Sudbury's Ashley Lanzoni in North Shore Music Theatre's Production Of 'Billy Elliot the Musical'

Get ready to be amazed, be inspired, and be moved when BILLY ELLIOT The Musical takes the stage at Bill Hanney’s award winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) in an all new production created just for NSMT audiences featuring 11-year old Ashley Lanzoni of Sudbury. BILLY ELLIOT The Musical begins Tuesday, September 29, and plays thru Sunday, October 11. Press/Opening Night is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30 pm.

Playing the role of ‘Debbie Wilkinson,’ Ashley most recently played a lead role in the US Premiere of the Off-Broadway production Dream Street. Active both in theater and onscreen, Ashley recently filmed a role with Jennifer Lawrence in the movie, Joy, opening on Christmas Day, and she has a supporting role in the feature film Detours coming out this Fall. Ashley has also worked on a new video project as a host for Walden Media, and she has filmed several commercials for Wayfair and Hasbro companies. A 2015 Finalist in the Hal Leonard Nationwide Vocal Competition Art Song Category, Ashley and her sister Haley have performed with The Broadway Youth Ensemble (BYE) in NYC. A 6th grader at Ephraim Curtis Middle School, Ashley also plays lacrosse with the Sudbury Girls Lacrosse Team.

“I have been very excited to bring Billy Elliot The Musical to the unique stage of North Shore Music Theatre. This beautiful story of a boy’s journey to find his own happiness in a world of personal pain is perfect for our intimate space,” said NSMT owner and producer Bill Hanney. “Our talented director/choreographer, Adam Pelty, has a long history with the show and I am confident that NSMT’s production of Billy Elliot will be one powerful night in the theatre that audiences will not soon forget.”

Based on the international smash hit film and featuring an original score by music legend Elton John (The Lion King, Aida) and Lee Hall, BILLY ELLIOT The Musical is the inspirational story of a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dream come true. Set in a northern English mining town, against the background of the 1984 miners’ strike, audiences will follow Billy’s journey as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and community and changes his life forever. BILLY ELLIOT The Musical is an astonishing theatrical experience that will stay with you forever.

Tickets for the BILLY ELLIOT The Musical are priced from $54 - $79. Performances are September 29 – October 11, Tue - Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri & Sat at 8 pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun at 2 pm. Kids 18 and under save 50% on ‘Family Fridays’- October 2 & October 9 at 8 pm. For tickets and information call (978) 232-7200, visit www.nsmt.org, or visit the box office in person at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, MA. BILLY ELLIOT The Musical is sponsored by Abiomed.

Additional Free Audience Enrichment events: Meet the Theatre: post-show audience discussion with the artists on October 6 after the 7:30 pm performance and October 10 after the 2 pm performance; OUT at the North Shore, an evening for the Gay and Lesbian Community with a post-show reception (sponsored in part by Ryan & Wood Inc.) on October 8 after the 7:30 pm performance.

The 2015 Musical Season continues with Sister Act (November 3 - 15), and concludes with 25th Annual Production of A Christmas Carol (December 4 – 23), starring David Coffee as Ebenezer Scrooge.

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Since 1955, NSMT has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors’ Equity, and the Moss Hart Award. NSMT produced the World Premiere of Memphis in 2003, the show went on to win four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Under the new ownership of Bill Hanney in 2010, NSMT continues to annually produce a musical subscription series and an annual production of A Christmas Carol along with celebrity concerts and children’s programming.