While the Stephen Sondheim Celebration continues at full throttle at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theatre (Merrily We Roll Along previews July 12), Elton John and Tim Rice's tale of a Nubian princess, Aida, comes to the Center's Opera House July 9.

The Kennedy Center run of the Disney musical marks the show's premiere D.C. engagement. Heading the cast of this mounting, which plays through Aug. 18, is British born singer-actress Paulette Ivory, who has appeared onstage in The Lion King, Smokey Joe's Cafe, The Hot Mikado and West Side Story. Ivory will play opposite former Footloose star Jeremy Kushnier, who portrays Radames, the Egyptian captain who falls in love with Aida, although he is betrothed to Amneris (Kelli Fournier). Others in the Aida tour include Eric L. Christian as Mereb, Robert Neary as Zoser and Peter Kapetan as the Pharaoh.

Featuring a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang, Aida is directed by Robert Falls and choreographed by Wayne Cilento. Bob Crowley designed the sets and costumes, and Natasha Katz the lights. Paul Bogaev is the musical's music supervisor and orchestrator.

Tickets for Aida range from $20 to $79 and can be purchased by calling (800) 444-1324 or (202) 467-4600. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is located in Washington, D.C., at 2700 F. Street. For more information, go to www.kennedy-center.org or www.disneyonbroadway.com.

After its D.C. engagement, Aida will head to Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre from Aug. 21 to Sept. 8. Other tour dates follow: Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, Aug. 21 - Sept. 8
Detroit at the Fisher Theater, Sept. 11 - Oct. 5
Memphis at the Orpheum Theater, Oct. 8 - 20
Raleigh at the Memorial Theatre, Oct. 22 - Nov. 3
Atlanta at the Fox Theatre, Nov. 6 - 23
Norfolk at the Chrysler Hall, Nov 26 - Dec 1
New Orleans at the Saenger Theatre, Dec 10 - 22
Orlando at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, Dec 26 - Jan 5