WASHINGTON, May 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 150th
anniversary of Memorial Day, PBS' multi award-winning
NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT welcomes THE
VOICE Season 14 finalist Spensha Baker, to open the show
with a special performance of the "National Anthem," honoring the
service and sacrifice of all our men and women in uniform, their
families at home and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for
our country. A 29-year tradition unlike anything else on
television, America's national night of remembrance takes us back
to the real meaning of the holiday through personal stories
interwoven with musical performances.
"For me the 'National Anthem' is as symbolic as it gets when it
comes to America," said Baker. "The fact that my parents served and
defended this great nation instilled into me the love and national
pride for America, our military and their families. The 'National
Anthem' gives me the opportunity to show my unwavering love to
those who served in our great military and for those who are
sacrificing and serving today. The 'National Anthem' invokes pride,
patriotism and honor within me. It's an iconic symbol of this
nation that can be shared with everyone, no matter what your
background is. The 'National Anthem' is America....The 'National
Anthem' is me. I love this country!!"
The 29th annual broadcast of the NATIONAL
MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT will recognize our Korean War
veterans; mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Khe Sanh, one of the fiercest battles of the
Vietnam War; and pay tribute to the contributions of women in our
military throughout history. The concert airs live
on PBS from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on
Sunday, May 27, 2018 from
8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET before an
on-site audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home,
as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American
Forces Network.
Hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe
Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise, the all-star line-up includes:
distinguished American leader General Colin L. Powell
USA (Ret.); Academy Award,
Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actress Allison Janney (I, TONYA, MOM, THE WEST
WING); Academy Award-nominated actor Graham Greene (DANCES WITH WOLVES,
WIND RIVER); Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award-nominated
actor John Corbett
(MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING);
star of CHICAGO MED
Brian Tee; Tony-nominated
actress and star of TV's FALLING WATER, THE WEST WING
and LOADED, Mary
McCormack; actor and country singer Charles Esten (NASHVILLE); Tony, Grammy and Emmy
Award-winning actress and singer Cynthia Erivo (THE COLOR
PURPLE); three-time Grammy Award-nominee singer/songwriter
Leona Lewis; Tony-nominee and
star of NBC's hit TV show SMASH, Broadway and TV's
Megan Hilty; acclaimed tenor
and Broadway star Alfie Boe
(LES MISÉRABLES); and Gary
Sinise & The Lt. Dan
Band, marking 15 years and over 400 concerts
entertaining our troops, veterans and military families; in
performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the
direction of top pops conductor Jack
Everly.
The concert will also be live-streamed on PBS, You Tube,
Facebook and www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and
available as Video on Demand, May 28 to June
10, 2018.
Underwriters
The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY
CONCERT is made possible by grants from the Lockheed Martin
Corporation, the National Park Service, the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, the Department of the Army, General Dynamics, PBS and
public television stations nationwide. Air travel is provided
by American Airlines.
For images and additional information, visit PBS Pressroom
at www.pbs.org/pressroom.
Visit the program website at
http://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/home/.
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on:
http://www.facebook.com/memorialdayconcert
twitter.com/MemorialDayPBS (#MemDayPBS)
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SOURCE Capital Concerts