Follow your dreams — against all odds, no matter what the cost, don’t let anyone stand in your way — such is the message of “Billy Elliot.”

The musical “Billy Elliot” comes to the Paramount Theatre in Aurora Feb. 7-March 24. It is being directed by Trent Stork, Paramount’s artistic producer and casting director. (Stork won a Jeff Award in 2022 for directing Paramount’s “Kinky Boots.”)

“Billy Elliot” was originally a movie in 2000 and was turned into a musical in 2005. It’s about a boy who lives in a small town in England. It takes place during the coal miners’ strike during the mid-1980s.

“Billy is a kid from a small, rough town — these people are tough as nails and don’t apologize for anything — and he stumbles his way into a ballet class run by this character named Mrs. Wilkinson,” Stork said.

“For one reason or another, Billy likes it. And it turns out he’s got an aptitude for it. Instead of going to his boxing class where his dad thinks he’s going, he spends his 50 pence to go to this ballet class.”

Mrs. Wilkinson takes it upon herself to further train Billy and encourages him to audition for London’s Royal Ballet School. Dad finds out and naturally doesn’t approve.

“That’s where a lot of the central conflict comes from, the dad finding out his son does ballet,” they said.

The story is told through song and dance.

“You see the emotions Billy inhabits through dance — there’s a number at the end of act one called ‘Angry Dance,’” they said. “His dad just forbade him from going to ballet school and he lets his frustrations out through dance.”

Spoiler alert — Dad accepts his son and decides to support him, even if it means crossing the picket line and going back to work in the mines so he can pay for the trip to London. Moved, the townspeople back Billy Elliot and help fund his trip to London for the audition.

“By this point, the writing is on the wall. They know the town is going down and the mine is going to close,” they said. “But there’s this little boy who can get out. This person who can make something of themselves — they rally around that chance. It’s a really beautiful story. Elton John wrote the music, so every song is infectious.”

Isaiah Silvia-Chandley is the choreographer, having worked with Stork twice before.

“He’s got such an amazing eye and ear for musicality. He grew up as the only boy in dance class; I was the only boy in dance class growing up too,” they said. “It’s a really special story and we’ve got a really great team rallying around it.”

Stork saw “Billy Elliot” on Broadway in 2010. They went with a friend and each picked a musical to see — theirs was “Next to Normal” while their friend’s was “Billy Elliot.”

“I thought, ‘I don’t want to see this musical based off this movie.’ I was a theater purist at the time,” they said. “I ended up not really loving ‘Next to Normal’ at the time. But seeing ‘Billy Elliot,’ I cried nine times.

“I did not expect the story or the music or the dance or this little boy to capture me in such a way. It was one of the most profound theater experiences I’ve ever had. It was truly a testament to the power of a musical — the power of how story and music and dance — all coming together to create a really beautiful show and a truly transcendental experience.

“It is literally one of those shows that you are going to remember. It’s got so much heart and there’s so much artistry to it that I’m so honored to be able to put it together and bring it to life at the Paramount.”

The role of Billy will be played alternately by Neo Del Corral and Sam Duncan. Principal cast members include Michelle Aravena (Mrs. Wilkinson), Ron E. Rains (Dad), Barbara Robertson (Grandma), and Spencer Milford (Tony).

“The entire cast is so talented and some of Chicago’s finest actors are part of this production,” Stork said. “We’ve got Barbara Robertson, who’s Chicago royalty, playing Grandma. We’ve got Ron Rains, who is a staple of Chicago theater and truly brilliant in his own right.

“We’ve got Spencer Milford coming in to play Tony — who is Billy’s brother — and he brings a lot of aggression and raw emotion to the play. I didn’t know this at the time of casting, but Spencer was on the road with the tour of ‘Billy’ playing a character called Tall Boy/Posh Boy. And now he’s coming to Paramount to play Tony.”

Audiences are going to love the show — Stork calls it a “life-changer.”

“It’s the message, it’s the story, it showcases the power of dance and shows how finding art in your life can carry you through all of this darkness,” they said. “People persevere. People rise above their circumstances and a lot of times, it’s through the power of art.

“It’s because they found something that is bigger than themselves to cling to and they ride that through the darkness. You can believe in your dreams and … I think that message is always going to be important to hear.”

Paramount will offer open captioning at 7 p.m. March 21 and an American Sign Language interpretation at 8 p.m. March 22.

The Beacon-News

Twice-weekly

News updates from the Aurora area delivered every Monday and Wednesday

‘Billy Elliot’

Paramount Theatre

When: Feb. 7-March 24

Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora

Tickets: $28-$79

Information: 630-896-6666; paramountaurora.com

Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.