O'Hara, Mantegna, Sinise et al. Honor Troops in PBS Memorial Day Concert, 5/30

For more than 20 years, PBS has been proud to honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those who have given their lives for our country with the National Memorial Day Concert. The multi award-winning event, broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, will be co-hosted for the fifth year by Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise (CSI: New York) and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), two acclaimed actors who have dedicated themselves to veterans' causes and supporting our troops in active service. The 21st annual broadcast of The National Memorial Day Concert will air live in HD on PBS Sunday, May 30 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our service members around the world on the American Forces Network.

The evening, that has become an American tradition, offers viewers a time to remember, to heal and bring our country together. The 2010 event will focus on three themes:

-- The concert will honor the sacrifices, suffering and love of a new generation of young military widows whose fallen spouses served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

-- On the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, the broadcast pays tribute to the heroic service of the soldiers who fought and perished in this "forgotten war."

-- The concert will also pay homage to the more than 125,000 WWI and WWII service members who did not come home but rest in 24 military cemeteries in the foreign lands where they fought for liberty.

Joining co-hosts Sinise and Mantegna will be an all-star line-up that includes: distinguished American leader Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.); Oscar, Golden Globe and multiple Grammy award-winning music legend and humanitarian Lionel Richie whose distinguished career includes over 100 million records sold; Grammy, CMA and ACM Award-winning country music artist Brad Paisley; Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress Blythe Danner; acclaimed actors Dennis Haysbert and A.J. Cook; classical crossover artist Katherine Jenkins; three time Tony-nominated Broadway star Kelli O'Hara; and Grammy-winning gospel/adult contemporary superstar Yolanda Adams in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.

 

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski