One thing that has remained constant throughout time is our love of music. Music can transcend culture and generations, and we can all appreciate a catchy tune. In June, WETA TV26 & HD presents a wide range of musical programs that will transport you to the front row of some of the greatest performances in history!
Jewish songwriters have been an important part in the creation of some of the most well-known musicals in the history of theatre. West Side Story, Wicked, and Bye, Bye Birdie are only a few of the award-winning musicals featured in an in-depth look at how Jewish ideals helped shape today’s musicals. Watch breathtaking performances and interviews with some of the pioneers of Broadway. Watch a preview here! Airs Sunday, June 2 at 7:00pm.
In 2009 Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble entered Ti lascio una canzone, an Italian music competition. As fate would have it, they were chosen to sing together during the competition, and 4 years later they are still singing together as Il Volo. From performing on American Idol to guest starring on HBO’s Entourage, they’ve certainly made a name for themselves in America. Watch a performance of their second album, We Are Love, at the Filmore Miami Beach. Airs Monday, June 3 at 8:00pm.
The 1950s and 1960s are remembered fondly for many things, but for many people these decades are all about the music. The radio had become a booming success, and for many families, it became tradition to huddle together and listen to hit singles by artists like Patti Page and Frankie Lane. Watch performances by some of these all-time musical greats and relive the wonder of the golden era. Airs Thursday, June 6 at 8:00pm.
Portofino is a spectacular village on the shores of Italy, and a beautiful place for authentic Italian culture. Portofino is a popular destination for famous celebrities worldwide, and the Italian village was chosen as the backdrop for Andrea Bocelli’s grand performance. Love in Portofino features Grammy-winning musicians, famous love songs, and Bocelli singing songs in six different languages, all under the starry sky of Italy. Watch the trailer here! Airs Friday, June 7 at 9:00pm.
In the 1960s, music started becoming a powerful tool for spreading peace and reform. Many of the classic pop songs that we all know and love originally carried heavy messages about serious issues. Return to the era of psychedelic “groovy” music with Peter Noone and Davy Jones, two Manchestermusicians who had a huge influence on this new wave. See hit singles performed by classic bands from the decade of love. Airs Saturday, June 8 at 8:00pm.
The 1970s and 1980s are arguably the most fondly remembered decades of the 1900s. Even today the music and fashion that these decades produced are celebrated and mimicked by admirers. There was never a better time for soulful music, and some of the greatest songs from the era are highlighted. Music from Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, and many others are all presented by celebrity host Whoopi Goldberg. Watch the trailer here!Airs Sunday, June 9 at 9:30pm.
Carole King and James Taylor have a combined total of 9 Grammy awards and are both members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Originally, Carole King was only a songwriter and pianist, but James Taylor knew she could be a star if she started singing her own songs. Flash forward 40 years later, and Carole King and James Taylor are performing together at the 50th Anniversary of the Troubadour Nightclub in Los Angeles. This performance features some of the most popular hits of their storied careers. Watch a compilation of their music here!Airs Friday, June 14 at 9:00pm.
Join WETA to celebrate the career of legendary musician and songwriter Carole King. WETA Presents:In Performance at the White House Gershwin Prize: Carole King airs tonight, May 28 at 8:00pm. Famous for her own music and for writing a laundry list of hits for other artists, King broke records with her 1971 album Tapestry. King will be honored by President Barack Obama with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song 2013. Held in the East Room of the White House, the event will feature performances from Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sandé, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood. The prize has previously been awarded to Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, and the duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. King is the first woman to be awarded with the prize.
This Memorial Day weekend there’s plenty to do in the Washington, DC area besides going to the National Mall. Check out some of these DMV events this weekend.
Sometimes the best way to unwind after a long week is to discover or revisit a good movie. On Friday, The Alden Theatre of McLean Community Center is presenting E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial during their free Family Movie Night. This 1982 sci-fi film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is about a young boy named Elliott who finds a stranded extraterrestrial. Through trials and tribulations, he must find the courage to defy the authorities to help the alien return to its home planet. Watch the E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial trailer!
Friday, 7:30pm
Cost: Free
The Alden Theatre McLean Community Center 1234 Ingleside Ave. McLean, VA 22101
The school year is coming to an end and that means white sandy beaches and palm trees are on everyone’s mind. Just in time for summer vacation and in honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, the National Museum of the American Indian will be holding Eia Hawai’i: Celebrating Native Hawaiian Culture this Saturday and Sunday. This year, visitors can celebrate wayfinding, or navigation, and the Polynesian seafarers who discovered the Hawaiian Islands by watching and learning about hula, taking in a cooking demonstration, watching films and presentations, and meeting and greeting Hawaiian guests. There will also be a concert at 5pm on Saturday in the Welcome Plaza, featuring Amy Hanaiali’I Gilliom with opening act The Aloha Boys. Watch a preview of Amy Hanaiali'l Gilliom perform!
Saturday and Sunday, 10:30am to 5pm
Cost: Free
National Museum of the American Indian 4th Street and Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20013
Led by its iconic host and founder Garrison Keillor, A Prairie Home Companion has influenced popular culture since its first live radio broadcast in 1974. The program, listened to by millions each week, is performing live this weekend from Wolf Trap’s Filene Center in Vienna, Virginia. Special guests include harmonica player Howard Levy, singer Aoife O’Donovan, and folk music group The Milk Carton Kids. Discover the program’s signature brand of humor and storytelling through iconic segments like “The News from Lake Wobegon,” read by Keillor himself.
In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul airs on WETA tonight at 8:00pm! This show honors the soul-infused music from the mid-to late-1960s that came from Memphis, Tennessee and renowned labels such as Stax-Volt Records, which featured artists like Al Green, Ben Harper, Alabama Shakes, Mavis Stables, and more. This exciting evening in the White
House’s East Room pays tribute to Memphis. Though Memphis was a segregated city in the 1960s, blacks and whites came together to make soulful music with a mix of gospel and rhythmic grooves, which is known today as “Memphis Soul.”
In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul is the tenth In Performance at the White House program during President Barack Obama’s administration. This edition features a wide array of classic songs performed by impressive artists: “I’ll Take You There” performed by Mavis Staples, “Soul Man” performed by Sam Moore and Joshua Ledet, “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” performed by Justin Timberlake and Steve Cropper, “Knock on Wood” performed by Eddie Floyd, “Born Under a Bad Sign” performed by Alabama Shakes, Steve Cropper, and Booker T, “You Don’t Miss Your Water” performed by William Bell, “I Can’t Stand the Rain” performed by Queen Latifah, “I’m In I’m Out And I’m Gone” performed by Charlie Musselwhite and Ben Harper, “Try A Little Tenderness” performed by Cyndi Lauper and Charlie Musselwhite, and “In the Midnight Hour” performed by the full cast.
In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul airs on WETA Tuesday, April 16 at 8:00pm, Wednesday at 4:00pm, Thursdays at 1:00pm, and Friday at 9:00pm. Don’t miss out on these fantastic, soulful performances!
Looking for something to do this weekend in DC, Maryland, and Virginia? Check out our selection of a tropical flower exhibition, mysterious Slavonic music, and an epic viola serenade right in your own backyard!
Living in or near a big city like DC, you can sometimes find yourself disconnected from the natural world. This weekend, the National Museum of Natural History will have an opportunity for museum-goers of all ages to see a major collection of Latin American orchids close to home. Attend the Fiesta de las Or-Kid-eas Family Festival for a variety of orchid related activities, such as orchid face painting, orchid tattooing, orchid mosaic-making, and plant discussions. Want to learn how to pot an orchid? Orchid experts will also be giving patrons an orchid-potting demonstration and will even allow them to take an orchid home with them.
The best way to relax after an exciting weekend is with an afternoon classical music in a beautiful setting. This Sunday, enjoy the Cathedral Choral Society’s performance of Rachmaninoff's “Solemn Vespers, Op. 37” at the impressive Washington National Cathedral. To make this concert even more interesting, the Choral Society will perform the piece in the original Old Church Slavonic, which is a Slavonic language dating back to 9th century Byzantine missionaries. With a talented chorus and historic location, this concert will take you back in time and in peace.
Two concerts are better than one! If the Cathedral Choral Society’s performance wasn’t enough, indulge in a special collaboration between the National Symphony Orchestra’s Tsuna Sakamoto and the American Youth Symphonic Orchestra at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. The musicians will be performing “Symphonic Serenade” and Bartók’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. Don’t miss out on this spectacular performance!
Sunday, 8pm
Cost: $15 for adults, $10 for seniors (65+)/students, free for music teachers
Kerri Russell and Josh Hamilton star in Scott Stewart’s story of the Barrett family’s reckoning with a dark and terrible force.
SNITCH (PG-13)
Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, and John Bernthal star in Ric Roman Waugh’s story of a father who goes undercover for the DEA so his son can finally be released from prison after getting set up in a drug deal.
Does rap or reggaetone evoke images of flowers and French décor? If you want to challenge your idea of conventional, head to Artisphere, which will be hosting an opening reception this Friday for Delicate/Violent (Delicado/Violento). This series of paintings by artist David Amoroso, juxtaposes images of local rappers and reggaetoneros in violent postures against delicate backgrounds. The reception will include an artist talk with Juror Don Russell followed by a Rappers andReggaetoneros music showcase live in Artisphere’s Ballroom. Performers include Mr. Pelon 503, El Indio, El Renegado & NCute, Impacto Urbano (featuring Shorty GY), and El Fenome Don Rimador.
Music is one the closest things in life that we can get to human emotion. Whether it be bluegrass, hip hop, rock or jazz, the music world will never see its end… at least not anytime soon we hope! Grammy Award-winning pianist and NEA Jazz Master Eddie Palmieri will be bringing everything he’s got to the Kennedy Center, including his band! Finishing a yearlong celebration of his 75th birthday, the creative and elegant artist will be here to do what he does best, keep the audience asking for more. Palmieri and the Latin Jazz Septet will be performing a wide variety of standards and original works that will make this event a performance not to miss.
….And you and your child can uncover the canvas under Pablo Picasso’s paintings! This weekend, the National Gallery of Art is holdings its “Winter Story Series” for children ages 4 to 7. Museum educators will guide budding art enthusiasts as they investigate Picasso’s paintings through storytelling, observation, and creating masterpieces of their own. Sign-in for the event will take place in the East Building Atrium beginning at 10 am on Saturday and at 11am on Sunday! This event fills up fast, so get your tickets soon!
Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez team up to get their cut in the crime thriller, PARKER, based on the series of bestselling novels by Donald E. Westlake. PARKER is directed by Academy Award nominee Taylor Hackford (“Ray”) and also stars Michael Chiklis, Wendell Pierce (HBO’s “The Wire”) and Academy Award nominee Nick Nolte.
QUARTET (PG-13)
The directorial debut of Dustin Hoffman, QUARTET is a comedy starring Maggie Smith (PBS’s Downton Abbey and HARRY POTTER franchise), Billy Connolly (GULLIVER’S TRAVELS, THE LAST SAMURAI), Michael Gambon (HARY POTTER franchise, THE KING’S SPEECH) and Pauline Collins (ALBERT NOBBS, FROM TIME TO TIME)
THE MASTER (R)
A striking portrait of drifters and seekers in post World War II America, Paul Thomas Anderson’s THE MASTER unfolds the journey of a Naval veteran, Freddie (Joaquin Phoenix), who arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader, Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Amy Adams plays Dodd’s wife, Peggy.
WEST OF MEMPHIS (R)
A new documentary written and directed by Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Amy Berg (DELIVER US FROM EVIL) and produced by first time filmmakers Damien Echols and Lorri Davis, in collaboration with the multiple Academy Award winning team of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, WEST OF MEMPHIS tells the untold story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light; a fight to stop the State of Arkansas from killing an innocent man.
broke records with her 1971 album Tapestry. King will be honored by President Barack Obama with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song 2013. Held in the East Room of the White House, the event will feature performances from Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sandé, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood. The prize has previously been awarded to Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, and the duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. King is the first woman to be awarded with the prize. 
On Friday, The Alden Theatre of McLean Community Center is presenting E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial during their free Family Movie Night. This 1982 sci-fi film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is about a young boy named Elliott who finds a stranded extraterrestrial. Through trials and tribulations, he must find the courage to defy the authorities to help the alien return to its home planet. 
Heritage Month, the National Museum of the American Indian will be holding Eia Hawai’i: Celebrating Native Hawaiian Culture this Saturday and Sunday. This year, visitors can celebrate wayfinding, or navigation, and the Polynesian seafarers who discovered the Hawaiian Islands by watching and learning about hula, taking in a cooking demonstration, watching films and presentations, and meeting and greeting Hawaiian guests. There will also be a concert at 5pm on Saturday in the Welcome Plaza, featuring Amy Hanaiali’I Gilliom with opening act The Aloha Boys. 
House’s East Room pays tribute to Memphis. Though Memphis was a segregated city in the 1960s, blacks and whites came together to make soulful music with a mix of gospel and rhythmic grooves, which is known today as “Memphis Soul.” 
close to home. Attend the Fiesta de las Or-Kid-eas Family Festival for a variety of orchid related activities, such as orchid face painting, orchid tattooing, orchid mosaic-making, and plant discussions. Want to learn how to pot an orchid? Orchid experts will also be giving patrons an orchid-potting demonstration and will even allow them to take an orchid home with them.
To make this concert even more interesting, the Choral Society will perform the piece in the original Old Church Slavonic, which is a Slavonic language dating back to 9th century Byzantine missionaries. With a talented chorus and historic location, this concert will take you back in time and in peace.
challenge your idea of conventional, head to Artisphere, which will be hosting an opening reception this Friday for Delicate/Violent (Delicado/Violento). This series of paintings by artist David Amoroso, juxtaposes images of local rappers and reggaetoneros in violent postures against delicate backgrounds. The reception will include an artist talk with Juror Don Russell followed by a Rappers and Reggaetoneros music showcase live in Artisphere’s Ballroom. Performers include Mr. Pelon 503, El Indio, El Renegado & NCute, Impacto Urbano (featuring Shorty GY), and El Fenome Don Rimador.
bluegrass, hip hop, rock or jazz, the music world will never see its end… at least not anytime soon we hope! Grammy Award-winning pianist and NEA Jazz Master Eddie Palmieri will be bringing everything he’s got to the Kennedy Center, including his band! Finishing a yearlong celebration of his 75th birthday, the creative and elegant artist will be here to do what he does best, keep the audience asking for more. Palmieri and the Latin Jazz Septet will be performing a wide variety of standards and original works that will make this event a performance not to miss.
