Who acts? Who is Ruthie Ann Miles? – Deseret News

Temple Square Tabernacle Choir has announced the guest artist for its annual Christmas concert, and for the first time since before the pandemic, the event venue will be able to fill to its capacity of 21,000 .

Broadway star Ruthie Ann Miles will be this year’s guest artist in a beloved Christmas tradition that for more than two decades has featured renowned artists such as Renee Fleming, Audra McDonald and Kristin Chenoweth.

This year’s concert will take place from December 19 to 21.

Who is Ruthie Ann Miles?

Miles currently stars on Broadway opposite Robert Downey Jr. the play “McNeal,” which tells the story of an award-winning novelist who has “an unhealthy fascination with artificial intelligence,” according to the play’s website.

In 2015, Miles won a Tony Award for his role in “The King and I.”

He starred opposite Josh Groban in the Broadway revival of “Sweeney Todd” last year and earned another Tony nomination for his role as a beggar, according to a news release shared with the Deseret News. Miles has a master’s degree in vocal performance from Steinhardt University in New York.

“Ruthie Ann Miles is acclaimed for her vocal talent combined with unforgettable performances,” Mack Wilberg, the choir’s music director, said in a statement. “We are delighted to see her with the choir and orchestra to bring joy to the hearts of our audiences as we celebrate the birth of the Savior.”

Miles will also take part in the broadcast of “The Music and the Spoken Word” on Sunday, December 22, after the final Christmas concert. Tickets are not required for the 30-minute broadcast, which begins at 9:30 a.m.

A narrator for this year’s Christmas concert will be announced at a later date.

The Christmas concert is organized by the 360-member Tabernacle Choir, a 150-member symphony orchestra and a 32-member bell choir, all of whom contribute their talents on a voluntary basis.

“My favorite part was seeing all this volunteerism in action, everyone bringing their best,” “The Waltons” star Richard Thomas, who was the narrator of the 2019 concert, previously told the Deseret News. the idea that the thing was done voluntarily for the community was the most exciting part of it for me.

“It’s a great event and it’s unique,” he continued. “I don’t think it’s like any other concert in the country, maybe anywhere.”

How to get tickets for the Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concert

Tickets for the Christmas concert are free but required. They will be distributed through a random selection process, but limited to four entries per household.

The window to request tickets on the Tabernacle Choir website opens Oct. 15 at noon MDT and runs through Nov. 1 at 11:59 p.m., according to the press release. Admission is available to attendees ages 8 and up.

There will be a waiting line for each night of the Christmas concert at the Tabernacle on Temple Square. The queue will form 90 minutes before the 8pm concert time.

This year’s concert marks the first time since before the pandemic that the 21,000 seats in the Conference Center are available.

Last year, due to ongoing construction at Temple Square and parking limitations, the audience was limited to about 15,000, the Deseret News reported.

What about last year’s Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert?

Last year’s Christmas concert, which featured Michael Maliakel, Broadway’s Aladdin and “Downton Abbey” star Lesley Nicol as narrator, will air the following dates on PBS and BYUtv this December:

• December 17: 20 ha PBS
• December 21-25 at BYUtv
• December 24 at 9:30 PM on PBS

Maliakel, a “choir kid” who grew up watching the Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas show on PBS, said the annual program introduced him to many of his musical heroes, including artists such as Fleming, McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell. But even all the Christmases he spent watching those concerts couldn’t come close to preparing him to participate.

“The first time he walked into this space it was breathtaking,” Maliakel said during a press conference last year as his eyes scanned the Conference Center, according to the Deseret News. “It’s unlike any other space I’ve performed in.”