Stephen Sondheim, Liza Minnelli & More Set for FEINSTEIN'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK on PBS; Season Premiere 4/5

Stephen Sondheim, Liza Minnelli, Angela Lansbury, Christine Ebersole and other great stars of American music and musical theatre share the spotlight with the country's most passionate music preservationist as Michael Feinstein'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK returns to PBS for a new star-studded, three-part season Friday, April 5, 2013, 9:00 p.m. ET.

Season Three finds Feinstein exploring the enduring popularity of show tunes, the pas de deux between music and choreography on stage and the big screen, and the indelible impact that radio - in its star-making heyday - had on the American musical canon.

While crisscrossing the country on a seemingly endless stream of concert dates, Feinstein conducts candid interviews with revered composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Follies) and the multiple Award-winning Broadway and television legend Angela Lansbury. He sings with Tony Award-winning actress Christine Ebersole, reminisces with Liza Minnelli about the great dance stars Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, hosts superstar violinist Joshua Bell on his public radio show, and visits with some of the country's most well-versed and colorful collectors of musical recordings and music ephemera.

The acclaimed Michael Feinstein'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK airs as part of PBS ARTS, one of broadcast television's only programming blocks dedicated to the best in performing arts, on Fridays, April 5, 2013, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET and April 12, 2013, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS.

"We're thrilled to have Michael Feinstein back on PBS for his entertaining and insightful perspectives on American musical history," said Donald Thoms, Vice President of Programming for PBS. "Programs like AMERICAN SONGBOOK are possible only on public television. PBS continues to be the home for the arts on TV, bringing viewers a front-row seat to the best artists and performances in the world."

Season Three of Michael Feinstein'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK features:

"Show Tunes" - Friday, April 5, 2013 at 9 pm. Stars in the Broadway universe don't shine much brighter than Stephen Sondheim, Angela Lansbury and Christine Ebersole, all of whom appear in this episode about great American musicals. Sondheim reveals the composers he most admires and shows Feinstein some rare home movie footage of the original Broadway production of the classic Follies. Tony Award-winner Ebersole gives a tour de force performance of some of the greatest show tunes of all time, and Lansbury reflects on her Broadway career, from Mame to Sweeney Todd and Gypsy. (Feinstein has a surprise for Angela.) Feinstein discusses his personal relationship with Ira Gershwin (also the topic of his recent book) and performs the classic "Lullaby of Broadway," "Let Me Entertain You" and "No One Is Alone."

"Let's Dance" - Friday, April 5, 2013 at 10 pm. Fred Astaire is Michael Feinstein's favorite singer - but he also was the favorite singer of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin. Why was this dancer, first-and-foremost, so beloved by America's great composers? With that question, Feinstein launches into an exploration of the marriage between music and choreography, unearthing rare home movies of Astaire rehearsing on set, and remarkable memorabilia from that other screen-dance icon, Gene Kelly. Kelly stuns in never-before-seen footage of his Broadway debut in the original Pal Joey, as does the iconic Cyd Charisse, seen in her first television performance. Liza Minnelli, who knew Kelly and Astaire, discusses their unique styles and techniques. She also is seen in vintage television clips dancing with Kelly and performing some memorably steamy choreography. Feinstein indulges his inner Astaire with private dance lessons, learning differences between the fox trot and the turkey trot, among others. Finally he explores the endless popularity of ballroom dance and performs the classics "Change Partners," "Singin' in the Rain," "Shall We Dance" and "Let's Face the Music and Dance."

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