BILLY ELLIOT National Tour Welcomes Drew Minard and Mitchell Tobin as 'Billy'

Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films, Old Vic Productions and NETworks Presentations, LLC announced that Drew Minard and Mitchell Tobin will join the national touring cast of the 10-time Tony Award-winning Billy Elliot the Musical, in the role of 'Billy.' They will rotate playing the role with Ben Cook and Noah Parets who joined the tour earlier this year. Minard and Tobin have become the 12th and 13th young actors to perform as 'Billy' in the national tour; their debuts also marked the 67th and 68th boys to play 'Billy' on stage worldwide and the 28th and 29th boys to play 'Billy' in North America since the show opened on Broadway. Minard's first performance was December 15, and Tobin's was December 16, both in Austin, TX.

Minard, of Clive, IA, and Tobin, of Boca Raton, FL, are making their professional theatre debuts and have been training for the role since joining the touring company in November.

DREW MINARD (Billy), 12, hails from Iowa. At the age of three, he followed in his brother Grant's footsteps and started dancing. Minard has participated in many competitions, one of the highlights being Youth America Grand Prix 2012, at which he won the Hope Award in NYC.

MITCHELL TOBIN (Billy), 12, is from Boca Raton, Florida. He began dancing at age three and has since received numerous accolades and won several national titles. Tobin is very honored for the opportunity to play Billy Elliot, his dream role.

Based on the international smash-hit film and featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical is currently traveling around the country on tour.

Billy Elliot the Musical is the joyous celebration of one boy's journey to make his dreams come true. Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising talent that inspires his family and his whole community and changes his life forever.

The show is produced by Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films, Old Vic Productions and NETworks Presentations, LLC. The production features scenic design by Ian MacNeil, associate direction by Julian Webber, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch. Touring production direction is by Justin Martin and choreography by Kathryn Dunn.

Additional information about Billy Elliot the Musical is available at www.BillyElliotTour.com.