The Broadway play, Billy Elliot, is one of many Broadway musicals, and is based on the same story as the 2000 film of the same name. Billy Elliot is a young English boy who transforms from an aspiring boxer into a ballet dancer while his family struggles to make ends meet. Billy's coal-mining family participates in a labor strike while he finds his place as a dancer. Billy is also dealing with issues of identity as he sees his friend Michael struggle with his homosexuality. While Billy's father disapproves of ballet dancing, he eventually comes to grips with Billy's choice as well as the death of industrialization in County Durham.

This musical, like many musicals, has been selling tickets by the thousands since opening at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London in March 2005. The success of Billy Elliot in England led to the play's move to Australia at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney starting on November 13, 2007. Billy Elliot began previewing on Broadway at the Imperial Theater on October 1, 2008 with a premiere date of November 13, 2008.

Aside from the trials and tribulations of a young boy becoming a man, Billy Elliot has been selling tickets due to the musical numbers. Elton John wrote the music for Billy Elliot, lending credibility to the play as it made the move from the big screen to the stage. Elton John's musical numbers include "The Stars Look Down," "The Letter" and "Electricity" that mix the bittersweet with the humorous throughout Billy Elliot's two acts.

Billy Elliot's move from London to Broadway was made easier due to its rising stock in the theater world. Billy Elliot was nominated for a handful of Laurence Olivier Awards in 2006 and won four of these prestigious theater honors. The most prominent award was for best actor in a musical, which was shared by the three actors playing Billy Elliot in the London production.