Purlie Victorious Leslie Odom Jr and cast

Great Performances

Arts and Music Series / 5 Seasons

Great Performances brings the best in the performing arts from across America and around the world to a US television audience. It presents a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.

2h 9m / TV-14

Yellow Face

S52 E16 / 1h 45m / TV-14

Enjoy Tony winner David Henry Hwang’s comedy starring Daniel Dae Kim as an Asian American playwright who protests “yellowface” casting in the musical “Miss Saigon” only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play.

Next to Normal

S52 E15 / 2h 9m / TV-14

Experience this Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical directed by Michael Longhurst from London's Donmar Warehouse. Grammy nominee Caissie Levy stars in the story of a suburban family struggling with the effects of mental illness.

Now Hear This "Barrios: Chopin of the Guitar"

S52 E14 / 54m 24s / TV-G

Explore Agustin Barrios’ journey from rural Paraguay to global recognition as a guitar composer. Despite facing rejection and personal struggles, his innovative compositions and passion for Latin American folk music made him a 20th-century icon.

Now Hear This "Rachmaninoff Reborn"

S52 E13 / 54m 23s / TV-G

Follow Rachmaninoff’s journey from a Russian aristocrat to an American artist after the Bolshevik revolution. Forced to rebuild at 44, he embraced modern technology, toured extensively and reinvented his career while longing for his lost homeland.

Now Hear This "Boccherini: Night Music"

S52 E12 / 53m 54s / TV-G

Join Scott Yoo and musicians on a night tour of Madrid to uncover Boccherini’s deep love for the city and learn how his iconic "Night Music of the Streets of Madrid" was inspired by his time in Spain, blending history and the pulse of the streets.

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The Magic of Nureyev

S52 E10 / 53m 44s / TV-PG

Experience Rudolf Nureyev’s revolutionary 1964 production of "Swan Lake" with ballerina Margot Fonteyn through extensive excerpts and interviews with their fellow dancers Michael Birkmeyer, Gisela Cech and others as they analyze Nureyev’s virtuosity.

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Now Hear This “Chopin’s Polish Heart”

S52 E9 / 53m 54s / TV-G

Follow Scott Yoo and pianist Jan Lisiecki as they explore Chopin’s life, his Polish roots, and his journey to Paris taking a closer look at the composer's musical evolution and his deep connection to his homeland while living in France.

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Andrea Bocelli 30th – The Celebration

S52 E7 / 1h 23m / TV-G

Experience the world-renowned Italian tenor’s 30th anniversary concert from Tuscany featuring global superstars Ed Sheeran, David Foster, Katharine McPhee, Sofia Carson, Brian May, Jon Batiste and more. Directed by Grammy nominee and Emmy winner Sam Wrench.

Movies for Grownups® Awards 2025 with AARP The Magazine

S52 E6 / 1h 53m / TV-14

Iconic and beloved screen and stage performer Alan Cumming returns as host for this awards show in which Glenn Close receives the Career Achievement Award.

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Henry Mancini 100 at the Hollywood Bowl

S52 E4 / 1h 15m / TV-G

Celebrate the centennial birthday of composer Henry Mancini with Michael Bublé, Cynthia Erivo, saxophonist Dave Koz, Monica Mancini and host Jeff Goldblum featuring Mancini’s signature songs and clips from his beloved movies and TV shows.

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Patsy Cline: Walkin' After Midnight

S52 E3 / 1h 23m / TV-PG

Experience the music of the legendary Patsy Cline in a star-studded tribute concert from Nashville's Ryman Auditorium featuring Wynonna, Beverly D'Angelo, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Kristin Chenoweth, Rita Wilson, Ashley McBryde and many more.

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Land of Gold

S52 E2 / 1h 13m

Explore Peter Sellars' San Francisco Opera production of John Adams' "Girls of the Golden West" set during Gold Rush. Go behind the scenes with cast members Julia Bullock, J'Nai Bridges and others as they bring the show to life on stage.

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Émigré: A Musical Drama with the NY Phil

S52 E1 / 1h 44m / TV-PG

Enjoy this semi-staged oratorio with the New York Philharmonic and an international cast telling the story of Jewish refugees in World War II Shanghai set to music by Aaron Zigman with lyrics by Mark Campbell and additional lyrics by Brock Walsh.

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