Get $20 off all tickets to the Saturday 7:30pm performance om April 26 with code SATNIGHT20
Arizona Musicfest, a leading arts and cultural destination in the Valley, will be expanding past its usual
borders of North Scottsdale to present its first-ever concerts in downtown Phoenix in collaboration with
the Herberger Theater Center, this April.
One of the most beloved American musicals of all time, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel celebrates
its 80th anniversary in 2025. Rarely heard in its original full-scale orchestration, Musicfest’s concert
production of Carousel will present this grand musical masterpiece featuring a 45-piece orchestra and a
starry line-up of world class soloists.
“As Musicfest continues to evolve and expand, I am so delighted to be able to present Carousel, A
Concert, in celebration of the work’s 80th anniversary,” said Allan Naplan, Arizona Musicfest’s Executive & Producing Director, CEO. “Musicfest has a strong and proud tradition of presenting major stars of the Great White Way, and now with this special concert, we’ll present one of the most beloved Broadway classics of all time in the heart of downtown Phoenix through a partnership with the Herberger Theater Center.”
Set in a seaside town in Maine, Carousel follows the love story of Billy Bigelow, a handsome but troubled carousel barker, and Julie Jordan, a young mill worker. It is the enduring tale of love, redemption, and the struggle to find our place in the world.
Carousel, A Concert will feature Erica Spyres as Julie Jordan. Spyres played the role in Broadway’s 2018 revival of Carousel. Acclaimed actor on Broadway, TV and film, James Snyder is cast as Billy Bigelow. The concert production will be stage directed by Valley favorite Mark Stoddard with Arizona Musicfest’s resident artist Josh Condon leading the Musicfest Pops Ensemble.
“I’m very excited about this collaboration with Arizona Musicfest,” said Mark Mettes, President & CEO of the Herberger Theater Center. “Their proven track record for bringing audiences high quality
performances combined with the memorable experiences that audiences have come to expect at the
beautiful Herberger Theater Center, make this an event that you don’t want to miss.”
In the last ten years, Musicfest has experienced unprecedented growth with total attendance realizing a
fourfold increase. Even since Covid, while many arts organizations have struggled to regain audiences,
Musicfest has bucked the trend, consistently breaking attendance records.
“We’re enormously proud of our growth,” notes Naplan, “and are thrilled for the chance to introduce
even more audiences to our organization through these Carousel performances in downtown Phoenix.
We’re excited for this initial collaboration with the Herberger Theater Center, and look forward to future opportunities together.”
Carousel, A Concert will perform Saturday, April 26 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm and Sunday, April 27 at
2:00pm at the Herberger Theater Center. For tickets, go to herbergertheater.org or call the Herberger
Box Office at 602-252-8497
This season, Musicfest presents 50 concerts as well as dynamic programs for young musicians, music
engagement and learning opportunities for older community members, and so much more.
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