MANILA -- Karylle is returning to musical theater this year as she stars in Repertory Philippines' upcoming production.

The singer-host will play the role of Julie Jordan in Rep's staging of the Broadway hit "Carousel," opposite Gian Magdangal's Billy Bigelow.

The musical will run from November 26 to December 18 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, the newly inaugurated black box theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

• Karylle takes lead role in new musical show

According to director Toff De Venecia, Rep's "Carousel" production is "a radical departure from previous iterations, even from what we set out to do in 2020."

He said their version will feature "new artistic voices and talent as well as post-modern perspectives."

"Today, we stand on the shoulders of giants and take on the challenge of reimagining this classic musical for contemporary Filipino audiences," De Venecia said in a statement.

"We draw inspiration from Filipino creativity and the words of the original choreographer and dancer Agnes de Mille -- that is, 'taking leap after leap in the dark.' This will be the ultimate 21st century test for a 20th century text," he added.

The original "Carousel," which features music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, has been hailed by Time Magazine as the greatest musical of the 20th century, on top of winning several Tony Awards.

It tells a story about a whirlwind romance between a carnival barker (Billy) and millworker (Julie), and includes iconic songs such as "If I Loved You" and "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Rep's "Carousel" was initially slated for a May 2020 debut, also with De Venecia at the helm but with Nikki Gil instead of Karylle as Julie.

Tickets will be available through CCP Box Office, TicketWorld, and SM Tickets, with prices ranging from P1,000 to P3,000 each.

Related video:

Watch more News on iWantTFC