This coming May 12, everyone is racing to celebrate somewhere all love begins and ends: our beloved mothers. Secondary PBS member WLIW (Channel 21), is galloping towards that same goal on Mother's Day, even going beyond by honoring the famed women of Broadway.
Specifically, those women who played the role of maternal support to both their children and stage proteges alike, all the while contributing phenomenal and unforgettable performances. Stage icons like Lea Salonga, Patti LuPone, and Rita Moreno.
These same Main Stem stars are also the headlining features of WLIW's upcoming Mother's Day Broadway-themed broadcast marathon.
Shows to Watch on WLIW's Mother's Day Broadway Marathon
Part of WLIW's "Broadway and Beyond" programming this May and June, the show marathon is slated to start at 2 PM EST until 11 PM EST next week on Sunday, May 12. It will be kicking off with Treasures of New York's ALL ARTS Docs film: "Manhattan Theatre Club, A Home."
This documentary is an unprecedented peek inside the acclaimed Manhattan Theatre Club and its monumental 50-year-long history through dialogue with the theatre's mainstays like David Auburn, Christine Baranski, André De Shields, Laura Linney, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Sam Waterston.
By 3 PM, "Great Performances: Lea Salonga in Concert" is next on the marathon list, which features the Tony-winning "Miss Saigon" actress and her peak performance of her Broadway signatures alongside the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
This includes musical numbers from animated classics she has been a part of, including "Aladdin" and "Mulan," the performances of which are captured at the Sydney Opera House.
Next up, at 4:30 PM, is "Great Performances: Keeping Company with Sondheim." This special episode goes behind the scenes of the miraculous Sondheim musical revival's triumphant return after the devastating waves of the COVID pandemic had finally subsided.
LuPone co-stars in this particular episode and shares stories regarding the rehearsals of the ensemble production, even providing interviews and excerpts from it.
Slated for the 7 PM time slot, "American Masters - Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It" explores how the Puerto Rican stage actress and dancer moved way past challenges posed by racism to become one of the rare individuals who are Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winners.
Capping the broadcast marathon at 9 PM is "Great Performances: Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best," which features a review of important Broadway productions and songs starting from 1973 until 2023, hosted by two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater.
The broadcast itself is available on Channel 21 along the Long Island area and through live streaming via the station's website: wliw.org/live or on the PBS app. For more information on the "Broadway and Beyond" programming, click here.
