JUNIE B. JONES Comes to the Kelsey Theatre Today

There's big time fun in store when "Junie B. Jones" steps onto the stage at Mercer County Community College's (MCCC's) Kelsey Theatre. Theatreworks/ USA presents the irrepressible first grader in her very own musical today, May 30 at 2 and 4 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road.

Based on Barbara Park's best-selling books, the production chronicles the outspoken and lovable youngster's daily accounts as she describes them in her "top secret personal beeswax journal." Junie's challenges include getting used to a whole new group of friends, meeting her teacher, adjusting to wearing glasses, participating in the annual kickball tournament and other angst-ridden moments of childhood. Young audiences will easily connect with this warm and bubbly heroine, who finds a way to succeed in the end and learns important lessons along the way.

After a brief New York City-area tour in Spring 2004, "Junie B. Jones" premiered off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in July 2004 and is now one of Theatreworks/ USA's most popular productions. The musical is based on books in the Junie B. Jones series including Junie B., First Grader (at Last!); Junie B., Boss of Lunch; Junie B., One-Man Band; and Top-Secret Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B. (and Me!).

Theatreworks/USA is America's largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theater for young and family audiences. Since 1961, the company has enlightened, entertained, and instructed more than 90 million people in 49 states and Canada, now performing for about four million people annually.

Tickets are $10 for children, students and senior citizens, and $12 for adults. Free parking is available next to the theatre. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333.

Pictured, front row from left: Keara Hailey, Mary Faber as Junie B. Jones, and Jill Abramovitz; back row from left: Adam Overett, Michael McCoy, and Darius Nichols. Photo by Carol Rosegg.