Robert Fairchild and Tiler Peck to Join Kelli O'Hara, Nathan Gunn and More in New York Philharmonic's CAROUSEL, 2/27

The New York Philharmonic has announced that New York City Ballet principal dancers Robert Fairchild and Tiler Peck will perform in the staged production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel, February 27-March 2, 2013. Robert Fairchild will portray the Carnival Boy, and Tiler Peck will portray Louise. With original choreography by Warren Carlyle, Mr. Fairchild and Ms. Peck will dance the pas de deux ballet in Act II. Reflecting this production's focus on Carousel's music, the ballet will be the sole fully choreographed scene. These performances mark Warren Carlyle's first time choreographing Mr. Fairchild and Ms. Peck, and represent Mr. Carlyle, Mr. Fairchild, and Ms. Peck's Philharmonic debuts. Mr. Fairchild and Ms. Peck are appearing courtesy of the New York City Ballet.

"Robert Fairchild and Tiler Peck are the future of classical ballet, and it's a real coup that they will be dancing in this production," Warren Carlyle said. "It will be a beautiful evening about the music with one special moment of dance."

Casting for the Philharmonic's Carousel production is now complete. As previously announced, the production will star Kelli O'Hara as Julie Jordan, Nathan Gunn as Billy Bigelow, Stephanie Blythe as Nettie Fowler, Shuler Hensley as Jigger Craigin, Jason Danieley as Enoch Snow, Jessie Mueller as Carrie Pipperidge, Kate Burton as Mrs. Mullin, and John Cullum as Fisher.

The New York Philharmonic's production of Carousel will be telecast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center, hosted by Audra McDonald, on PBS stations Friday, April 26, 2013, at 9:00 p.m. (check local listings).

Artists Choreographer Warren Carlyle most recently directed and choreographed Chaplin at the Barrymore Theater and the hit show Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theater. He also choreographed The Mystery of Edwin Drood (presented at Studio 54), A Christmas Story (Lunt Fontanne), and the recent Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies at the Marriot Marquis Theater. Mr. Carlyle directed and choreographed the critically acclaimed, Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Finian's Rainbow at the St. James Theater, A Tale of Two Cities on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theater, and the Broadway-bound Cotton Club Parade (Jazz at Lincoln Center and City Center). Also in New York, he choreographed Girl Crazy, On the Town, Finian's Rainbow, Juno, and Stairway to Paradise (all for City Center's Encores! series); 101 Dalmatians (Madison Square Garden/Tour); You Again (New York Fringe Festival); Working (Zipper Theater); Slut! (ATA); Roundabout 40th Anniversary Gala (The Public Theater); and The 24-Hour Musicals (The Public Theater). produced, directed, and choreographed the tour of Hugh Jackman in Performance (Curran Theater San Francisco, Toronto's Princess of Wales Theater); created the musical staging for the new Randy Newman revue Harps & Angels (Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles); directed and choreographed the award-winning Limelight (La Jolla Playhouse), Buddy's Tavern (O'Neill Theater Center; Richard Rodgers Award Winner), and Lucky Guy (Goodspeed); and choreographed Follies (Kennedy Center and Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles), Camelot (Stratford Shakespeare Festival Canada), A Christmas Story (U.S. tour), Mame (Kennedy Center), Dancing in the Dark (Old Globe Theater, San Diego), The Pirates of Penzance (Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed; CT Critics Circle Award for Best Choreography), The Bakers Wife (Goodspeed), and Pageant (Second City Chicago). Warren Carlyle is represented on film and television by Deception starring Hugh Jackman, Hope and Faith, An Evening at the Boston Pops, and Elton John's Made in England music video.

Robert Fairchild (Carnival Boy) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began his dance training at Dance Concepts at the age of four with Rebecca Bateman and Kaelynne Oliphant. His formal ballet training began at the age of ten at the Ballet West Conservatory with Sharee Lane. Mr. Fairchild's other teachers have included Laura King-Spinning, Trey Barber, Brooke Healy, and Jacqueline and Heather Colledge of Utah Regional Ballet. Mr. Fairchild attended the 2002 and 2003 summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, and then enrolled as a full-time student in the fall of 2003. In June 2005 Robert Fairchild became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and the following June he joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet. Robert Fairchild was promoted to soloist in May 2007 and in October 2009 was promoted to principal dancer.

Tiler Peck (Louise) began her dance training at age seven, studying privately with former Bolshoi Ballet principal dancer Alla Khaniashvili in Hollywood. At age 11 she began studying with former New York City Ballet dancers Colleen and Patricia Neary and former principal dancer Yvonne Mounsey. Ms. Peck entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, full time in the fall of 2003. She became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in 2004, joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2005, became a soloist the following year, and was promoted to principal in 2009. Since joining the company, Ms. Peck has danced featured roles in George Balanchine's choreography for The Nutcracker, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Symphony in Three Movements, and Theme and Variations; Jerome Robbins's Fancy Free, Mother Goose, and Other Dances; Peter Martins's The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo † Juliet, and Swan Lake; Christopher Wheeldon's An American in Paris, Carousel (a dance), and Estancia; and Susan Stroman's Double Feature. Ms. Peck originated featured roles in Peter Martins's Friandises and The Red Violin; Mauro Bigonzetti's In Vento and Luce Nascosta; Wayne McGregor's Outlier; and the New York City Ballet premieres of Christopher d'Amboise's Tribute and Jerome Robbins's N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz. Tiler Peck is a 2004 recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA Dance Fellowship, a 2004 Mae L. Wien Award recipient, and Janice Levin Honoree for 2006-07. She performed in The Music Man on Broadway and was Clara from The Nutcracker in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She has appeared twice on Dancing with the Stars as a guest performer, and she most recently performed for President Obama at the 2012 Kennedy Honors in a tribute for Honoree Natalia Makarova. Tiler Peck's film credits include A Time for Dancing, Geppetto, and Donnie Darko.

Tickets for these concerts start at $95. 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 Friday, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 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.

Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik