PBS SoCal's Arts Fall Festival kicks off Oct. 14

PBS SoCal will premiere the new nine-part PBS Arts Fall Festival beginning Friday, Oct. 14, 2011 at 9 p.m. with Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic nautical romp “H.M.S. Pinafore,” a production of Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater and Twin Cities Public Television.



The PBS Arts Fall Festival, which originates from cities around the country, will be introduced by well-known hosts connected to the regions and themes of the programs. The Festival’s exciting line-up of performances will be broadcast every Friday night at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal into mid-December.



“Every community across this country possesses its own mosaic of artistic expression, and only PBS stations bring the rich diversity of these stories to the national stage,” said Paula Kerger, PBS President and CEO. “PBS invites everyone — regardless of geographic or economic situation — to take a front-row seat and enjoy a backstage pass to the world of music, theater, dance, art and cultural history.”



The complete PBS Arts Fall Festival schedule, airing Friday evenings at 9 p.m., is as follows:



· Oct. 14 – Minnesota: The Guthrie Theater Presents “H.M.S. Pinefore,” hosted by Rainn Wilson

· Oct. 21 – Seattle: AMERICAN MASTERS “Pearl Jam Twenty,” hosted by Taylor Hackford

· Oct. 28 – Miami: GREAT PERFORMANCES “Miami City Ballet Dances Balanchine and Tharp,” hosted by Andy Garcia

· Nov. 4 – Blue Ridge Mountains: “Give Me The Banjo,” hosted by Steve Martin

· Nov. 11 – Chicago: AMERICAN MASTERS “Bill T. Jones: A Good Man,” hosted by Anna Deavere Smith

· Nov. 18 – Cleveland: “Women Who Rock,” hosted by Cindi Lauper

· Nov. 25 – Los Angeles: GREAT PERFORMANCES “Il Postino From LA Opera” with Plácido Domingo, hosted by Linda Ronstadt

· Dec. 2 – New York: GREAT PERFORMANCES “Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park,” hosted by Paula Zahn

· Dec. 9 – San Francisco: GREAT PERFORMANCES “The Little Mermaid From San Francisco Ballet,” hosted by Kristi Yamaguchi



The PBS Arts Fall Festival episode from Los Angeles – GREAT PERFORMANCES “Il Postino From LA Opera” with Plácido Domingo – will be broadcast Friday, Nov. 25, at 9 p.m. Viewers will be able to bask in the beautiful voice of world-renowned tenor Plácido Domingo with the LA Opera in this romantic new opera, by composer Daniel Catán, based on the Oscar-winning Italian film. GREAT PERFORMANCES is a production of Thirteen for WNET New York Public Media. The evening’s presentation is in cooperation with PBS SoCal.



Music legend Linda Ronstadt hosts the broadcast from Los Angeles. Ronstadt is one of the most honored female musicians in history, with 10 Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award and numerous gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, among many others. She also received the ALMA award (created by the National Council of La Raza to honor Latino artists who promote a positive image of their community), presented to her by Domingo, making this a felicitous pairing of host and star.



“With these arts presentations, the PBS SoCal audience can sit back, relax and enjoy performances by renowned artists in first-rate presentations — all from the comfort of home,” says Mel Rogers, PBS SoCal president and CEO. “We’re especially proud to be involved in the broadcast originating from Los Angeles, and we can’t wait for our viewers to share the experience.”