- Featuring Tributes to WWII’s Legendary Doolittle Raiders and our Gold Star Families - #MemDayPBS
Sunday, May 28, 2017, marks the 28th annual broadcast of the "National Memorial Day Concert," bringing us together as one family of Americans to honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, military families and all those who have given their lives for our country.
The concert features acclaimed actors Joe Mantegna, Laurence Fishburne and Gary Sinise and an all-star lineup of actors and musicians, along with top pops conductor Jack Everly and the National Symphony Orchestra.
Show segments include a tribute to the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raiders, who flew the daring bombing mission over Japan after Pearl Harbor.
Hear the story of the sacrifices made by Captain Luis Avila and his wife, Claudia, as they courageously face life-changing injuries incurred from an IED bomb blast.
Follow the healing journey of a Gold Star family from the Vietnam era who reach out to support grieving families from recent conflicts.
S2017 Ep1: Remembering SFC Lewis C Walton
"Jacke Walton’s father
The all-star line-up also includes:
Distinguished American leader General Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.); world-renowned four-time Grammy Award-winning classical superstar Renée Fleming; multi-platinum recording artist and star of television, film and the Broadway stage Vanessa Williams; country music superstar Scotty McCreery; Grammy nominated, multi-platinum selling artist John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting; acclaimed actor John Ortiz ("A Dog’s Purpose"; "Kong: Skull Island"); Broadway and television star Christopher Jackson ("Hamilton," BULL); distinguished actress Ana Ortiz (UGLY BETTY, DEVIOUS MAIDS); legendary Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan; and the UK’s best-selling cross-over artist Russell Watson. The gifted actress and singer Auli’i Cravalho ("Moana") will open the show with a special performance of the “National Anthem.”
Joining the all-star line-up are acclaimed actor Robert Patrick (SCORPION) and Tony-nominated actress and star of TV’s IN PLAIN SIGHT and THE WEST WING, Mary McCormack.
This tribute to our military airs live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol before an audience of hundreds of thousands, a broadcast audience of millions and to our troops around the world via American Forces Network.
FACEBOOK LIVE:
The concert will also be live-streamed on Facebook Live and at pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and available on demand for a limited time, May 28 to June 10, 2017.
National Memorial Day Concert is also on Instagram, and you can follow @MemorialDayPBS on Twitter.
WALL OF REMEMBRANCE:
We encourage you to share your stories on our Wall of Remembrance, where we can grieve together as we pay tribute to the lives and legacies of those we’ve lost. Your contributions are a central part of the Memorial Day narrative, honoring the sacrifice of our brave service members in uniform.
CREDITS:
The program is a co-production of Michael Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA, Washington, D.C. Executive producer is Michael Colbert.
