PBS Arts Fall Festival lineup kicks off with ‘Hamilton’s America’ on Arizona PBS

PHOENIX – (Oct. 12, 2016)

“Hamilton’s America,” a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the acclaimed Broadway musical “Hamilton,” kicks off the 2016 PBS Arts Fall Festival Friday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m.

Additional specials from “Great Performances” and “Live from Lincoln Center,” as well as “Bill Murray: The Mark Twain Prize” and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will also be featured in this year’s festival. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of “Hamilton,”will host the 2016 PBS Arts Fall Festival.

“Arizona PBS is excited to air a truly compelling lineup for the 2016 PBS Arts Fall Festival,” said Nancy Southgate, associate general manager of content at Arizona PBS. “We are thrilled to offer our viewers an inside look into the creation of ‘Hamilton’ on the opening night of the festival, an exhilarating film, which our sustaining members were invited to experience at a sneak preview screening along with a Q&A with ‘Great Performances’ producer David Horn.”
The full festival lineup includes:

HAMILTON’S AMERICA  Friday, Oct. 21, 8 to 9:30 p.m.

“Great Performances” follows the creation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s pop culture Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton” and the history behind it. Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, Nas, Questlove, Stephen Sondheim and more are interviewed.

BILL MURRAY: THE MARK TWAIN PRIZE Friday, Oct. 28, 8 to 9:30 p.m.

Celebrate beloved actor and comedian Bill Murray, the latest recipient of The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. From the stage of The John F. Kennedy Center, a star-studded lineup salutes the achievements of the comedic trailblazer.

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER Friday, Nov. 4, 8 to 10 p.m.

Join “Lincoln Center at the Movies” as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre showcases its spectacular range, diversity and artistry in this special presentation, which includes the company’s signature work, “Revelations,” along with three other pieces.

GYPSY Friday, Nov. 11, 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

“Great Performances” presents Imelda Staunton as the indomitable Momma Rose in London’s hit revival of Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical “Gypsy” about stripper Gypsy Rose Lee’s rise to fame, also featuring Peter Davison and Lara Pulver.

ALAN CUMMING SINGS SAPPY SONGS Friday, Nov. 18, 8 to 9 p.m.

Get out your tissues and experience what The New York Times called “an emotional firestorm” as the award-winning television and Broadway star brings down the house with his acclaimed cabaret show.

LANG LANG’S NEW YORK RHAPSODY Friday, Nov. 25, 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Watch as internationally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang performs a love letter to New York in this “Live From Lincoln Center” special, featuring music from Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Danny Elfman, Lou Reed, Alicia Keys, Don Henley and more.

JOSHUA BELL’S SEASONS OF CUBA Friday, Dec. 16, 8 to 9 p.m.

Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell leads a “Live From Lincoln Center” event with musicians from America and Cuba, building a bridge between cultures and artistry.

SHAKESPEARE LIVE! FROM THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY Friday, Dec. 23, 8 to 10 p.m.

In honor of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, “Great Performances” presents the RSC’s star-studded gala with David Tennant, Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Joseph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, David Suchet and many more.

Funding for the 2016 PBS Arts Fall Festival is made possible by generous support from the Anne Ray Charitable Trust.

About the PBS Arts Fall Festival
The PBS Arts Fall Festival, which last year reached more than nine million viewers, is a cornerstone of the Friday primetime lineup, underscoring PBS’ ongoing commitment to give audiences the best seats in the house to watch arts performances on-air and online. The festival presents diverse artists and performances from across the country. Most programs will be available online at www.azpbs.org after their broadcast premiere. Media may obtain additional information at http://pressroom.pbs.org.

Arts on PBS This Fall
Arts programming on PBS will continue throughout the fall in addition to the PBS Arts Fall Festival. Viewers get a backstage pass to learn how technology combines with human artistry to create modern recorded music with Soundbreaking: Stories From The Cutting Edge Of Music, an eight-part series airing weeknights from Nov. 14 to 23 at 9 p.m. Soundbreaking was the last project produced by legendary Beatles music producer Sir George Martin and features more than 150 exclusive and original interviews. ART21’s series Art in the Twenty-First Century features 16 exceptional artists. Season 8, airing Sept. 16 and 23, highlights four important hubs of contemporary art today — Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Vancouver.

Media Contact:  Colleen O’Donnell Pierce
[email protected]
(602) 496-0579
(602) 478-3867 (cell)

About Arizona PBS

Arizona PBS is a trusted community resource.  For over 55 years, the PBS station has focused on educating children, reporting in-depth on public affairs, fostering lifelong learning and celebrating arts and culture. Arizona PBS achieves its mission through the power of non-commercial television, the Internet, educational outreach and community-based initiatives. Its signal reaches 80 percent of the homes in Arizona. With more than 1 million viewers weekly, Arizona PBS consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country. For more information, visit azpbs.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest or Tumblr.

Arizona PBS is a member-supported community service of Arizona State University and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.