Ken Burns News

 MasterClass, the online education company that enables anyone to learn from the best in the world, announced today that Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair will offer her first ever online class exclusively through its platform. In her new class on independent filmmaking, Nair will share her methods for directing powerful performances, maximizing budgets, and bringing authentic stories to life. Nair's class is now available at www.masterclass.com/mn. Enrollment for the class is $90 for lifetime access, or $180 per year for the All-Access Pass, which grants unlimited access to all new and existing classes.

The New-York Historical Society held their annual History Makers Gala on November 6 at 583 Park in New York. This year's honorees included New-York Historical Trustee Dr. H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang, who received the New-York Historical Society Medal of Merit for Public Engagement; Harry Potter editor Arthur A. Levine, who received the New-York Historical Society Distinguished Service Award; and world-renowned entertainer and celebrated Harry Potter audiobook voice actor Jim Dale, who received the 2018 History Makers Award in recognition of the exhibition Harry Potter: A History of Magic, now on view at New-York Historical.

Chicago actor Christine Bunuan stars as Gigi in the national tour of MISS SAIGON, which plays at Broadway in Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre November 14 through December 8. Bunuan recently spoke to BroadwayWorld Chicago about bringing this epic love story on the road.

Ethereal Crack comes back to the haunted house scene after a hiatus in 2017 with an explosive new production where history meets comedy - it is bound to be the largest, wildest Halloween party that you've been to in years.

Ethereal Crack comes back to the haunted house scene after a hiatus in 2017 with an explosive new production where history meets comedy - it is bound to be the largest, wildest Halloween party that you've been to in years.

On Today, September 21 at 6 pm, the Napa Valley Museum Yountville will continue its popular "In Conversation" series of speaking events with "Compassionate Action," a discussion of how to turn our individual compassion into positive action for the benefit of others, our world and ourselves. Actor and activist Peter Coyote will join his friend: vintner and humanitarian Dick Grace, for a frank and lively exchange of ideas about channeling frustration into renewed energy, turning anger into empathy, and how to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the scope of the challenges facing us by making small steps individually, or as part of a larger movement, to build the foundation for lasting change.

This fall, cello soloist Maya Beiser and composer/conductor Evan Ziporyn embark on a U.S. tour with Ziporyn's Ambient Orchestra, bringing Bowie Symphonic: Blackstar to the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA (Friday, October 12); the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, VT (Saturday, October 13), Bass Concert Hall presented by Texas Performing Arts in Austin, TX (Thursday, November 1), and Bing Concert Hall presented by Stanford Live in Stanford, CA (Wednesday, November 7). Bowie Symphonic: Blackstar is a startling and soaring new version of David Bowie's entire last album Blackstar for solo cello and orchestra. Arranged for Beiser by Ziporyn, who will also conduct Ambient Orchestra, Bowie Symphonic: Blackstar has been performed to capacity audiences in Boston, Barcelona, and New York City's Central Park SummerStage. For the fall tour, Ambient Orchestra is joined by musicians from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. 

On Friday, September 21 at 6 pm, the Napa Valley Museum Yountville will continue its popular "In Conversation" series of speaking events with "Compassionate Action," a discussion of how to turn our individual compassion into positive action for the benefit of others, our world and ourselves. Actor and activist Peter Coyote will join his friend: vintner and humanitarian Dick Grace, for a frank and lively exchange of ideas about channeling frustration into renewed energy, turning anger into empathy, and how to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the scope of the challenges facing us by making small steps individually, or as part of a larger movement, to build the foundation for lasting change.

Today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, PBS announced KEN BURNS PRESENTS THE GENE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY, a new three-hour documentary executive produced by Ken Burns, will premiere over three nights in Spring 2020 on PBS. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., and acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns will collaborate on the new documentary inspired by Mukherjee's best-selling 2016 book, The Gene: An Intimate History. Award-winning filmmaker Barak Goodman will produce and, in addition to Burns and Goodman, the film will largely have the same production team behind the Emmy Award-nominated CANCER: THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES, an adaption of Mukherjee's earlier 2010 book that aired in 2015 on PBS.

PBS Announces 'Reconstruction: America After the Civil War,' A New Documentary from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., to Air Spring 2019 on PBS

Based on Julie Otsuka's novel The Buddha in the Attic, Certaines n'Avaient Jamais Vu La Mer, in performance in the Avignon Theatre Festival's Cloitre des Carmes, is a look at the lives of Japanese immigrants in America from the turn of the 20th century to FDR's internment camps. Director Richard Brunel's multimedia and elemental staging is supremely inventive, and the performances spark with vitality. Those familiar with the history might find themselves treading familiar territory. However, Certaines n'Avaient Jamais Vu La Mer can serve for some as a theatrically dynamic introduction to one of America's great historic shames.

PBS today announced its fall 2018 schedule lineup, anchored by THE GREAT AMERICAN READ (Tuesdays, September 11- October 23). Exploring the power, passion and joy of reading, the series is hosted by Meredith Vieira and features reflections from everyday Americans as well as notables. Margaret Atwood, Lauren Graham, John Irving, Bill T. Jones, Devon Kennard, Gayle King, Diane Lane, George R.R. Martin and many more reflect on their favorite books. The series will culminate with the results of the first-ever national vote for “America's Best-Loved Novel.” 

PBS SoCal and Clear Sky Films announced that Iconic Vision: John Parkinson, Architect of Los Angeles will premiere on Public Broadcasting in July. The documentary film tells the story of Parkinson's influence on the development of Los Angeles through his design of noted architectural masterpieces including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles Union Station, and Los Angeles City Hall - which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. The film will premiere in Los Angeles on July 5 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal (KOCE), and across the country starting on July 7 (check local listings).

PBS announced today that THE MAYO CLINIC: FAITH - HOPE - SCIENCE, a new two-hour documentary executive-produced by Ken Burns and directed by Burns, Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers will air this fall on Tuesday, September 25 at 9 pm ET with a repeat broadcast on Wednesday, September 26 at 10 pm ET (check local listings).

PBS SoCal KOCE Southern California's home for PBS will receive the Governors Award Emmy at the 70th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards the for the station's five years of extraordinary work on the 'American Graduate: Let's Make it Happen.' The initiative focuses on local programming, community outreach and partnership efforts to help strengthen education in Southern California.

Top student producers, and their teachers and schools were celebrated at the 52nd Annual California Student Media Festival (CSMF) awards Saturday, June 2 at Harmony Gold Preview House in Los Angeles. The festival, a partnership between PBS SoCal and CUE, is the oldest student media festival in the country, and celebrates the innovative and exceptional multimedia projects produced by students from throughout California. More than 200 projects were entered into the festival.

The Barn opens its 72nd season with Frank Wildhorn's musical extravaganza playing one week only -  June 5 - 10!

PBS SoCal announced the winners of its 9th Annual PBS Kids Writers Contest, who will be honored at a special ceremony at the Los Angeles Public Library on June 6. The creative writing competition was open to children in grades K-3, and is designed to promote the advancement of children's literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. More than 774 students from the greater Los Angeles and Orange County area entered original stories that included their own illustrations. Submissions were the largest in the contest's history.

Continuing the momentum created with the current season launch of its Music Knows No Borders series, Executive Director Thor Steingraber unveils the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts' 2018-19 Season, which features four world premieres, two American premieres, several of the world's greatest orchestras, innovative jazz programs, two tributes to Hollywood legends, Broadway classics plus artists from 18 different nations who will appear on stage at The Soraya next season.  New Subscription Series tickets will go on sale May 1, 2018.

Academy Award winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have composed the original theme music for the highly anticipated new SHOWTIME documentary series THE FOURTH ESTATE, directed and produced by Emmy(R)-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus (What Happened, Miss Simone?). This marks the second time the duo have created music for SHOWTIME programming, having appeared in the 18-part limited event series TWIN PEAKS performing the original song 'She's Gone Away,' which is featured on their 2016 album Not the Actual Events.