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Our History

Kemptville Youth Musical Theatre Company (KYMTC) was founded by Barb Lacelle in 2002 in Kemptville, Ontario, and the company has been staging youth musical theatre productions for more than 23 years.

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Barb had a passion for musical theatre and wanted to give her daughter, and other youth from the Kemptville area, the chance to be a part of a musical production. She chose Oklahoma! as the first production because another theatre company had just staged the show and they were willing to let KYMTC use their costumes for free. Barb covered the cost of the licensing fee and built the sets out of large used cardboard boxes that were donated by a family member.
 

The show needed 27 cast members- so everyone who auditioned was part of the show. Oklahoma! was staged in 2003 and was a huge success- selling out 3 of the 4 shows, receiving very positive feedback, and proving that the company could thrive in Kemptville.
 

KYMTC’s next show, Oliver, was staged in the spring of 2004 with a cast of 38, including a “double casting” which involved having 2 sets of leads. The show was well received and very successful- with 3 of the 6 shows selling out.
 

Oliver cast

KYMTC’s cast of Oliver – 2004

Due to the popularity and success of the shows, in 2004, KYMTC decided to stage 2 shows a year: one in the spring with a younger cast and one in the fall with “older” youth. From 2004-2011, KYMTC staged 2 shows a year. In 2011, KYMTC returned to an annual spring production. As of September 2024, the company has staged 26 shows.
 

Over the years, KYMTC has continued to grow and improve. Along the way, the company has earned a reputation for providing a professional, supportive experience to youth participants and for staging high quality, entertaining productions of both classic musical theatre and contemporary Broadway shows. For more information, visit the Main Show section.

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