Bright lights beckon for Wellington student

Wellington student Landen Hale-Brown has a lead role in the Australian production of Billy Elliot the Musical. Hale-Brown, 12, won the role of Billy’s best friend Michael over 3000 other hopefuls. He made his debut during a preview performance in November, after four months of rehearsals. “I’ve done amateur stuff but not really big stuff like this,” he said in an interview with Wellington’s Dominion Post. “I think I thought it was scary but I liked it. You couldn’t see the people in the crowd so that made me feel better.” The former Paremata School pupil is now based in Sydney, where he attends the McDonald Performing Arts College. Billy Elliot the Musical opened in Sydney on December 13.