The Tabernacle Choir has revealed the guest artist for this year’s Christmas concert

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has announced the guest artist for its annual Christmas concert — and for the first time since before the pandemic, the event’s venue will be able to be filled 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 over two decades has included renowned artists such as Renee Fleming , Audra McDonald and Kristin Chenoweth .

This year’s concert runs Dec. 19-21.

Who is Ruthie Ann Miles?

Miles is currently starring on Broadway alongside Robert Downey Jr. in 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 her role in “The King and I.”

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

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

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

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

The Christmas concert is put on by the 360-member Tabernacle Choir, 150-piece symphony orchestra and a 32-member handbell choir — all of whom contribute their talents on a volunteer basis.

“My favorite part of it was to watch all that volunteerism in action, everybody contributing their best,” “The Waltons” star Richard Thomas, who was the narrator for the 2019 concert, previously told the Deseret News . “The whole idea that the thing was done on a volunteer basis for the community was the most exciting part of that for me.

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

How to get tickets for the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert

Tickets to the Christmas concert are complimentary but required. They will be distributed through a random selection process — but limited to four tickets per household.

The window for requesting tickets on the Tabernacle Choir’s website opens Oct. 15 at noon MDT and extends through Nov. 1 at 11:59 p.m., according to the news release. Admission is available for attendees ages 8 and up.

There will be a standby line for each night of the Christmas concert in the Tabernacle on Temple Square. The line will form 90 minutes prior to the 8 p.m. concert time.

This year’s concert marks marks the first time since before the pandemic that all 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 roughly 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:

• Dec. 17: 8 p.m. on PBS
• Dec. 21-25 on BYUtv
• Dec. 24 at 9:30 p.m. on PBS

Maliakel, a self-described “choir boy” who grew up watching the Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas program on PBS, said the annual program introduced him to many of his musical heroes, including artists like Fleming, McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell. But even all of his Christmases spent watching those concerts couldn’t come close to preparing him for taking part in it.

“The first time walking into this space was breathtaking,” Maliakel said during a press conference last year as his eyes scanned over the Conference Center, per Deseret News . “It is unlike any other space that I’ve performed in.”