ST. LOUIS — There’s more than meets the eye in "Billy Elliot the Musical."

"Billy Elliot the Musical" is the joyous celebration of one boy’s journey to make his dreams come true, but also it is a story about a small town in England trying to express itself, as well, associate director-United States Justin Martin said. A miners’ strike occurs simultaneously while Billy Elliot makes the transition from a boxer to a ballet dancer. Such a strike actually occurred in 1984-1985.

"It was the closest the U.K. ever came to civil war," said Martin, originally from Australia, who moved to England to work on the musical. "It’s the backdrop of Billy trying to find a way to express himself."

The 1984-1985 strike became a symbolic struggle, because the National Union of Mineworkers was one of the strongest unions in the country, viewed by many, including Conservatives in power, as having brought down Prime Minister Edward Heath’s government in the union’s 1974 strike.

Click here to read the full article.