It took some time, but finally, life was back to normalcy. I had heard somewhere that time heals all wounds. There is no substitute for a departed loved one, especially a parent, but people get used to living without them after a particur point. Evan adapted to living with us rather quickly. Ohing I found strange was his insisten fast-trag his education using private tutors.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Mum said slowly after listening to Evan’s request.

  Evan was ready with his ter, “But you let Troy do it.”

  “Troy was already w in movies when he skipped school,” Dad tered back. “He had also been reended by multiple teachers to skip a few grades because he was that far ahead of his peers. Is that the case with you as well?”

  Evaed his gaze from everyone, shame evident in his eyes.

  “Why do you want to do it?” I tried to be the voice of reason.

  “I just do, okay?” Evan said petuntly.

  “Trust me, bro, they won’t let you do it unless you give them a very good reason for it,” I said with utmost seriousness.

  He didn’t say anything for a few moments, before saying, “I don’t like school. At all. I could tolerate it when Troy was there with me, but now, I… I don’t like it.”

  “What do you not like about it in particur?” Dad pressed.

  “Everything,” came the immediate reply. “I’m not good at making friends, so I usually sit aloher kids make fun of me. My parents had asked a few of their friends’ kids to befriend me, but even they left me alone soon after. I’m always the odd o in my css. Mom suggested that I should try gettier grades. I did. I studied a lot and got the best grades in the css. But nothing ged.”

  Mum got up from her seat and hugged Evan, “But you’re in Engnd now, love. Maybe the kids here would like you more?”

  “I don’t want to know if they will or not,” Evan insisted within her embrace. “Please let me do it. I didn’t ask my parents because I didn’t know that tion. I came to know of it only when Troy did it successfully. Please!”

  Mum rubbed his back softly before separating from him. She didn’t even turn to Dad when she said, “Okay, we’ll let you do it. But I have a dition to that. You will only pass a css if you get an A-grade in all subjects. If you don’t, we’ll send you to a good school, and I’ll personally ehat the kids around yood. Okay?”

  Evan nodded eagerly. “Thank you, Kathy.”

  Dad didn’t look happy with Mum’s decision, but he didn’t tradict her. I personally didn’t care either way whether he went to school or not. As long as Evan was happy, all was good.

  (Break)

  And just like that, all of us got busy in our lives again. Evan started taking personal lessons from some of the best tutors in London that money could buy. Dad got busy in the post-produ of [The Chamber of Secrets]. Mum got busy with managing the home and w on some writing projects on the side. Last but not least, I got busy with my West End show again. The routihat began briefly before that terrible i soon became the standard—six days a week, with a double show twice a week. I performed single shows on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and double shows on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Sundays only had a matinee. My weekend sisted of Sunday evenings and Mondays.

  The schedule hysically aally demanding. Not only did I have to perform at my 100% all the time, but I also had to meet fans, sign autographs, and such stuff daily. Earlier, such things were limited only to events like a film premiere or an award show, but sinany people came to the show to meet me, I would feel terrible if I acted like one of those entitled celebs who igheir fans.

  Strangely, I loved the hectic schedule. From the plicated chraphy to singing my heart out, or those emotional ses where I just had to stop myself from tipping over and straight out start g on stage, I loved it all. Yet, that didn’t stop me from getting boired at the end of the day. Sometimes all I could do at night was lie down in my bed with sore muscles. The only saving grace to it all was the sauna room Dad had built at our pce for rexation. He had even booked regur m home massage sessions for me to get over the fatigue of such a hectic work routine. I got three massages a week, the maximum number allowed for my body without affeg it adversely, and I have to say that it helped me a lot.

  Before I k, September had gone by, a full month spent on the previews. With the arrival of October came the beginning of the ‘real’ performances. But other than a slight pressure of knowing that I would be judged for my performahis time by the critics, I performed as usual. For me, every performance, be it preview or not, was as real as could be.

  The audience response was the usual, which means they went batshit crazy multiple times during the performance. I had gotten so used to it by now that I had fotten that this is not the norm for most theater produs. The show had sold out more than 13 million worth of tickets in the advance booking session, which was great sidering that the initial budget of the produ was a staggering 9 millioe that, it would take months, if not a full year, to recoup all the costs because theater eics worked very differently from their movie terparts.

  If a mid to high-budget movie makes three times its budget, it is sidered a hit. So a film made on a budget of, say, 50 million, o earn at least 150 million to be sidered a success. But that was not the case on Broadway. Sometimes, even if you sell tickets as much as 10 times your initial budget, your show may still make a loss. And the reason for that is theater shows' costs are determined weekly.

  The cast and the crew have to be paid on a per-week basis. So is the theater rent, and royalties to Lee Hall, Elton John, and Stephen Daldry for their amazing work on the show. All in all, the weekly expenses of the show came out to be 450,000. We were making 13 million for the three months that I was supposed to be present in person, hly a million each week. So essentially, we would recover a little over 7 million of the initial 9 million iment. The remaining amount would be ied to fihe Broadway show in New York.

  The tickets sold for the show are just one aspect of theater reveher streams of revenue include sales of food and beverages, and merdise of the show, like cassettes and CDs of cast recs, T-shirts, posters, mugs, and things like that. Dad had casually asked me once if I wao sign all these items to increase their value, but I shot down that idea immediately. I loved talking to my fans, but I hated signing stuff. That doesn’t mean I don’t do it if someone requests politely, but usually, when you start signing stuff, it starts a rea, and then you’re just doing that for quite some time.

  Anyway, the snacks and memorabilia offered at a theater are priced much higher than what you’d get in a normal market because the audiening to West End and Broadway theaters are on the elite side pared to moviegoers, thus they are willing to pay such exorbitant prices. The sales of such items were difficult to determine in advance because they vary widely between different shows.

  And it would all depend upon the reviews of the critics of various neers and magazines in and around London. Reviews py a huge part iermining the success or failure of a big theater show. No one wants to pay as much as 50-100 per person for a mediocre show. It is very easy for critics to kill off a good show before it could be huge because of some personal vea against the creators or the actors. And to be perfectly ho, if I read a scathing review of a show that I’m pnning to watch, I would think twice before watg it as well.

  So I was a little hesitant to read the reviews. Giving your best performance for cameras is much easier pared to perf in front of a live audience because on stage we don’t have the luxury of retakes.

  When I came down for breakfast that m, I was a little surprised upon witnessing what awaited me. On the dining table, Mum had masterfully cut out and spread all the reviews of all the publications that had reviewed [Billy Elliot]. This was the first time she had dohis for me, so I was a little surprised.

  I raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. “Seriously?”

  “Yes,” Mum nodded. “Now go on ahem. I know you want to.”

  “Did you selely the reviews which are good?” I asked, because that’s what I would have done had one of my family members been in my position.

  “I didn’t have to,” she smiled while sipping on her m coffee. “e on. Read it before your Dad or Evan es down and hogs the articles for themselves.”

  With bated breath, I moved forward towards the table. My heart raced with anticipation. Each review held the potential to either validate my hard work or kill the show after the initial hype of my involvement died down.

  The first one was from one of the most popur neers in the United Kingdom: The Times.

  “The power of [Billy Elliot] as an hoear-jerker lies in its ability to give equal weight to the sweet dreams of terpsichorean flight and the sourness of a dream-denyiy, with the two elements locked in a vital and unending dialogue. Stephen Daldry and his prodigiously iive team make sure that the flict is carried through on every level, from Peter Darling’s inspired se-melding chraphy, which gives a new spin to the idea of the ied musical, to Ian Maeil’s fluidly movis and Rick Fisher’s shadow-casting lighting. And it’s telling that Elton John’s songs are as infused with the energy of anger as of joy.”

  I heaved a sigh of relief. The review was good. It went on to praise most of the people behind the ses, and it made sehat the critics would hem before noting the actors.

  “It’s nice,” I smiled at my mother.

  “Nice?” she asked, fbbergasted. “Did you read the whole thing?”

  Surprised, I looked down to see what she was referring to. I read on, and the review went on to praise the cast members one by one. All actors, old and young, were unanimously uded by the neer.

  “This is such a great review,” I said excitedly. “This will be great publicity for the show.”

  “Keep going.”

  I did.

  “But the star of the evening is her than Troy Armitage, who pys the titur role and has produced it as well. In a stunni theater performance, Mr. Armitage embodies the essence of [Billy Elliot] with a raw energy aional depth that is simply mesmerizing. His portrayal of the young protagonist is both heart-wreng and inspiring, capturing the struggles and triumphs of a boy chasing his dreams against all odds. Armitage’s impeccable dance skills and undeniable stage presence make him a force to be reed with, marking him as a rising star in the world of theater.”

  “Holy shit!” I cursed out loud.

  Mum tousled my hair lovingly. “Go ohe rest of them as well while I set up the table for your breakfast.”

  I nodded eagerly ahrough the rest of the reviews as well.

  The Daily Mail:

  “Troy Armitage delivers a tour de force performance as Billy Elliot, leaving audiences spellbound with his remarkable talent and charisma. From his poignant portrayal of a boy grappling with the plexities of family and identity to his breathtaking dance sequehat and the stage with an effortless grace, Armitage’s performance is nothing short of extraordinary. With each electrifying moment, he proves himself to be a true triple threat, earning him a well-deserved standing ovation.”

  The Guardian:

  “Superstar Troy Armitage shines iur role of Billy Elliot, delivering a performahat is as captivating as it is emotionally resonant. His portrayal of the young protagonist is imbued with a vulnerability and authenticity that tugs at the heartstrings, while his dynamice abilities elevate every moment to new heights of artistry. His performance is a testament to his talent and dedication, solidifying him as the best actor of this geion.”

  Theater Mania:

  “In his debut theater performance as Billy Elliot, Troy Armitage proves himself to be a true revetion, embodying the role with a depth and maturity far beyond his years. His portrayal of the spirited young dancer is filled with nuand emotion, drawing audiences into Billy's world with a magic charm and iious energy. Armitage’s exceptional dance skills and natural stage presence make him a standout performer.”

  As I read each glowing review, a sense of pride and gratitude washed over me. This was a much better critical respohan I had ever expected.

  “Do?” Mum grinned as she took the seat beside me and pced a bowl of oatmeal in front of me.

  “Yes,” I gri her. “This is good. This is so good! With these reviews, we’ll rule the theater world for years to e, even when I have moved on to other projects and am too old to py Billy.”

  “True,” she nodded befoing silent as a troubling look crossed her face.

  “Everything alright?” I asked gently.

  “It is,” she assured me. “It’s just that… I have beeing a lot of film offers for you. When I say a lot, I mean hundreds. A Hollywood producer even offered to pay you 15m upfront to work on their film.”

  My eyes wide that crazy offer.

  Mum tinued, “When I said that we don’t want to shoot in LA as an excuse, he agreed to shift the film location to London.”

  “Why are you tellihis?” I asked with a slight frustration in my voice. I may not have said it out loud, but I didn’t like the fact that my parents were trolling my career so tightly. I probably wouldn’t have taken up any other non-HP film after the musical any time soon, but I would have liked to have the option at least.

  “When I said that we would not accept any more film offers for you, I meant it. But I also don’t want you to think that I took away something big from you. I haven’t talked to your father about it because I wanted your input first. You also have that standing offer from Barry Meyer. Given how much your st film earned, he would probably finany film that you want, not just a small-budget film.”

  I thought about it for a few moments before saying, “Before I make my decision, I read the scripts that they have sent for me?”

  “Sure,” Mum agreed easily. “I have saved the basic premise of them all on my ptop. If you like it and want to read the full thing, I get that for you.”

  “Alright,” I nodded in agreement.

  _____________________________________

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