Broadway Star Kevin Chamberlain Wins First Legend Award From Moorestown Theater Company

Moorestown native Kevin Chamberlain, an actor on multiple TV series, including “Jessie,” starred in a different kind of premier on Monday night as he prepares to become the first Moorestown thespian to accept a new award.

Chamberlain appeared at Monday night’s council meeting via Skype. He’s the first person to appear at a meeting using the technology, and did so as he prepares to become the first recipient of the Moorestown Theater Company’s Theater Legend Award.

Chamberlain, a 1981 Moorestown High School graduate, moved to Moorestown in 1973.

“I was a chubby nine-year old,” said Chamberlain, one of three boys in his family. “My mom read about auditions for ‘Tom Sawyer.’ I went to the audition and sang ‘A Few of My Favorite Things.’ I ended up being cast as Huckleberry Finn.”

He got his start performing in Moorestown with the Footlight Players, the Parks and Recreation Summer Theater Program, and Moorestown High School. He has had a very successful Broadway career (five musicals and three plays), and is one of the few to receive Tony Award Nominations in three of the four acting categories: Best Actor in a Play (Dirty Blonde), Best Actor in a Musical (Seussical), and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (The Addams Family).

Chamberlain has been in several TV series, including Heroes and Jessie (for which he has directed several episodes), and many movies, including Die Hard With A Vengeance.

“The first Broadway show I went to see was ‘Peter Pan’ at Lunt Fontaine Theatre in New York,” Chamberlain said. “Thirty years later, I performed at the Lunt Fontaine Theatre and was able to look down at the seat I was sitting in when I fell in love with theatre.”

The award honors a Moorestonian who has gone onto a successful professional theater career. Moorestown Theatre Company Artistic Director Mark Morgan called Chamberlain “an obvious first choice.”

Council honored Chamberlain with a proclamation, which Morgan will present to Chamberlain at its seventh “Extava-Gala” on Oct. 17 at the Riverton Country Club, 1416 Highland Avenue in Cinnaminson.

The gala runs from 6 p.m.-midnight. Chamberlain will accept his award around 8:15 p.m.

Chamberlain will also perform a song alongside about 25-30 children at the event, and participate in the Moorestown Business Association’s Halloween Parade on Oct. 18.

To purchase tickets for the gala, visit moorestowntheatercompany.org.