By Andrew Gans
20 Jul 2007

Lyric Stage, Dallas County's professional music theatre company, will kick off its 15th season with the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.

Directed by Cheryl Denson, the production, which runs Sept. 7-16, will boast a 40-piece orchestra conducted by Jay Dias. The cast will feature Christopher Pinnella (Billy Bigelow), Kimberly Whalen (Julie Jordan), Dara Whitehead Allen (Carrie Pipperidge), Jackson Ross Best, Jr. (Enoch Snow), Laurie Bulaoro (Nettie Fowler) and Joshua Doss (Jigger Craigin). Len Pfluger choreographs.

Lyric Stage founding producer Steven Jones said in a statement, "We are very excited about this special production of Carousel. The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded Lyric Stage a grant enabling us to present Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel with a 40 piece orchestra! For the first time in Texas, Carousel will be presented as it was originally heard on Broadway in 1945 — with a 40 piece orchestra playing Don Walker's orchestrations. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization has painstakingly restored Walker's original Broadway orchestrations and we are pleased that Lyric Stage audiences will hear them with a full complement of musicians."

Carousel bowed on Broadway in April 1945 at the Majestic Theatre, where it played 890 performances. The original cast included John Raitt and Jan Clayton. The 1956 Fox film co-starred Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones. The celebrated score includes such tunes as "June Is Bustin' Out All Over," "Mister Snow," "Soliloquy," "What's the Use of Wond'rin'?" and "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Lyric Stage will present Carousel in the Irving Arts Center's Carpenter Performance Hall. Subscriptions are available by calling (972) 252-2787 or by visiting www.lyricstage.org. Single tickets to Carousel will go on sale Aug. 15.