Billy Elliot set for Broadway - but will Americans understand it?

The award-winning Billy Elliot musical is reportedly set to hit Broadway - but not for two years.

And the show, with music by Sir Elton John, may have to be tweaked so Americans can understand it, the New York Post claimed.

The newspaper said that according to production sources, its creators are worried that US audiences will be baffled by the thick Geordie accents and the political content of the musical, which is set against the backdrop of the miners strike.

But they are said not to want to sacrifice the authenticity of the tale of a young boy from the North East who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer.

The finishing touches have just been put on a deal that will see Billy Elliot come to Broadway's Imperial Theatre in autumn 2008, the Post reported.

In London, the cast is apparently back in rehearsals so director Stephen Daldry, Sir Elton and and writer Lee Hall can continue to fine-tune the production.

Producer Eric Fellner told the newspaper: "Stephen decided that if we're going to take the show to Broadway and other places, we really want it to be as strong as possible.

"He felt he could do better. Lee and Elton felt they could do better."

He added: "It is quite daunting, taking this quintessentially British show to Broadway.

"We are not altering the location or the character of the piece. We just want to make sure the Britishness travels."