Note: Asher’s final show as Billy in the Highland Park Players production of Billy Elliot The Musical (BETM) at the Northbrook Theatre, was on November 6, 2016.
Debut: October 22, 2016 (Northbrook Theatre, IL)
Total Performances as Billy: 5 (No partial shows)
Asher Alcantara was 11-years-old (D.O.B. = 9-Aug-2005) and a 5th Grade student at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette, IL, at the time of his debut as Billy Elliot. He is an avid chess player, enjoys playing the piano and percussion instruments, close harmony singing, composing, playing soccer and performing.
It’s that latter interest that he’s especially good at, having performed on stage since the age of three. Asher’s recent stage credits include:
- Little Jake in Annie Get Your Gun (2014) Starlight Theatre (see photo at right)
- Gavroche in Les Miserables (2015) Lake Zurich Productions
- The Artful Dodger in Oliver! (2015) Citadel Theatre
- Asher Simmons in Another Way West (2016), in Northwestern’s Waa-Mu Show.
In this brief video, Asher appears in the Citadel Theatre production of Oliver! as the Artful Dodger:
Credit: Video by olaalcantara
After Billy Elliot, Asher has also been signed in the role of the Genie/Spirit at the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of The Magic Flute (Dec. 2016-Jan 2017).
Asher’s preparation for a performance career has mainly been at the Wilmette Actors Training Center and the Dance Center of Evanston (under the guidance of Mike Gosney), as well as private instruction in tap (Cathy Jacobson) and vocal training (Dr. Brad Nietschke).
As noted above, another passion that Asher has is choral singing, something he started doing at the age of just three-years-old. In this video from 2009, Asher can be seen singing with a group of boys, all of whom are sons of men who sing in a cappella groups themselves:
Credit: Video by anthony40rrp
Asher heard about the audition for Billy from actor/producer Jacob Cohen. Asher and Jacob had performed together in the Starlight Theatre production of Annie Get Your Gun, so Jacob was familiar with Asher’s work.
Once successful with the audition and having been offered the role, Asher began rehearsals in mid-August, approximately four times per week right up until the show opened.
Upon his debut, Asher becomes the 168th young actor to bring Billy to life on stage in a professional, regional or community theatre production of the show anywhere in the world.
Note: Production Photos by Bradley A. Rose
For more information about Asher visit:
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