The stars were out on the evening of Friday, February 2, 2018 at the Landers Center in Southaven, MS for the 15th Annual Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance Awards. More commonly known as “The Allies” the awards ceremony recognizes excellence in the theatrical arts among North Mississippi’s high school and community theaters. Kudzu Playhouse 2017 Allie Awards included honors for Mary Poppins, School of Rock and Romeo & Juliet.
With 10 high schools and 4 community theaters, The Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the region. Kudzu Playhouse is proud to have won 15 out of 34 categories in the community division, the most prestigious being “Best Overall Production” for Mary Poppins. 
Here is a list of Mary Poppins wins:
| Best Overall Production | |
| Best Musical | |
| Best Cast | |
| Best Director of a Musical | Keith Salter |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Russell Lehman |
| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Desiree Albonetti |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Justin Bixler |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Lauren Suddoth |
| Best Performance by a Male Dancer | Russell Lehman |
| Best Choreography | Russell Lehman |
| Best Special Effects | Russell Lehman |
| Best Sound | Ricky Smith |
| Best Vocal Direction | Patti House |
Other wins for Kudzu were:
Best Lobby Design – Dawn Sheppard – School of Rock
Best Performance by a Young Actress (13-17) – Mikayla House – Romeo & Juliet.
Kudzu Playhouse is thrilled to have been able to bring such high-quality productions to the stage in 2017.
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