Wicked In Concert
Wicked in Concert, airing August 29 at 9:00 pm on WPSU, will be co-hosted by the musical’s original Broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, with performances by Mario Cantone, Gavin Creel, Ariana DeBose, Cynthia Erivo, Stephanie Hsu, Rita Moreno, Jennifer Nettles, Alex Newell, Isaac Powell, Amber Riley, Gabrielle Ruiz and Ali Stroker. The concert, directed by Baayork Lee, is designed as a celebration of the return of Broadway following the 16-month Covid pandemic shutdown. This special will feature reimagined, never-before-heard Wicked musical arrangements created by music director and conductor Luke Frazier just for this broadcast, with performances filmed in multiple locations including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York City.
From The GM's Desk
Happy August! I hope this newsletter finds you healthy, connected to loved ones and staying cool. Time has once again flown by this summer in a flurry of activity. We have been busy planning to return to the office, maintaining our operations, reporting on local activities, producing virtual and hybrid projects, raising funds for operations and projects, and continuing our educational activities. Thank you all for your individual contributions. Together, we have been able to achieve remarkable things. Stay well.
All my best ...
Birthdays
8/16 – Rob Butler
8/20 – Pat Baxter
8/23 – Rosanne Keiper
8/24 – Diane Herr
8/30 – Clint Yoder
WPSU Radio Highlights
In Case You Missed It . . .
Pa. Game Commission Says It's OK To Feed Birds Again
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has lifted its recommendation to stop feeding birds and take in birdbaths. The agency made the announcement on Friday on its website. People can place bird feeders and birdbaths back outside, after cleaning with a 10% bleach solution. The agency had recommended that people stop feeding birds after dead or sick songbirds were reported in 10 states including Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. since late May. Birds were seen with crusty eyes and neurological effects, such as head tremors and difficulty standing. Full story.
Pa. Is Trying County Fairs, Text Messages, And Door-Knocking To Raise The Vaccination Rate
Nicole Diehl attended the Wayne County Fair in northeastern Pennsylvania last weekend, not for the livestock exhibitions, carnival games, demolition derbies, or tractor pulls. Instead, the registered nurse was on hand as part of an effort to make it as easy as possible to get vaccinated — a goal that’s become even more critical as new cases of COVID-19 creep up in Pennsylvania. “It’s right here, they know it’s free, let’s just do it and get it done with,” said Diehl, a 21-year veteran of the Wayne Memorial Health System, which is organizing the clinics. “I do believe convenience plays a big part in it.” In the first three days of the fair, 58 people agreed to be vaccinated. Several were preparing to travel or participate in gatherings like weddings, Diehl said, while many others were fair workers who will move on to jobs in other places. Full story.
WPSU Television Highlights
News Matters — Friday, August 20 at 9:00 pm
NEWS MATTERS follows the desperate attempt by Colorado journalists to save the 125-year-old Denver Post from slow death at the hands of hedge fund owner Alden Global Capital, while trying to cut through the noise of social media and opinion news outlets. Chuck Plunkett captures national attention when he leads a revolt against The Denver Post's hedge fund owners, all while the newspaper industry crumbles and while journalists are being called the enemy of the people.
Pioneers in Skirts — Friday, August 20 at 10:00 pm
PIONEERS IN SKIRTS is an inspiring story of young women with pioneering ambitions - and the obstacles that get in their way. Following stories of the women navigating these challenges the film focuses on how we as individuals can take action to overcome these biases and setbacks for today's woman and the next.
The Lesson — Sunday, August 22 at 7:00 pm
At age 14, every child attending school in Germany is brought face to face with the nation's past, confronting the reality of the Holocaust for the very first time. THE LESSON follows four children as they experience Holocaust education in the public school system in Germany.
Bird: Not Out of Nowhere — Tuesday, August 24 at 8:00 pm
As the world celebrates the centennial of Charlie "Bird" Parker's birth, this film looks back at the twenty-one years Charlie spent at home in Kansas City and on his long-lasting impression on Kansas City Jazz.
Downing of a Flag — Thursday, August 26 at 8:00 pm
DOWNING OF A FLAG is a two-hour documentary film that focuses on the Confederate Battle flag and its impact on the people, politics, and perceptions of South Carolina and beyond. The film traces the symbol's controversial relationship with the State, exploring its true meaning and how an unspeakable tragedy served as the catalyst for its long-debated removal.
Great Performances “Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2021” — Friday, August 27 at 9:00 pm
GREAT PERFORMANCES premieres "Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2021." Each summer, the world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic is joined by a guest soloist to perform an enchanting open-air concert under the direction of a guest conductor from the magnificent gardens of Vienna's Imperial Schonbrunn Palace. For the first time, the concert will be conducted by Daniel Harding, with piano virtuoso Igor Levit as soloist. Under the theme of "Wanderlust (Yearning for Distant Places)," compositions by Bernstein, Verdi, Rachmaninov, Sibelius, Elgar, Debussy and Holst will be performed.
Wicked in Concert — Saturday, August 29 at 9:00 pm
Celebrate the iconic hit Broadway musical with this all-star concert version featuring songs from the beloved score, including "The Wizard and I," "Defying Gravity," "Popular," "Wonderful," "No Good Deed," "For Good" and "As Long As You're Mine.”
D-Day Last Words - Monday, August 30 at 8:00 pm
June 6, 1944. Canada, Britain and the US storm the Normandy coast to wrestle back Europe from Nazi control. The soldiers call it The Longest Day. We call it D-Day. This unflinching documentary tells the story of the historic battle through the dramatic recollections of those caught up in the action. Moving interviews are combined with newly discovered footage and dramatic reconstructions that plunge viewers into the heat of battle.
Liza with a Z — Tuesday, August 31 at 9:30 pm
Join Liza Minnelli for the Emmy, DGA and Peabody Award-winning 1972 concert film produced by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Fosse also directed and choreographed, Marvin Hamlisch was the music conductor and Halston designed the costumes.
Industry News
Ken Burns: ‘I Do Not Accept That Only People Of A Particular Background Can Tell Certain Stories’
Famed documentarian Ken Burns said Wednesday that he applauds new measures announced by PBS to increase the diversity of its programming, which come after filmmakers of color complained that white producers like Burns were getting an outsize amount of public TV’s airtime and tackling topics, such as Muhammad Ali, that should be the province of Black filmmakers. Burns spoke during a session on his new documentary, Muhammad Ali, during the second day of PBS’ portion of the online Television Critics Association annual summer press tour. The film is scheduled to air Sept. 19–22.
President Biden Nominates Three Directors For CPB Board
President Joe Biden has nominated three people to serve on CPB’s board of directors. The nominees are Elizabeth Sembler, Kathy Im and Tom Rothman. They will join the board if confirmed by the U.S. Senate. CPB’s board has four vacant seats.
Sembler, a retired educator and administrator, most recently worked as director of engagement at Congregation B’nai Israel in St. Petersburg, Fla. She served on CPB’s board of directors from 2008–2020 and was board chair from 2014–16.
Im manages a $25 million annual portfolio as director of journalism and media for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Rothman is chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s motion picture group, where he oversees all of the studio’s worldwide businesses, including Columbia Pictures. Rothman previously worked as chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment.
Jetpack Guy is Back
The FBI is investigating what one commercial airline pilot said might have been an airborne person with a jetpack, high in the busy skies near Los Angeles International Airport. The pilot spotted an object that might have resembled a jetpack 15 miles east of LAX at 5,000 feet altitude, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson told the newspaper. “Out of an abundance of caution, air traffic controllers alerted other pilots in the vicinity.” “Use caution, the jetpack guy is back,” said one air traffic alert. “Did you see a UFO?” one air traffic controller asked a pilot. “We were looking but we did not see Iron Man,” the pilot responded.[AP - 7/30/21]
Back to School Quote
“Respect your parents. They passed school without Google.”
Resources and Tips
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