning the position of blacks on his family. But Billy is different. Once he discovers the piano at his grandmothers', he can't stop playing it. He composes little songs, gets to know jazz and classical music and appears to be an exceptional talent. His talents are discovered by Edward, the most important big bandleader of his time. He takes Billy under his wings, takes care of him, and gratefully makes use of Billy's hits. Billy becomes Edwards right-hand man. He is flourishing, but only in the shadow, as a composer, as a pleasant young man, as a merrymaker and as a homosexual. All musicians know his genius, but the general public doesn't know his name. It's eating him up inside. When Billy feels well, he drinks to celebrate it. Whenever he feels down, he drinks to forget it. Billy is not a name for a famous artist. Billy is doomed to live a life in the shadow.

Actor/singer: Gary Boyce
Director: Paul Koek
Conductor: Norbert Kunst
Music: Blokfluitensemble Praetorius Leiden/Ton van der Meer

Back to Programmes.