Kelli O'Hara and Nathan Gunn Set to Lead CAROUSEL at New York Philharmonic, 2/27-3/2

The New York Philharmonic has announced casting details for its staged production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel, February 27–March 2, 2013. The evening will feature Kelli O'Hara as Julie Jordan, Nathan Gunn as Billy Bigelow, Stephanie Blythe as Nettie Fowler, and Alexander Gemignani as Enoch Snow. The production will be directed by John Rando, replacing the previously announced James Brennan due to scheduling conflicts, and conducted by Rob Fisher.

Further casting will be announced at a later date. Following this special engagement, Ms. O'Hara will return to Nice Work If You Can Get It at the Imperial Theatre on Sunday, March 3.

Based on Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play, Liliom, Carousel transfers the story from Europe to the Maine coastline and revolves around the tragic romance between carousel barker Billy Bigelow and mill worker Julie Jordan. The musical includes such highlights as "If I Loved You," "June Is Bustin' Out All Over," and "You'll Never Walk Alone." The New York Philharmonic has performed selections from Carousel on various programs since 1946, most recently in March 2011 when Ted Sperling conducted Ms. O'Hara, Mr. Gunn, and the Orchestra in Classic Broadway, an evening of Broadway selections that included "If I Loved You" and Carousel Waltz.

Carousel was Rodgers & Hammerstein's second work together, following Oklahoma!, and marked an important development in American musical theatre. Premiering at New York's Majestic Theatre in 1945, the hit musical won the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Musical. Carousel was revived in 1992 at the Royal National Theatre and again in 1994 at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater, garnering the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival.

Tickets for these concerts start at $65. All tickets may be purchased online at nyphil.org or by calling (212) 875-5656, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office. The Box Office opens at 10:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and at noon on Sunday. On performance evenings, the Box Office closes one-half hour after performance time; other evenings it closes at 6:00 p.m. To determine ticket availability, call the Philharmonic's Customer Relations Department at (212) 875-5656. Ticket prices subject to change