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Arts & Culture

We Are Family: Songs Of Hope And Unity

Rayshun LaMarr and the American Pops Orchestra perform "We Are Family." Meridian International Center, Washington , D.C.
By Kevin Parisi, Courtesy of American Pops Orchestra
Rayshun LaMarr and the American Pops Orchestra perform "We Are Family." Meridian International Center, Washington , D.C.

Stream or tune in Friday, May 14, 2021 at 10 p.m. on KPBS 2 + Sunday, May 16 at 4 p.m. on KPBS 2

Through uniquely American music that transcended its original genre to find a place in our collective American culture, this extraordinary production strives to bring joy and comfort to viewers across the country.

Filmed in front of a small, socially distanced live audience under strict COVID-19 mitigation procedures at the Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C., “We Are Family: Songs Of Hope And Unity” is part of #PBSForTheArts and features performances by Broadway star and recording artist Morgan James; star of Season 14 of THE VOICE Rayshun LaMarr; Broadway and Tony Award-nominated star Laura Osnes; celebrated recording artist Nova Y. Payton; and Broadway and television star Gabrielle Ruiz (joining from Los Angeles).

The televised event will be hosted by Emmy and Tony Award-winner Judith Light. All performers will be joined by The American Pops Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Luke Frazier.

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“Music is an extraordinary tool that has the unique ability to bring us together. It also has the special power of healing and uniting — and I believe there is no better time for us to do that than now,” said Frazier. “WE ARE FAMILY includes iconic American music hits such as ‘You’ve Got a Friend,’ ‘America the Beautiful,’ ‘Light of the Clear Blue Morning,’ ‘A Change is Gonna Come,’ ‘I Will Survive’ and more. It’s not just a soundtrack of music we’ve come to know and love; it’s the music we need to hear now.”

Watch On Your Schedule:

The program will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV and Chromecast.