Note: Liam Redford’s final show as Billy in the Opera House Theatre Company’s production of Billy Elliot the Musical (BETM) in Wilmington, NC, was on Aug 18, 2019.
Debuts: October 19, 2017 (Williamstown, NJ); October 31, 2018 (Arlington, VA); February 7, 2019 (Portsmouth, NH); May 3, 2019 (Sandy Springs, GA); August 1, 2019 (Wilmington, NC)
Total Performances as Billy: 97 (Williamstown, NJ = 11) (Arlington, VA = 38) (Portsmouth, NH = 27) (Sandy Springs, GA = 8) (Wilmington, NC = 13) No partial shows
Liam Redford was 11 years old (d.o.b. = 12-Jan-2006) when he debuted as Billy Elliot in Billy Elliot The Musical at the Grand Theatre in Williamstown, NJ. Liam resides in North Hanover, NJ, where he was a student at the Upper Elementary School (U.E.S.), upon his debut as Billy Elliot.
Liam’s dance training has come via Dansations School of Dance, in Hainesport, New Jersey. He studies all styles of dance there, especially Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Ballet, and Jazz.
Liam is also accomplished in gymnastics, having studied for seven years at Envision Gymnastics in Easthampton, NJ.
Liam has studied Musical Theatre with Max Baud and Matthew Prescott at the Joffrey Ballet 2017 summer intensive. Max, of course, played the role of Older Billy in the US/Canadian tour and several regional productions of BETM.
Liam also spent a year under the tutelage of Elizabeth Janney studying performing.
Before his involvement with Billy Elliot The Musical, most of Liam’s performance experience had been in the area of dance, though he had done some musical theatre, mostly at U.E.S., including playing “Young Simba” in the school’s 2017 production of Lion King Jr. in March.
Other productions in which he appeared include Annie and Once Upon a Mattress, both at the Bordentown Summer Theatre.
Here’s a video which displays Liam’s skills in the Contemporary and Jazz dance genres:
Credit: Video by Dansations School of Dance
The Road Company, Williamstown NJ
Liam’s dance studio received an email explaining The Road Company was looking for young male dancers for their upcoming production of BETM. His mom and dad discussed having him audition and decided to let him try out.
Liam attended auditions at the Grand Theatre for the child roles of BETM in early July. The show’s director, Scott Angehr, relates this funny story from Liam’s audition. It seems that “when Liam was reading Michael’s lines, at the part where the script says for Michael to try a split, Liam decided to go for it. When he slammed down to a full split…all you heard was “rippppp” as he split his pants! Everyone laughed like crazy!”
After weeks of agonized waiting, the cast was finally announced at the end of July and intensive rehearsals for Liam began soon after. They consisted of every Sunday for four hours and every Monday and Wednesday for three hours each. For the week and a half prior to opening the show, rehearsals were pretty much daily, culminating with “Tech Week” beginning on Sunday, October 15, 2017 leading up to the opening of the show on October 19th.
Upon his debut, Liam became the 227th young actor to bring the role of Billy Elliot to life in a professional, regional or community theatre production of the musical.
Credit: Photo by Dave Gruen
Signature Theatre, Arlington VA
In early October of 2018, it was announced that Liam would star as Billy for a second time, sharing the role with newcomer Owen Tabaka, in Signature Theatre’s production of the musical in Arlington, VA. The production ran from Oct 30, 2018 to Jan 6, 2019.
In the days before the show opened at Signature, this video, featuring Liam, was produced to promote the production:
Credit: Video by sigtheatre
Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Portsmouth NH
As Liam’s run as Billy at the Signature Theatre came to an end, and as Liam turned 13 years old, it was announced that he had been cast as Billy for a third time. This time it would be closer to home at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The show ran there from February 7 to March 9, 2019.
City Springs Theatre, Sandy Springs, GA
Liam then went on to play Billy for a fourth time, in the City Springs Theatre production of the musical in Sandy Springs, GA. This show ran from May 3-12, 2019.
Liam was featured in a Fox TV Atlanta story about the upcoming production of BETM in Sandy Springs, a few days prior to the show’s opening.
Credit: Video by Fox 5 TV Atlanta
Opera House Theatre Company, Wilmington, NC
In the summer of 2019, Liam will embark on his fifth production of BETM, and he will once again star in the title role. This time it will be at the Opera House Theatre Company in Wilmington, NC from August 1-18, 2019.
According to the company’s Executive Director, Liam submitted for the role on Backstage, after seeing the casting call on there. After looking into Liam’s resume and seeing his audition, the Executive Director said that the decision to cast him was a no-brainer.
For more information about Liam, visit:
Billy Elliot the Forum, Liam The Dancer Website, Facebook, Instagram
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