"Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age" Premieres on PBS Great Performances

For those who love live theatre, this documentary is a must-see treasure-trove of interviews with the best and brightest of this era. It is the culmination of nearly 18 years of work by Director Rick McKay who, due to his untimely passing, was not able to be with us to see its release. However, this lively and engaging tribute to the theatre community was able to be completed by friends and colleagues. It stands as a living memory of him and his commitment to showcasing important stories of living legends.

It premiered nationwide on Saturday, August 14 on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app.

New York metro area premiere Thursday, August 19 at 8 p.m. on THIRTEEN. For online access to the documentary, see: https://www.pbs.org/.../broadway-beyond-the-golden.../...

For a full list of Cast and Crew, see: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2756046/fullcredits/...

SYNOPSIS:

Great Performances – Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age explores the world of Broadway from 1959 through the early 1980s as recounted by a diverse cast of Broadway stars who lived through it, creating a first-hand archive of personal backstage stories and memories. Written, directed and produced by the late filmmaker Rick McKay and hosted by two-time Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff, the new documentary is the long-awaited sequel to McKay’s award-winning 2003 film Broadway: The Golden Age – By the Legends Who Were There. This follow-up to McKay’s acclaimed oral history of Broadway continues the saga into the 60s and 70s, spotlighting beloved classic Broadway shows including “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Pippin,” “A Chorus Line,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Chicago” and “42nd Street.” Particular focus is placed on famed directors and choreographers Gower Champion, Bob Fosse, George Abbott and Michael Bennett with anecdotes from 1959’s “Once Upon A Mattress” through 1983 when “A Chorus Line” became the longest-running show in Broadway history. Featuring a galaxy of stars including Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Glenn Close, André De Shields, Jane Fonda, Robert Goulet, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Dick Van Dyke, Ben Vereenand many more, the film also includes rare archival photos and never-before-seen footage both onstage and off.