Impromp2, The Community Blog

Vivere: Andrea Bocelli Live in Tuscany

GREAT PERFORMANCES “Vivere: Andrea Bocelli Live in Tuscany”
– Tenor Andrea Bocelli Returns Home to Lajatico, Italy, for a Starry Evening of Song –
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli grew up in Lajatico, a rural village in Tuscany, where his family still farms nearby. Last July, on the slopes of his ancient hill town, a special theater was constructed for a one-night-only concert of his greatest popular hits, along with new songs performed to honor the occasion. Some famous musical friends dropped by, and the magical result is “Vivere: Andrea Bocelli Live in Tuscany,” airing on GREAT PERFORMANCES on WPBT/Channel 2 in Miami on Sunday, December 2 at 8 p.m.

Joining him for the new songs are “grandissimo sassofonista” Kenny G, trumpeter Chris Botti, piano virtuoso Lang Lang, Italian pop star Eliza and legendary musician, songwriter and producer David Foster. Helping with the hits: favorite divas Sarah Brightman, Heather Headley and Laura Pausini. “Vivere: Andrea Bocelli Live in Tuscany” was recorded July 5, 2007.

BARRY MANILOW: SONGS FROM THE SEVENTIES

Barry Manilow’s music is synonymous with the 70s. The legendary singer and songwriter revisits that era — which his songs helped define — in BARRY MANILOW: SONGS FROM THE SEVENTIES, airing on WPBT/Channel 2 in Miami on Monday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. Inspired by his highly anticipated CD, The Greatest Songs of the Seventies, the television event features Manilow performing his own hits, as well as some of his favorites of the decade, and sharing his personal experiences with the audience at the Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York, the city where he was born and raised. 

Manilow, whose previous PBS special, BARRY MANILOW: MUSIC AND PASSION, earned an Emmy, opens the show with “Mandy,” his first hit single, then launches into “New York City Rhythm” and “I Am Your Child.” His first medley is a novelty: jingles from commercials for Band-Aids, State Farm, McDonalds and Vicks. He returns to his own hits with “Could It Be Magic?” and “Copacabana (At the Copa),” followed by “My Eyes Adored You” and “Looks Like We Made It.” Two poignant songs of the era, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” and “The Way We Were,” get the Manilow treatment, as does “It Never Rains in Southern California.”

“The Old Songs” prefaces a medley of Manilow hits that includes “Can’t Smile Without You,” “Even Now,” “It’s a Miracle,” “I Made It Through the Rain,” “Daybreak,” “This One’s for You” and “I Write the Songs.” BARRY MANILOW: SONGS FROM THE SEVENTIES concludes with “One Voice.”

In 2006, Manilow celebrated one of the most successful years of his career. The Greatest Songs of the Fifties entered the Billboard charts at #1, BARRY MANILOW: MUSIC AND PASSION won an Emmy for “Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program” and The Greatest Songs of the Sixties hit the charts at number two.

Industry charts have ranked Barry Manilow as the undisputed number-one adult contemporary artist of all time with record sales exceeding 70 million worldwide. He has written hundreds of songs and performed around the globe, thrilling millions of fans and winning a Grammy, two Emmys, several Tony Awards and an Oscar nomination for the song “Ready to Take a Chance Again” from 1978’s Foul Play.

SAMMY DAVIS JR. LIVE IN GERMANY

Legendary Entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Swings Through a Night of Classic Hits

This magnetic special captures the amazing voice, impressions and dance moves of one of America’s greatest performers

The incredible talents of Sammy Davis Jr. are on display in SAMMY DAVIS JR. LIVE IN GERMANY, airing on WPBT/Channel 2 in Miami on Thursday, December 6 at 8 p.m. The program,  features the legendary Davis performing a night of spectacular entertainment—from spot-on impressions to mesmerizing tap-dancing, and, of course, a sterling set list of Rat Pack classics, filmed live before a packed audience in Germany’s famed Hohensyberg Casino.

Davis was renowned for his all-around talents as an entertainer. As a member of the “Rat Pack,” along with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peter Lawford, he scored dozens of top-10 singles and unforgettable albums. His 1963 album “Live at the Cocoanut Grove” is still considered one of the greatest live albums of the crooner era. He was acclaimed for his performances in films like Porgy and Bess, Sweet Charity with Shirley MacLaine and Ocean’s Eleven with the rest of the “Rat Pack” members, as well as for his Tony-nominated Broadway turn in Golden Boy.

DAVID GILMOUR – LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL: REMEMBER THAT NIGHT

The Voice and Guitar of Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Comes to Public Television

David Bowie, Graham Nash and David Crosby join rock legend David Gilmour on stage for a night of Pink Floyd classics and chart-topping new material

David Gilmour brings his master musicianship to a new television special, DAVID GILMOUR – LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL: REMEMBER THAT NIGHT, airing on WPBT/Channel 2 in Miami on Saturday, December 1 at 11 p.m. The program, features a collection of Gilmour’s songs from his No.1 European chart-topping album, "On an Island," released in March 2006, as well as many classic hits from his Pink Floyd days. Legendary musicians Graham Nash, David Crosby and David Bowie join Gilmour on stage at various points, making this performance an unforgettable night of timeless music.

Filmed live before a packed house in London’s Royal Albert Hall in May, 2006, Gilmour takes to the stage and begins the concert with the hauntingly beautiful “On an Island,” showcasing his signature ethereal vocals and dramatic guitar riffs. David Crosby and Graham Nash add their incomparable harmonies to the song. The vocal legends also accompany Gilmour on several other songs, including “The Blue” and “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.” It is the threesome’s rendition of “Find the Cost of Freedom,” however, that is a true highlight of the program. Stripped of all instrumental, the three singers perfectly perform this poignant anthem from the 1970s.   

David Bowie’s guest stint adds another giant bolt of energy to the production. He performs a rockin’ rendition of “Arnold Layne,” a Syd Barrett original and the first single ever released by Pink Floyd. Other highlights of the program include Gilmour’s “Smile” and the Pink Floyd classic, “Wish You Were Here”, featuring the amazing laser work of Pink Floyd Lighting Director Marc Brickman.

This program, filmed by award-winning director David Mallet, gives Pink Floyd and David Gilmour fans everywhere a front-row seat to one of the hottest concert tickets ever. Experience the dramatic lighting, the crowd’s anticipation, and the thrilling music of Guitarist magazine’s “Best Fender Guitar Player Ever” as if you were there in person.

MIKE DOUGLAS – MOMENTS AND MEMORIES

Charming and Gifted TV Host, Mike Douglas, Remembered in Nostalgic Public Television Special

“Before there was Oprah or Dr. Phil or Ellen, or any of these people, there was Mike Douglas.”
- Jay Leno, remembering Mike Douglas on The Tonight Show

Legendary daytime talk show host Mike Douglas influenced many of today’s biggest stars, including Barbara Walters, Jay Leno, Regis Philbin, and Rosie O’Donnell, among many others. He ruled daytime talk from 1961 to 1982, reaching as many as 15 million people with a single show and averaging an astounding seven million viewers a day. Airing on Friday, November 30 at 3 p.m., a new public television special, MIKE DOUGLAS – MOMENTS AND MEMORIES, takes a look back at Douglas’ tenure as talk-show-host extraordinaire. The program,  unlocks amazing performances and interviews from the show’s vaults, including Tiger Woods’ first appearance on television and Marlon Brando’s personal commentary on his role as The Godfather.

South Africa’s Longest Running Show, AFRICAN FOOTPRINT, Comes to America on Channel 2

“African Footprint is to South Africa what Riverdance is to the Irish
and Stomp is to the Brits!” – Entertainment iafrica.com, South Africa

Richard Loring's celebrated stage production AFRICAN FOOTPRINT fuses the rhythms of both ancient and contemporary Africa. Now, after 3,500 performances that dazzled audiences across Europe, China, Australia, Israel and India, Americans can find this magnetic production on Thursday, December 6 at 9:30 p.m. on WPBT/Channel 2 in Miami. Tune in to find out how you can see African Footprints during it's South Florida tour.

Like Santa, the Digital Conversion is Coming

There may only be 31 shopping days till Christmas but the more important date for consumers (and TV watchers) may be the 451days (451 days, 5 hours, 20 minutes and 34 seconds to be exact) and counting, remaining until the analog shut-off. How do I know this, I have a clock counting down to this event even as I sit here typing. If this is important enough for a special clock, it is probably important enough to start paying attention to what it all means.

The talk of Black Friday and holiday shopping is raising the anxiety level on what this new technology represents and what it means to the consumer, and the question might well be will visions of sugar plums look much better in 720p or 1080i? Plasma or LCD? 37-inch screen or projection?

There are so many variables it can be mind boggling and with only 451 days (and a few sundry hours) to go, is there enough time to make the right choice?

Certainly if you are looking to buy a new TV this holiday season, you have hopefully already done some research.  Consumer Reports is one of the many options for information on screen sizes and picture quality, but lifestyles play a big role in selecting that next TV and again the choices can be overwhelming.  Do you have a Blu-ray (HD DVD player) or  the current standard?  Are you a big "gamer" or is your TV just for watching TV? Is the new Television for that big living room or a smaller family room or bedroom? And of course there are still questions about why you need a new TV at all (you may not)?

So as you head out to make your holiday purchases, if an HD TV is on your list, remember to go armed with as much information as you can and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions before you buy, you may be surprised at the multiple answers you get, even for the same question.

To get prepared there a re a number of good sites to check including TV Technology's HD Notebook and the National Association of Broadcaster's site as well.

One final note, I ran across a reference to this blog entry from a commenter on an earlier posting, keeping in line with the year end tradition of a list for everything, here is one writer's opinion on the winners and losers for the analog shut-off.

Managing Art Basel in Miami

Having doubts about how to handle Art Basel in Miami?  For art lovers around the world it is an event not to be missed, but without a solid plan for managing the mayhem, it could also become an exercise in futility akin to visiting the shopping mall on Black Friday.

If you missed attending the ArtCrowd event held last week at the Bass Museum you may have missed out on the knowledge that can mean the difference between experiencing five days of intellectually stimulating cultural experiences, rocking out at the best parties, or complete and utter frenzy. Heather Urban, the "Insider's Insider," offered tips on how to maneuver the fast track to the hottest and sexiest events in Miami Beach.

Do you have survival tips for others attending Art Basel?  We'd love to hear them. Leave us a note.
In the meantime you can see what Heather Urban recommends by watching these clips in uVu (pt1) (pt2) (pt3) (pt4) or get a sense of Art Basel's glory with this clip from WPBT's own ART 360.

FRONTLINE MARKS 25 YEARS ON PBS:

FRONTLINE MARKS 25 YEARS ON PBS:
AN INTERVIEW WITH EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DAVID FANNING

Since January 1983, FRONTLINE has served as PBS’ flagship public affairs series and has never shied away from tough, controversial issues or complex stories. Many episodes from the series can be viewed online here. This month marks the beginning of FRONTLINE’s 25th anniversary. FRONTLINE remains the only regularly scheduled long-form public-affairs documentary series on American television, producing more hours of documentary programming than all the commercial networks combined. Executive Producer David Fanning shares some of its greatest moments and the exciting future ahead.

Question:
David, you began FRONTLINE 25 years ago. When you consider what the TV landscape was back then, did you think FRONTLINE would work and develop as it has?

DAVID FANNING:
When we began FRONTLINE in 1983, Current magazine called us “the last best hope for the TV documentary.” I can’t say I believed that then, but it was an inspiration of sorts. We knew all along that this was an extraordinary act of faith by the system—guaranteeing us the first three years to get it right—and all of us felt that we had to make it as good as we could, because we might never get another chance at it. I would often say to a producer that you have to make this the best film on this subject that’s ever been made; no one else is going to give you this opportunity. It’s been a great privilege to say that.

Exploring Possibilities: Music of our Times

From stunning surprises to old favorites, next week on WPBT/Channel 2 in Miami you can find something for every taste and even a few things you might not expect.

WPBT presents the broadcast premiere of Colombian superstar Shakira in Concert on Thursday, November 29 at 9:00 p.m.  Recorded in Miami in 2006 as the wrap-up performance to her sold out worldwide Oral Fixation Tour, Shakira fans are fully absorbed by her electrifying, hip-swaying performance.  The fascinating and bold singer transforms herself from song to song, moving from high energy pop performer to ballad soloist to rock and roll superstar, bringing audiences to their feet.  This spectacular Shakira concert includes her greatest hits, including "La Tortura," with special guest Alejandro Sanz, "Hips Don’t Lie" featuring the effervescent Wyclef Jean, "Whenever, Wherever," and other classics for hard core Shakira fans. Shakira has sold over 31 million albums.  Her hit song “Hips Don’t Lie” was one of the biggest selling records of all time.  Shakira is also founder of Pies Descalzos, a non profit organization aimed at helping Colombian children who are victims of violence.  She is also co-founder of the ALAS foundation, the largest humanitarian organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of children in Latin America. She continues to touch people through her music and through her sincere dedication to helping others.

Make this CD and DVD part of your library and support Channel 2, click here.