MEGA STAGE TUBE: Sneak Peek from Live from Lincoln Center's CAROUSEL PBS Special!

Now a beloved classic, Carousel-with music by Richard Rodgers and book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II-was hailed by Time Magazine as "the best musical of the 20th Century." Based on Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play, Liliom, Rodgers and Hammerstein's 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." Following its Broadway premiere in 1945,Carousel has been staged across America and throughout the world and remade for both film and television. Landmark stagings include the Royal National Theatre (UK) 1992 production, which was subsequently presented at Lincoln Center Theater in 1994 and received five Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival (and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Audra McDonald); a current European production by Britain's Opera North is now showing in Paris. The New York Philharmonic production features Kelli O'Hara (Julie Jordan), Nathan Gunn (Billy Bigelow), Stephanie Blythe (Nettie Fowler), Shuler Hensley (Jigger Craigin), Jason Danieley (Enoch Snow), Jessie Mueller (Carrie Pipperidge), Kate Burton (Mrs. Mullin), and John Cullum (Starkeeper/Dr. Seldon), among others. This production also features New York City Ballet principal dancers Robert Fairchild (Carnival Boy) and Tiler Peck (Louise), choreographed by Warren Carlyle, in the Act II pas de deux ballet. This staged concert performance was directed by John Rando and conducted by Rob Fisher.

Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is one of the oldest orchestras in the world. Since its inception, it has played a leading role in American musical life, reaching out to audiences with touring that began in 1882; recordings beginning in 1917; and radio broadcasts since 1922, now represented by The New York Philharmonic This Week, syndicated nationally 52 weeks a year.