Arnold, a Fred Astaire Award winner, has been seen on Broadway in Jumpers; 42nd Street; Kiss Me, Kate; Little Me; Cabaret; Chicago; The Who's Tommy; and Cats. As previously announced, the Michael Stewart-Bob Merrill musical will begin performances at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater Feb. 17 and is scheduled to play through March 11. Directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom, the cast will also feature Ereni Sevasti as Lili, Jim Stanek as Paul, Sebastian La Cause as Marco, Natascia Díaz as Rosalie and Jonathan Lee Iverson as Schlegel. Bob Billig will conduct.

The creative team for the new Kennedy Center production, which officially opens Feb. 24, comprises Andrew Jackness (set design), Paul Tazewell (costume design), Ken Billington (lighting design), Edward Christie (puppets) and Joe Eddie Fairchild (magic).

Based on the 1953 film "Lili," Carnival, according to press notes, tells the store of "Lili - a girl from an isolated village in France who joins the traveling Grande Imperial Cirque de Paris. Falling for the troupe's manipulative magician, she also enchants a disillusioned puppeteer, who can only show his love through his whimsical creations."

Carnival!, which bowed on Broadway in 1961, features a score by Bob Merrill and a book by Michael Stewart. The original Broadway cast featured Anna Maria Alberghetti, Kaye Ballard, Henry Lascoe, James Mitchell, Pierre Olaf and Jerry Orbach.

Carnival will play Tuesday-Sunday evenings at 7:30 PM with matinees Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 PM. Tickets, priced $25-$90, are available by calling (202) 467-4600. For more information visit www.kennedy-center.org.