Stay Tuned! PBS-KQED Broadcasts: December

San Francisco's PBS affiliate, KQED TV9 and DT9, has several great up-coming Broadway and theatre related broadcasts planned for the month of December!  As announced from San Francisco KQED releases:

IL DIVO: LIVE AT THE GREEK
December 1, 8:30PM
The wildly popular 'popera' quartet offers its sophisticated vocal stylings and cross-continental flair in a showcase of romantic, rich harmonies and heart-breaking ballads. These four charming, sexy, talented young men take well-known hits - both old and new - and turn them into masterpieces, transforming hit pop songs with a refined classical twist of new arrangements. Their well-trained operatic voices and the addition of lyrics in the Romance languages - French, Spanish and Italian - produce a sophisticated classical piece recognizable in its roots, but incomparable in its result. This special was taped in June 2006 during Il Divo's first World Tour at the stunning Greek Theater in Los Angeles before a capacity audience of 5000. The set list for the concert features many of Il Divo's most recognizable and popular tracks including their interpretations of mainstream chart-toppers: Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart," "All By Myself" (a hit for both Eric Carmen and Celine Dion), Mariah Carey's "Hero," and The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody." Sinatra's "My Way" provides an unforgettable climax.

BLUE MAN GROUP: INSIDE THE TUBE
December 2, 9:00PM; December 3, 12:30PM;
December 7, 1:30PM; December 8, 1:00AM and 8:30PM
This program spans the entirety of Blue Man Group's innovative and wildly popular body of work. Founders Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink serve as hosts of the program, which includes stunning footage from their dazzling live shows. The three founders discuss the improbable journey they took from building drums and tube instruments in their living room to creating one of the most popular shows in Las Vegas, a gold album, and a successful arena-sized rock tour. With an intimate look inside Blue Man Group's unique creative process, the program provides never-before-revealed insight into some of the underlying themes of their work. The founders also cite some of their influences, including public television.

GREAT PERFORMANCES
KISS ME, KATE
December 11, 9:00PM
The first Broadway revival in nearly 5years of the musical comedy masterpiece by composer Cole Porter and book writers Sam and Bella Spewack not only enchanted critics and delighted audiences, but went on to triumph as one of the biggest prize-winners of the 200season. Taking its inspiration from Shakespeare, "Kiss Me, Kate" recounts the backstage and on-stage antics of two feuding romantic duos during a touring production of The Taming of the Shrew. Sparkling with 18 classic Cole Porter songs – including "Another Op'nin', Another Show," "Wunderbar," "So in Love," "Always True to You in My Fashion," "Too Darn Hot" and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" – "Kiss Me, Kate" epitomizes the Broadway musical comedy at its irresistible best. Directed by Michael Blakemore, this 200Tony-winner for Best Revival stars Brent Barrett, Rachel York, Nancy Anderson and Michael Berresse as the bickering couples whose offstage disputes ultimately entangle them with a pair of unexpectedly erudite gangsters and a pompous U.S. army general.

BROADWAY'S BEST AT POPS
December 15, 9:00PM and December 16, 6:00PM
This program takes viewers back to the most memorable moments from the past 35 years of Evening At Pops. Featuring the renowned conductors of the Boston Pops - Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and Keith Lockhart - the program celebrates the Pops collaborations with all-star guest performers from Broadway, including Ethel Merman, Ray Bolger, Sammy Davis Jr., Bonnie and John Raitt, Bernadette Peters, Ben Vereen, Carol Channing, Gregory Hines and many more, in addition to interviews with Broadway greats.

YENTL (1983)
December 16, 8:00PM
Set in the early 1900s in Eastern Europe, this movie tells the story of Yentl (Barbara Streisand) a young Jewish woman who has to disguise herself as a boy in order to receive a religious education at the Yeshiva. Once she is studying among the Orthodox Jewish rabbis, she falls in love with Avigdor (Mandy Patinkin), another student; her situation is further complicated when Avigdor's fiance Hadass (Best Supporting Actress nominee Amy Irving), falls in love with "him". This dramatization of a Isaac Bashevis Singer story marked Streisand's directorial debut (for which she won a Golden Globe), and won an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song Score.

GREAT PERFORMANCES
RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA
December 23, 8:00PM
Among the classics of musical theater, one of the most cherished productions is one that was originally created for television. Cinderella stars Julie Andrews and features a cast that includes Kaye Ballard, Alice Ghostly, and Edie Adams. An enchanting musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale, it was watched by and astounding 10million viewers during its 1957 network premiere, but amazingly, the film has not been seen or in fact, available in any format since that initial telecast. Now, Great Performances will present the restored original film for the first time in nearly half a century. Cinderella herself, Julie Andrews, hosts the program, recalling fond memories and backstage stories from the landmark show that includes classic Rodgers & Hammerstein songs like "In My Own Little Corner," "Ten Minutes Ago," and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"

LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC: AUDRA MCDONALD SINGS THE MOVIES
December 31, 8:00PM
Famed Tony Award-winning actress Audra McDonald joins the New York Philharmonic for an evening of show-stoppers.

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