Billy Elliot the Musical (BETM) in Shawnee, Kansas, is presented by Music Theatre Kansas City (MTKC), from April 11-20, 2025.
Music Theatre for Young People was originally founded in Wichita, Kansas in 1984 by Cary Danielson Pandzik. That original program eventually became the educational wing of Music Theatre Wichita in 2022.
In 1991, Cary moved to Overland Park and founded Music Theatre for Young People of Kansas City. In 2014, the organization rebranded and became Music Theatre Kansas City (MTKC) and has been providing musical theater in the Kansas City area for more than 30 years with Ms. Pandzik remaining as the organization’s Executive Director. MTKC is now located in Shawnee, Kansas, the seventh-most populous municipality in the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of Shawnee was just over 67,000. A complete listing of shows offered by MTKC over the years can be found here.
Today, MTKC’s mission statement is to “celebrate the collaborative art form of musical theatre through preparatory training and professional performances, emphasizing the importance of live music, in an inclusive environment honoring both individuality and community.”
The modern MTKC is divided into two parts: One part focuses on student performances and the other, known as MTKC Pro, consists of adult professional performers. Student shows run one or two weekends while professional shows run over the course of two or three weekends.
According to the MTKC website, MTKC Pro’s purpose is to create paying jobs for professional artists of all backgrounds seeking opportunities to be active participants in the future of musical theatre. All adult roles, in most productions at MTKC, are paid.
A professional theatre company under the MTKC umbrella helps gain interest and awareness for the MTKC training program by featuring alums of the program whenever possible, and highlighting Kansas City-grown talent first before drawing from other major markets.
Here is the 2024/25 MTKC Pro season:
Artistic director Julie Danielson says the organization performs an array of shows each year that features performers of all ages, including four professional shows and six student productions.
Shawnee’s B&B Theatre converted one of its movie auditoriums into a live-theater space six years ago to accommodate MTKC performances. That arena, orginally called Auditorium No. 7, is now called B&B Live, and provides the space for MTKC productions.
Billy Elliot The Musical
The production of Billy Elliot The Musical (BETM) is the final MTKC offering for its 2024/25 season. It is being directed and choreographed by David Grindrod, who was flown in from New York City for the production. MTKC’s Artistic Director, Julie Danielson is the production’s Music Director and Conductor.
In early January, MTKC announced auditions for their production of BETM. Rehearsals began in mid to late March for the production’s cast.
The lead role of Billy Elliot will be portrayed by a young actor named Bennett DaMetz.
To learn more about Bennett, click on the Billy Profiles button (below) to be taken to his detailed profile.
To see a complete listing of the rest of the MTKC cast, just click on the Cast Information button.
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