The 30th annual PBS Memorial Day concert is a love song. It is a ballad for all those service men and women who have perished while serving. It is also a sweet tune for those who remain behind. I urge you to watch this event tonight and celebrate those brave souls.
This year, the all-star line-up is hosted by Joe Mantegna and Mary McCormack. If you remember from last year, Joe hosted with Gary Sinise but this year Mary stepped in for the ailing actor and philanthropist. Mary was a co-presenter with Alison Jannings last year. Her most recent accolades are for portraying the matriarch, Peggy Cleary on the ABC comedy “The Kids are Alright.”
Along with those two big name stars, they are joined by many more:
- General Colin Powell,
- Sam Elliott, actor from “A Star is Born” as well as “Tombstone”,
- Alison Krauss, singer and songwriter,
- Gavin DeGraw, platinum selling singer who had the breakout album, “Chariot” back in 2003,
- the incredible Patti LaBelle,
- George Washington himself from “Hamilton”, Christopher Jackson,
- “Station 19” star, Jaina Lee Ortiz,
- Stage and screen actress, Amber Riley
- and of course, the National Symphony Orchestra.
The 30th annual broadcast of the National Memorial Day Concert, which airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET, will tell a tale of Vietnam valor and brotherhood; mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion; and highlight a Gold-Star Widow’s journey.
The concert airs live on PBS from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, May 26, 2019 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. ET before an on-site audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The concert will also be live-streamed on PBS, You Tube, Facebook and www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and available as Video on Demand, May 26 to June 9, 2019.
While I was there, Dennis Haysbert and Joe Mantegna were practicing their story of two friends in Vietnam who served together and reignited their friendship when they met at the Vietnam Memorial years later. They continue that tradition to this day. The two men, Pete Peterson and Brad Kennedy are quoted during their segment as saying,
“We stood together at the watch. That’s what binds us.”
After their rehearsal, Dennis came over to our press tent to talk to us. While waiting to do an TV interview, he shared with us a little trick of the trade. Whenever you are in the sun and you have to go on TV, look up to the skies with your eyes closed. After a few seconds, look straight out and open your eyes. You will no longer squint! And we thought we were only here to interview them about their roles in the concert.
Mary McCormack is once again participating in the concert. It’s great to see her roles increase as her love for military does too. When I asked her about her promotion from Marine child, to a presenter and then a co–host, she said that she is truly honored to be here and that her dad would be so proud.
I don’t want to spoil all of the fun but you should know that the performances are unbelievable. Check it out tonight. And if you fall asleep, you have plenty of time to rewatch it. Don’t skip out. These concerts remind us all of what Memorial Day is really about. It’s also a great kick-off to the summer season.