WASHINGTON, May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Concerts
announced today a special presentation of the NATIONAL
MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT on PBS, hosted by Tony
Award-winner Joe Mantegna and
Emmy Award-winning actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise with all-star performances and
tributes from Washington, D.C. and
around the country honoring all of our American heroes.
Because of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the
traditional live concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol will
not be held. The special pre-taped 90-minute presentation of
the 32nd annual NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT will
air on Sunday, May 30, 2021 honoring
our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those
who have given their lives for our country.
A three decades-long tradition unlike anything else on
television, this deeply moving and reverential night takes us back
to the real meaning of the holiday through personal stories
interwoven with musical performances by the National Symphony
Orchestra and guest artists. The 2021 NATIONAL MEMORIAL
DAY CONCERT will share the following stories:
- Vietnam Nurses Tribute - performed by Emmy
Award-winning actress Kathy
Baker (PICKET FENCES).
The concert will honor the more than 265,000 women who served
during the Vietnam War era and pay special tribute to the sacrifice
and heroism of the nurses who served in Vietnam, saving thousands of lives and
comforting the dying in their final moments. The experiences of
Diane Carlson Evans, founder of the
Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington,
D.C., will be shared.
- 70th Anniversary of the Korean War - portrayed by
Emmy Award-winning actor Joe
Morton (SCANDAL).
Now, seventy years after the Korean War, the concert will pay
tribute to the more than 1.7 million Americans sent to fight in
this brutal conflict, and the over 36,000 American lives lost. No
group exemplified the courage and heroism of our fighting forces
more than the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company. Taking on dangerous
assignments, serving with distinction and honor, this elite
Airborne unit was the Army's only all-black Ranger Infantry
Company. On the cusp of our military's integration, these
trailblazing heroes changed attitudes, and opened possibilities for
all African American men and women in uniform.
- 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and Gold Star Families -
featuring Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Steve Buscemi (BOARDWALK
EMPIRE), acclaimed actresses Mary McCormack (WEST WING) and
Bailee Madison (A WEEK
AWAY).
This Memorial Day, in a segment hosted by Steve Buscemi, the concert will
commemorate the 20 years since the September
11, 2001 terror attacks, remembering all those who died that
tragic day and in the twenty years since in service to our nation.
It was a pivotal time for the country, and many Americans were
inspired to join our all-volunteer armed forces. The concert will
honor these service members and their families affected by a
generation at war and share the poignant story of one Gold Star
Family.
Following the horrific 9/11 attacks, Staff Sergeant Joseph Phaneuf II was inspired to rejoin the
National Guard and was soon deployed to Iraq and then Afghanistan. After five years of service,
Phaneuf died in December, 2006, of injuries suffered when an IED
detonated near his humvee during combat operations. Left to grieve
were his wife Michele, a son and two young daughters. Since
his untimely passing, Michele and Jordan, who was only 9 at the time, remember
him and the sacrifices he gave for his country.
America's national night of remembrance features: distinguished
American statesman General Colin L.
Powell, USA (Ret);
"Empress of Soul" and seven-time Grammy Award-winner
Gladys Knight; country
music superstar and 22-time Grammy Award-winner Vince Gill; Grammy Award-winner, Tony and
Emmy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, actress and author
Sara Bareilles;
multi-platinum selling country music icon and Grammy, CMA and ACM
Award-winner Alan Jackson;
Emmy and Grammy Award-winning international mezzo-soprano
Denyce Graves; Motown legends
and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Tops;
Broadway, film and television star Brian d'Arcy James; the
National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops
conductor Jack Everly; a new
special edition of annual audience favorite Salute to Services with
the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the Pentagon; and a special message
from General Mark A. Milley,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Country music star and
Grammy-nominee Mickey Guyton
will open the show with a special performance of the national
anthem.
The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT airs on PBS
Sunday, May 30, 2021, from
8:00 to 9:30 p.m. E.T., as
well as to our troops serving around the world on the American
Forces Network. The concert will also be streaming on
Facebook, YouTube
and www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and available as
Video on Demand, May 30 to June 13,
2021.
Also participating are members from The U.S. Army Herald
Trumpets, The U.S. Army Voices and Army Chorus, The Soldiers'
Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band, The U.S. Navy Band Sea
Chanters, The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants, and Service Color
Teams provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.
Underwriters
The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT is pleased to
welcome new underwriter the Horatio Alger Association of
Distinguished Americans, a nonprofit educational organization
honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and ensuring
the American dream for future generations through one of the
nation's largest privately-funded, need-based scholarship
programs.
The concert is also made possible by grants from: the National
Park Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the
Department of the Army, General Dynamics, PBS and public television
stations nationwide. Air travel is provided by American
Airlines.
About Capital Concerts
Capital Concerts is the nation's leading producer of live
patriotic television shows, including PBS's highest-rated
performance specials: the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY
CONCERT and A CAPITOL FOURTH, the premier
celebrations of America's most important holidays broadcast from
the U.S. Capitol in Washington,
D.C. For over 40 years, these two award-winning productions
have become national traditions, bringing us together as one family
of Americans to celebrate our freedom and democratic ideals and to
pay tribute to those who defend them. The holiday specials
have been honored with over 80 awards including the New York Film Festival Award, the Golden Cine Award, and the Writer's Guild of
America Award.
The program is a co-production of Michael Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA,
Washington, D.C. Executive
producer Michael Colbert has
assembled an award-winning production team that features the top
Hollywood talent behind some of
television's most prestigious entertainment awards shows including
the ACADEMY AWARDS, GRAMMY AWARDS, COUNTRY MUSIC
AWARDS, TONY AWARDS, and more.
For images and additional information, visit PBS Pressroom
at www.pbs.org/pressroom
Visit the program website
at http://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/home/
Connect with us on:
http://www.facebook.com/memorialdayconcert
twitter.com/MemorialDayPBS (#MemDayPBS)
instagram.com/memdayPBS
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SOURCE Capital Concerts