PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN CONGRATULATES “THE EYES OF THE WORLD: FROM D-DAY TO VE DAY” AS “THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING I’VE EVER SEEN” AT THE WHITE HOUSE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
AMERICAN HISTORY UNBOUND’S
“THE EYES OF THE WORLD:
FROM D-DAY TO VE DAY”
PERFORMED AT THE WHITE HOUSE,
COMMEMORATING THE 83RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR
AND HONORING AMERICA’S VETERANS
FOR PHOTOS SEE HERE
Washington, D.C. – American History Unbound’s acclaimed production, The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day was met with more praise in the East Room of the White House following a performance honoring the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In remarks following the performance, President Joe Biden congratulated the cast and commented that he has been attending events in the East Room since his election to the Senate at age 29, saying: “I have been to many, many events here in this room. This is the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.”
The Eyes of the World was created, written, and narrated by historian John Monsky.
The performance was attended by veterans and their family members, along with distinguished guests including Tanya Bradsher, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy; and Frank Kendall III, Secretary of the Air Force, White House officials as well as descendants of the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, the 761st Tank Battalion and Ernest Hemingway’s great-grandson, Patrick Hemingway Adams, among others.
The production also commemorates the 80th Anniversary of The Battle of the Bulge on December 16, 2024.
Joining the show’s creator, renowned historian John Monsky, were host Katie Couric, Broadway stars Shereen Ahmed (My Fair Lady), Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls), Nicholas Rodriguez (Company), Daniel Yearwood (Hamilton) and musical director Ian Weinberger (Hamilton).
A selection of performance is available for streaming on the White House YouTube page:
https://tinyurl.com/2wckwws
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 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 production captures the essence of the times with compositions by Glenn Miller, Frank Loesser, Edith Piaf, Jerome Kern, John Williams, 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. John lives in New York City with his wife, Jennifer Weis. They have four children—Harrison, Annabel, Gillian, and Caitlin—and a dog, Flyer.
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.
Peter Flynn is director of this performance, Ian Weinberger is music director, arranger and pianist. John Monsky and Meredith Wagner are executive producers. Producers are Alexander R. Diaz, Eric Duran and Gene Graham. Reece dos Santos is associate producer. Josephine Hurshell-Hobson is assistant producer.
American History Unbound Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization.
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