Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre Presents the Kelsey Awards

Community theater folks and their fans are in for a treat as Mercer County Community College's (MCCC's) Kelsey Theatre presents an evening of entertainment and awards on Saturday, Aug. 17, starting at 7 p.m. The "2019 Kelsey Awards" will celebrate and recognize the best theatrical productions and performers from Kelsey Theatre's 2018-19 season. The theater is located on MCCC's West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

The Kelsey Awards are presented by the Kelsey Theatre Advisory Commission and K2K Entertainment. The show, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, will be hosted by Kyrus (Keenan Westcott) and Haley Schmalbach. During 2018-19, Kyrus directed the he Pennington Players' Green Day's American Idiot, which has been nominated for Best Musical, while Schmalbach was nominated for her starring role in Zorro, presented by PinnWorth Productions.

Kyrus and Haley are thrilled to be hosting the Kelsey Awards. "The Kelsey Theatre community is very near and dear to our hearts. We are beyond proud to be a part of this incredibly special night," Kyrus said.

Schmalbach added, "Since this is the 10-year anniversary awards show, we're not holding back. We have some incredibly exciting, unpredictable surprises in store."

Disney's Newsies, produced by PinnWorth Productions, leads the musical nominees with 17, followed by A Christmas Story: The Musical with 11, and Green Day's American Idiot with 10. Peter and the Starcatcher leads the play categories with 12, followed by Noises Off with 8, and Macbeth with 5.

This high-energy evening will feature performances by the casts of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; A Christmas Story: The Musical; Green Day's American Idiot; Fun Home; and Disney's Newsies. (All of these shows have been nominated for Outstanding Production of a Musical.) Audience members will also get a look at the upcoming season with preview performances from The Sound of Music (Sept. 12 to 22); Tartuffe (Oct. 11 to 20); Catch Me If You Can: The Musical (Oct. 25 to Nov. 3); and Calendar Girls (Jan. 3 to 12).

Additionally, the ceremony will feature a special performance dedicated to Cat Tierney, Jahmir "Hero" Scott, Kathy Rigby, and Steve Brown - four familiar Kelsey Theatre faces who passed away during the past year. The recipient of the 2019 John Shanken-Kaye Lifetime Achievement Award will also be recognized.

Tickets for the 2019 Kelsey Awards are $16 for all and can be purchased online at www.kelseyatmccc.org or by calling the Kelsey Theatre box office at 609-570-3333.

In July, Kelsey Theatre fans voted on the nominees; a second round of voting takes place in early August to determine the winners. To view the 2019 nominees and for more information, visit www.TheKelseyAwards.com. Winners will be announced during the ceremony.

Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking next to the theater. For a list of upcoming events, visit the Kelsey website or call the box office.

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