More Kudos for Billy

Billy Elliot the Musical, which won four Olivier Awards for its original London production, picked up seven more accolades at the 8th Annual Helpmann Awards, the Australian equivalent to the Tony Awards.

The acclaimed tuner, based on the 2000 movie of the same name and featuring a score by Elton John, received awards for Best Musical, Best Director for Stephen Daldry (who was Oscar nominated for the original film) and acting honors for Genevieve Lemon (as ballet teacher Mrs. Wilkinson) and the show's quartet of Billys, Lochlan Denholm, Nick Twiney, Rarmian Newton and Rhys Kosakowski.

Other notable winners include two awards each for Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show and the opera version of Dead Man Walking, including acting prizes for the former's Columbia, Sharon Millerchip, and the latter's Joseph De Rocher, hunky baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes.

Next for Billy Elliot the Musical, which begins performances on Broadway October 1: the Tonys.