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The Three Young Stars From The Broadway Musical "Billy Elliot" Discuss The Show.(Video file)

Today Show (Video).  (Oct 20, 2008)

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(Taped earlier) Three young cast members from Broadway musical "Billy Elliot," David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, do dance routine on the "TODAY" show.

In live studio interview with TODAY's Hoda Kotbe and Kathie Lee Gifford, Alvarez, Kowalik and Kulish:

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD: Hi, guys. Welcome.

Mr. KIRIL KULISH: Thanks.

KOTB: How are you?

Mr. TRENT KOWALIK: Good.

Mr. DAVID ALVAREZ: Good.

GIFFORD: You all have been on quite the whirlwind schedule, haven't you? I--when did auditions begin to find Billy? Quite a while ago, right?

Mr. ALVAREZ: Yeah.

Mr. KULISH: I think they started about two years ago for the Broadway "Billy Elliot."

GIFFORD: The American version.

Mr. KULISH: Yeah.

Mr. KOWALIK: Right.

GIFFORD: Because it won every award possible on the--on the west end.

Mr. ALVAREZ: Yeah.

KOTB: It's amazing. I mean, they need different boys, obviously, because it's so grueling. But tell me, how difficult is it just doing a show? How exhausting is it for you?

Mr. ALVAREZ: Well, just the first thing that is extremely exhausting is being on stage for two and a half hours.

10:50:22 (:28)

(Interior shot) NEW YORK CITY

(Medium shot) Alvarez dances in "Billy Elliot."

KOTB: Uh-huh.

GIFFORD: Yeah, you're rarely off the stage.

Mr. ALVAREZ: I know. Yeah.

Mr. KOWALIK: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

GIFFORD: The character Billy is rarely gone.

Mr. ALVAREZ: And it's a lot of physical demand, and it's very tiring. But, you know, when you see the audience and you see the audience cheering, you just...

KOTB: You get pumped up?

Mr. ALVAREZ: Oh, yeah.

GIFFORD: I noticed, thank goodness, there's so much applause after these big dance numbers, that you have--you have--you have to speak after, but the audience takes so long in clapping that it's like I can see that you're grateful for it, because you get time to catch your breath before you have to say the dialogue.

Mr. ALVAREZ: I know. Yeah, exactly.

KOTB: Now, Trent, did you guys--did you guys have to work on the accents, or did you already have it? How about you, Trent?

Mr. KOWALIK: Yes. Yeah, well, I actually previously did the show in London on West End before I came here, and we had dialect lessons that we could master the Geordie accent.

KOTB: Is that tough to keep that going in your head?

Mr. KOWALIK: Yeah, but once you start doing it, it's a lot easier.

KOTB: Uh-huh.

KOTB: Well, who knows the--there's a story behind "Billy Elliot," about a young boy who really wants to be a dancer, and his dad wants him to be a boxer and he wants to be a dancer.

GIFFORD: He wants him to be a man's man.

KOTB: Yeah.

GIFFORD: Yeah.

KOTB: Did any of you guys feel like you lived that sort of life? Did your family or friends want you to go down one path and you wanted to go into the arts?

GIFFORD: Just wanted to dance.

Mr. KOWALIK: No.

Mr. ALVAREZ: Well, for me it was completely opposite, because my parents are so supportive.

KOTB: They are?

Mr. ALVAREZ: They moved all the way from California to New York just for my ballet training at ABT.

KOTB: Wow.

GIFFORD: That's a loving...

Mr. ALVAREZ: Yeah.

KOTB: How about--how about for you?

Mr. KULISH: My parents have been really supportive of me, so it's been great.

KOTB: Mm-hmm.

GIFFORD: That leaves you in the middle!

Mr. KOWALIK: Yeah. Same here. Yeah.

GIFFORD: See what a difference?

KOTB: I know.

GIFFORD: And yet, I saw an interview with Matt with Elton earlier.

KOTB: Uh-huh.

GIFFORD: Sir Elton.

KOTB: Elton John. Uh-huh.

GIFFORD: And he was saying that he could so relate. When he saw the movie originally, it so broke him up because it reminded him of his own relationship with his father.

KOTB: Mm-hmm.

GIFFORD: And that's great, you guys. You're so ahead of the game that you have had parents that--you--and you knew what you wanted to do long before most people find out what they want to do.

KOTB: Right.

GIFFORD: You're so ahead of the curve!

KOTB: You are. Do you--do you guys still get butterflies in your stomach when it's time for your show? Do you get nervous?

Mr, KOWALIK: Yeah.

Mr. KULISH: Yeah.

Mr. ALVAREZ: Well, I do, like around two seconds before getting on stage.

KOTB: Yeah. Right then?

Mr. ALVAREZ: Yeah.

GIFFORD: That's healthy, though. That means you're paying attention, don't you think?

Mr. ALVAREZ: Yeah.

Mr. KULISH: Yeah.

Mr. ALVAREZ: And then when I get on, just the audience helps.

GIFFORD: The other thing I didn't realize...

KOTB: What?

GIFFORD: ...is that they change the whole show depending on who's in it.

KOTB: Oh, you're kidding?

GIFFORD: Yeah. Because some of you sing in different keys and I was-and some of the choreography is different for you depending on--I didn't realize that.

KOTB: I didn't--I didn't know that. Who--you know, I'm watching the dance moves, and the pirouette especially, is that a hard thing to master?

Mr. KULISH: Yeah.

Mr. KOWALIK: When you're first learning it, yeah.

KOTB: Can you show us real quick?

GIFFORD: Oh, you don't want to do this.

KOTB: Really?

GIFFORD: You going to try? I love this. Can I just...

KOTB: Come on. No, you're--no, you're trying, too. Come on.

GIFFORD: OK.

KOTB: One of--one of you's got to show us.

Mr. KULISH: I'll show you.

GIFFORD: All right. OK.

KOTB: I know it's easy, because I saw you guys, it looks simple. Come on. Don't try to get out of it. Don't even try.

GIFFORD: I know that I cannot do it.

KOTB: OK, wait. What do you...

Mr. KULISH: So, you...

KOTB: How about--what's the--OK. Oh, no, I already can't do it.

Mr. KULISH: Point your foot. Then you prepare.

KOTB: What?

Mr. KULISH: And then after you...

GIFFORD: It's not that funny, we haven't done anything yet.

Mr. KULISH: Turn.

Mr. ALVAREZ: No, I'm laughing how he's explaining.

Mr. KULISH: How about you try it?

KOTB: I can't move from this position. I'm stuck.

GIFFORD: I have got...

KOTB: Thank you so much.

GIFFORD: ...such a crimp in my buttocks, it's not to be believed.

KOTB: How do you--I have no idea.

Mr. KULISH: You push off this leg and you lift your foot.

KOTB: Yeah.

Mr. KULISH: Oh, that was good.

GIFFORD: Not bad in four-inch Manolo Blahniks, big boy. What--see, Ginger Rogers did it in high heels, guys, she did it in high heels.

KOTB: Yes.

GIFFORD: So, this is just a--I mean, how old are you guys? I'm sure

America wants to know. How old are you?

KOTB: Yeah.

Mr. ALVAREZ: I'm 14.

GIFFORD: So--and you play an 11-year-old boy.

KOTB: And how old are you?

Mr. KOWALIK: Thirteen.

KOTB: Thirteen.

Mr. KULISH: Fourteen.

KOTB: Fourteen.

GIFFORD: Fourteen.

KOTB: We wish you guys such good luck with this.

GIFFORD: Gosh, you guys are awesome. You're an inspiration.

KOTB: Terrific. You guys are great.

GIFFORD: She hasn't seen it yet, but she'll be there soon.

KOTB: I can't wait. I saw the...

GIFFORD: If she can get tickets.

KOTB: I know.

GIFFORD: Because it's going to be the hot--and by the way, you're going to get the Tony this year, I just want you to hold the spit.

KOTB: She's predicting it already.

GIFFORD: Oh, yeah. No question. God bless you, guys. Great to meet you.

KOTB: Thanks for coming. We appreciate it.

Mr. ALVAREZ: Thank you.

(Reporter) Kotbe, Hoda (Kotb, Hoda)

(Reporter) Gifford, Kathie Lee

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