About Us
What began as the Auburn Children’s Theatre in 1958 has grown to become a multi-venue, growing operation currently known as Merry Go Round Playhouse. — celebrating its milestone 60th Anniversary in 2018!
The Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre has grown to become the nation’s largest resident touring youth education program. This well respected program offers workshops and performances to students in grades K-12. Currently, these programs reach 125,000 students in over 70 districts and 23 counties throughout New York every year.
In 2012, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Inc. formally launched the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, propelling a standard of excellent, professional productions at its iconic Emerson Park location – the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. The Festival presents classic and contemporary works, new musicals, and arts education for a diverse audience, to spur social awareness and cultural development in the Finger Lakes region. The Festival prides itself as a growing, distinct and powerful arts organization dedicated to engaging audiences, challenging thought, developing new works and creating a workplace that is creative, rigorous and fulfilling.
Not only has the organization grown exponentially, but the breadth and depth of the artistic standards and experiences have set new standards in the region and industry. The Festival now serves as a magnet for audiences and artists to celebrate and intersect with theatre of the highest caliber while also serving as an economic engine for the city of Auburn and the entire Finger Lakes region of Central New York.
