Great Performances “Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age”

Premiers Sunday, August 22nd at 1 p.m.

Explore the world of Broadway from 1959 through the early 1980s as recounted by the Broadway stars who lived through it. Written, directed and produced by the late filmmaker Rick McKay and hosted by two-time Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff, the new documentary is the long-awaited sequel to McKay’s award-winning 2003 film “Broadway: The Golden Age – By the Legends Who Were There.”

This follow-up to McKay’s acclaimed oral history of Broadway continues the saga into the ’60s and ’70s, spotlighting beloved classic Broadway shows including “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Pippin,” “A Chorus Line,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Chicago” and “42nd Street.” Particular focus is placed on famed directors and choreographers Gower Champion, Bob Fosse, George Abbott and Michael Bennett with anecdotes from 1959’s “Once Upon A Mattress” through 1983 when “A Chorus Line” became the longest-running show in Broadway history. Featuring a galaxy of stars including Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Glenn Close, André De Shields, Jane Fonda, Robert Goulet, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Dick Van Dyke, Ben Vereen and many more, the film also includes rare archival photos and never-before-seen footage both onstage and off.

Our celebration of Broadway continues next week, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. with a journey to Oz for the spectacular “Wicked in Concert”!

Select this program when you support arts programming on Arizona PBS and get the CD, book and tote bag.