Great Performances - Season 52

Ring in 2025 with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in this beloved annual concert. PBS favorite Hugh Bonneville hosts the traditional concert for the eighth consecutive year, commemorating the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss. Two-time Grammy winner Riccardo Muti guest-conducts for the seventh time. Showcasing the talents of the orchestra accompanied by on-location dance sequences with the Vienna State Ballet, the program also takes audiences on a tour of The Leopold Museum, the grand Südbahn Hotel, the mountains of the Semmering Hirschenkogel ski resort and more.

Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang's comedy from Roundabout Theatre Company stars Daniel Dae Kim ("Lost," "Hawaii Five-0") as an Asian American playwright who protests yellowface casting in the blockbuster musical "Miss Saigon," only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play. The repercussions resonate in this farce about the complexities of race. Directed by Leigh Silverman ("Violet," "Suffs"), "Yellow Face"is an "is-he-or-isn't-he" comedy of identity, show business and autobiography.

In Russian choreographer Rudolf Nureyev's interpretation of "Swan Lake," the role of the male dancer was redefined. This documentary goes behind the scenes of Nureyev's historic 1964 production highlighted by his partnership with British prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn. Featuring extensive excerpts from the legendary production, the documentary also spotlights newly recorded interviews with dancers Michael Birkmeyer and Gisela Cech who danced alongside Nureyev at the premiere of "Swan Lake."

Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang's comedy from Roundabout Theatre Company stars Daniel Dae Kim ("Lost," "Hawaii Five-0") as an Asian American playwright who protests yellowface casting in the blockbuster musical "Miss Saigon," only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play. The repercussions resonate in this farce about the complexities of race. Directed by Leigh Silverman ("Violet," "Suffs"), "Yellow Face"is an "is-he-or-isn't-he" comedy of identity, show business and autobiography.

In 1934 Duluth, Minnesota, a group of wayward travelers' lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life and hope. Written and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson, this musical features 20 reimagined, legendary Bob Dylan songs, including "Forever Young," "All Along The Watchtower," "Hurricane," and "Like A Rolling Stone."

With a score by Cole Porter, this "Golden Age" Broadway musical comedy features classic songs, including "Another Op'nin'", "Another Show," "So In Love," and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare." Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block makes her West End debut as Lilli Vanessi joined by Adrian Dunbar as Fred Graham in a backstage comedy of star-crossed romance. Tony winner Bartlett Sher directs.  

Led by a guest conductor at Schönbrunn Palace Park, a guest soloist joins the renowned Vienna Philharmonic in this annual concert tradition.

This documentary recounts the story of the African American Missouri native who became the toast of the 1960s international opera scene. Her fairytale rise began in the 1950s era of racism when she was prevented from studying at the St. Louis Institute of Music, despite having won a radio competition at the age of 17. She first achieved international renown with her breakthrough performance in "Tannhäuser" at the 1961 Bayreuth Festival where she received 40 ecstatic curtain calls, leading up to her celebrated performance in the 1966 production of "Carmen" directed by legendary German conductor Herbert von Karajan.

Capturing one of America's greatest modern-day prima ballerinas, this documentary explores Tiler Peck's battle against challenging injuries, fighting her way back as an elite dancer and choreographer with the New York City Ballet. With intimate access, Peck looks back at her past successes and faces her fears for the future, along with her desire to overcome the greatest physical and emotional crisis of her life: a spinal cord injury following a contentious public divorce from another NYCB principal dancer. With her return to the stage, she takes on the creative challenge of her career: a prestigious invitation to choreograph for the New York City Ballet, culminating in performances of her debut work as choreographer set to Poulenc's "Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra." Meeting with mentors, iconic choreographers, and other dance contemporaries, Peck pushes to create a ballet for the company that will make a lasting mark on the dance world.

Continuing GREAT PERFORMANCES' partnership with The Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park, this new production of Shakespeare's audience favorite follows the romantic misadventures of shipwrecked twins, starring Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lupita Nyong'o, Sandra Oh, and Daphne Rubin-Vega. The production is recorded from Central Park's newly renovated Delacorte Theater and is directed by Tony Award nominee Saheem Ali. 

English National Ballet brings Tchaikovsky's beloved holiday favorite to life in a new production featuring over 100 dancers and musicians. Set in Edwardian-era London, the 1892 classic ballet's young heroine Clara sets off on a fantastical Christmas adventure with her enchanted nutcracker doll to a magical realm where anything is possible. The production is choreographed by ENB Artistic Director, Aaron S. Watkin, and Olivier Award winner Arielle Smith. 

The famed orchestra rings in the New Year with its annual concert from Vienna's Musikverein conducted for the first time by Yannick Nézet-Séguin with performances by the Vienna State Ballet and location segments hosted by Hugh Bonneville.