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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE

AMERICAN HISTORY UNBOUND’S
ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION
“T H E   E Y E S   O F   T H E   W O R L D:
  F R O M   D – D A Y   T O   V E   D A Y ”
SET FOR WHITE HOUSE PERFORMANCE,
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6
THE EVE OF PEARL HARBOR DAY

Washington, D.C. – On Friday, December 6, The White House will host a special live performance of American History Unbound’s The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day. Created and narrated by renowned historian John Monsky, The Eyes of the World tells the dramatic story of the final eleven months of World War II in Europe, through stirring music, iconic, rare, and recently discovered archival photos, film, and personal accounts from witnesses and soldiers. This symphonic journey, presented on the eve of the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, honors the immense sacrifices of all American veterans and their families.

The words and images of Ernest Hemingway, Life magazine daredevil war photographer Robert Capa, Vogue model-turned-photojournalist Lee Miller, a young soldier who landed on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944, the 761st Tank Battalion and the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion immerse us in the triumph and heartbreak on the road to victory. Along the way, their stories intersect and they cross paths with Pablo Picasso, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Marlene Dietrich, and more.

The performance features leading Broadway vocalists Shereen Ahmed (My Fair Lady), Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls), Nicholas Rodriguez (Company), and Daniel Yearwood (Hamilton). They are accompanied by Ian Weinberger (music director, Hamilton), capturing the essence of the times with compositions by Glenn Miller, Frank Loesser, Edith Piaf, Jerome Kern, Jeffrey Klitz and Robert Cary, John Kander and Fred Ebb and Michael Kamen. “Freedom’s Road,” with music by Emerson Harper and lyrics by Langston Hughes, serves as a reminder of the Double V Campaign — the fight against fascism abroad and racism at home.

Historian and narrator John Monsky is renowned for his acclaimed productions on turning points in American history. His meticulously researched narratives draw inspiration from his nationally recognized collection of American flags. The evenings program begins with the story of one flag, on one landing craft, that landed on Utah Beach on D-Day.

The Eyes of the World’s May 2024 performance at Boston’s Symphony Hall, with the legendary Boston Pops Orchestra (conducted by Keith Lockhart), commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day, is currently streaming on PBS.org. It was previously presented at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage and the John F. Kennedy Center Opera House.

A B O U T J O H N M O N S K Y
John is the creator, writer, and narrator of the American History Unbound series. He lectures at The New York Historical, where he serves as co-vice chair, and for the Carnegie Hall Presents series. Programs to date include: The Vietnam War: At Home and Abroad, We Chose to Go to the Moon, The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day, and November 1918: The Great War & The Great Gatsby. He has appeared on CNN, CBS, and NBC, and has contributed to The New York Times Opinion Section, providing historical perspective on current events. John graduated from Yale College as a history major, where he was awarded the White Prize in History and the Deforest Oratory Prize. After attending Harvard Law School, he served as an attorney for the U.S. Senate Congressional Committee investigating the Iran-Contra affair. He is also a board member of Rockefeller University.

A B O U T A M E R I C A N H I S T O R Y U N B O U N D I N C.
The American History Unbound series combines live music, performed by leading orchestras and celebrated Broadway actors, lecture, photographs and film from the National Archives, historic American flags, and material culture to explore watershed moments in American history.

These symphonic and visual journeys through history are commissioned by the Carnegie Hall Presents series. Created and narrated by historian John Monsky, programs to date have explored the Vietnam War, the race to the moon, D-Day, and World War I.

These works have been presented at Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center Opera House, the New-York Historical Society, Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida, Yale University, New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts and the New York Stock Exchange.

P R O D U C T I O N   C R E D I T S
Peter Flynn is director of this performance.  Ian Weinberger is Music Director, arranger and piano.  John Monsky and Meredith Wagner are executive producers.  Producers are Alex Diaz, Eric Duran and Gene Graham.  Reece dos Santos is associate producer.

American History Unbound Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization.

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