Faced with a cancer diagnosis, Keith Alessi turns to his love of music to help him cope and conquer.
Faced with a cancer diagnosis, Keith Alessi turns to his love of music to help him cope and conquer. Alessi tells his inspiration true story in the one-man show, Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me by Banjos Saved My Life.
The one-man show will be performed at MPAC on Wednesday, January 24 at 7:30 pm Tickets are $30 (General Admission). The audience will sit on stage for this event.
The event is a copresentation by MPAC and Morris Arts. Support for this event has been provided by AM Higley Construction.
Keith Alessi shares his exceptional true story of leaving the corporate world behind to follow his true passion—playing the banjo! When faced with a cancer battle, his lifelong dream becomes the key to saving his life. Told through authentic storytelling, heartfelt humor and music, this highly awarded, internationally toured show is an uplifting story of challenge, triumph, and the power of positivity. This intimate evening is one sure to leave you feeling empowered, inspired, and ready to dust off your own long forgotten dreams.
“Keith's story is as important as it is compelling and a meaningful lesson for all of us,” says the show's director, Erika Conway. “Our stories change us, challenge us, and define us. There is healing in speaking out the truth. Life can throw us obsticles but, if we choose to look at it through a different lens, they can be the gifts to steer us back to ourselves and our souls.”
Before taking to the stage, Keith was a well-known public company CEO, entrepreneur, and college professor. He led companies in both Canada and the United States. He has performed in Fringe Festivals and other professional venues across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. A dual CA/US citizen, Keith splits his time between Vancouver, British Columbia and Meadows of Dan, Virginia. He is a certified public accountant and received his MBA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2023-2024 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. Mayo Performing Arts Center was named 2016 Outstanding Historic Theatre by the League of Historic American Theatres, and is ranked in the top 50 mid-sized performing arts centers by Pollstar Magazine.
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