| Rhys Kosakowski | |||||||
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| Born | Rhys Kosakowski October 18, 1994 New South Wales, Australia |
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| Years active | 2007–present | ||||||
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Rhys Kosakowski (born October 18, 1994) is the youngest of the four Australian boys currently holding the lead in Billy Elliot the Musical in Sydney.
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Kosakowski is a dancer since the age of 5,has performed with the Queensland Ballet Company. Before Billy, he attended St Philip's Christian College in Newcastlewhere he was a school leader.
Rhys's mother, Allison, was a ballet dancer, but admits "I did all the dance competitions and all the exams and I know the scene. But I don't know the Billy Elliot scene because it's just overwhelming." His father works in the coal industry in Newcastle; like its namesake in the north of England, Newcastle was a coal mining town (now a city).
People who know Kosakowski describe him as 'full of energy' and a as a 'fantastic young performer'. He lives with his parents, sister and Grandma in the coal mining region of Newcastle, NSW.
Kosakowski was chosen to play Billy at both the first public showing at Sydney's Capitol Theatre (November 13, 2007) and the Official Media Premiere one month later December 13, 2007.
The other Australian Billy Elliots are Joshua Denyer, Michael Dameski, Dayton Tavares and Josh Waiss-Gates. Nick Twiney, Lochlan Denholm, and Rarmian Newton,are no longer in the show as their voices broke.
All four of the original Australian Billy Elliots jointly won the 2007 Best Actor in a Musical at the Sydney Theatre Awards on January 21, 2008.