Clemente's starting date will be announced shortly. When he joins the cast, he will be the ninth actor to play the title role, which is currently shared by Michael Dameski, Alex Ko, Liam Redhead and Dayton Tavares.

In his bio Clemente writes, "Hi, my name is Jacob Clemente.  At 12 years old, I am the youngest Billy to take the Broadway stage!  I guess you could say I was destined to play Billy because both mining and dancing are in my blood.  I am named after my great-grandfather, Jacob Mandel, who went 'deep into the ground' of the coal mines of Pennsylvania.  My other great-grandfather, Harry Jones, was a Welsh coal miner. My dad is in the mining business, too, but I have always wanted to dance!  I started when I was 7 years old and have never stopped since, even while sitting at the dinner table!"

The cast also features Kate Hennig as Mrs. Wilkinson, Philip Whitchurch as Dad, Carole Shelley as Grandma, Will Chase as Tony and Trevor Braun and Jake Evan Schwencke, who alternate in the role of Michael. 

Billy Elliot the Musical, according to press notes, 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 passion that takes him by surprise, and takes his whole family on an incredibly uplifting adventure."

The musical features music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry. The production has scenic design by Ian MacNeil, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Rick Fisher and sound design by Paul Arditti. Musical supervision and orchestrations are by Martin Koch. Billy Elliot the Musical is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn and Sally Greene. Angela Morrison and David Furnish are executive producers.

For more information visit www.BillyElliotBroadway.com.