Note: Eli Foster’s final show as Billy in Camelot Theatre Company’s production of Billy Elliot the Musical (BETM) in Talent, Oregon, was on Oct 13, 2019.
Debut: September 19, 2019 (Talent, OR)
Total Performances as Billy: 8 (No partial shows)
Eli Foster was 11 years old (D.O.B. = 7-Jul-2008) when he debuted as Billy in Camelot Theatre Company’s production of BETM in Talent, Oregon. He is in the 6th grade at North Middle School.
Eli started his dance training when he was four years old at Stillpoint Dance Studio in Grants Pass, OR. He has had further training at Young Musicians and Artists camp, which he has attended for two summers at Willamette University in Salem, OR. In addition to this, two years ago Eli began tumbling and gymnastics training at Motion Matrix in Grants Pass. He has also taken regular acting classes and attended camps through the local YMCA since he was five years old.
Eli caught the theatre bug early in life and has never looked back. He performed in his first Nutcracker ballet when he was just six years old and since then he has performed in dozens of local theatre and ballet productions. The role of Billy is a new challenge for Eli, as it will be his first major role in a musical.
Eli first found out about the Camelot Theatre Company production of BETM when his mother was contacted by a longtime friend, who is the Assistant Stage Manager of the production, to let her know that they were holding auditions for the role of Billy. Eli and his older brother, Corban, went to Camelot for a privately scheduled audition time, and they were both offered the lead role on the spot!
Choreography rehearsals started in April with the show’s choreographer, Melanie Marie, who will also be playing Mrs Wilkinson. The two brothers rehearsed every weekend through the summer. They then joined the rest of the cast about 8 weeks before opening night for rehearsals 5-6 evenings a week.
When Eli steps onto the stage for his first performance as Billy on 19-Sep-2019 he becomes the 280th young actor worldwide to play the role in a professional, regional or community theatre production of the musical.
For more information about Eli visit:
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