The curtain goes up on a new season at Mercer County Community College’s (MCCC’s) Kelsey Theatre with Memphis. Presented by PinnWorth Productions, this hit Broadway musical offers a dramatized account of the roots of rock and roll, and radio’s role in embracing the new sounds that transformed the country. Dates and show times are: Fridays, September 8 and 15 at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, September 9 and 16 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, September 10 and 17 at 2 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college’s West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on September 8.

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2010, Memphis is based on a book by Joe DiPietro and the lively musical score of David Bryan, a founding member of Bon Jovi. The plot is loosely based on Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips, one of the first white DJs to play black music in the 1950s. Elements of boy-meets-girl simplicity are set against the complex backdrop of American music history and the strict segregation laws of the South at that time.

The show stars Matt Coakley of Gillette as Huey; Tamika Reed of Lawrenceville as Felicia; Maureen Hackett of Robbinsville as Gladys; Kyrus Keenan Westcott of Levittown, Pa., as Delray; Robert Harris of Philadelphia, Pa., as Bobby; Jerome Arthur of Somerset as John Gator; and Jeff Dworkin of Langhorne, Pa., as Simmons.

Memphis is co-produced by Lou J. Stalsworth and Kate Pinner, and directed by Mr. Stalsworth, with co-director Kyrus Keenan Westcott. Music direction is by François Suhr; choreography is by Robert Harris; and costumes are by Kate Pinner.

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey box office at (609) 570-3333.