Press Contact: Teri L. Sullivan
WKNO Promotions Manager
(901) 729-8735
tlsullivan@wkno.org

October 10, 2011
For Immediate Release

PBS ARTS FROM MINNESOTA:
THE GUTHRIE THEATER PRESENTS H.M.S. PINAFORE

Premieres Sunday, October 16 on WKNO/Channel 10; Kicks Off First PBS Arts Fall Festival

This fall, PBS Arts from Minnesota: The Guthrie Theater Presents H.M.S. Pinafore puts WKNO-TV viewers aboard one of the most crowd-pleasing comic musicals of all time. The filmed performance of this Gilbert and Sullivan classic — a Guthrie Theater production presented by PBS Arts from Minnesota – premieres Sunday, October 16 at 4:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 (it also airs Friday, October 14 at 8:00 p.m. on WKNO2). 

The premiere opens the first PBS Arts Festival, a multi-platform event anchored by nine weekly broadcasts that highlight artists and performances from nine communities across the country, with celebrity hosts from each locale. As part of its commitment to increase every American’s access to — and participation in — the arts, the Festival, which continues into December, also includes a range of related online content. 

Gilbert and Sullivan’s first blockbuster is among the most crowd-pleasing comic musicals in history, loved for its dynamite songs, gleefully entertaining story and saucy satire. The captain’s daughter is in love with an ordinary sailor, but her father has a more sophisticated suitor in mind. Will she and her beloved defy convention and set sail for love? Filled with Sullivan’s memorable melodies — infused with fresh musical arrangements ranging from big band swing to classic pop — H.M.S. Pinarore is pure joy and sensational entertainment for everyone, young or old.

The performance was filmed at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in August 2011 and is hosted by Rainn Wilson, a veteran of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and best known for his starring role on “The Office”. Directed for the stage by Joe Dowling and for broadcast by Michael Beyer, the show’s cast includes (in alphabetical order) Lauren Asheim, Christina Baldwin, Robert O. Berdahl, Joseph Bigelow, Nathan Bird, Nathaniel Braga, Barbara Bryne, Seri Johnson, Aleks Knezevich, Timotha Lanae, Adam Lendermon, Heather Lindell, Molly Sue McDonald, Nicholas McGough, Robb McKindles, Tinia Moulder, Alfie Parker, Jr., Adrian Pena, Simone Perrin, Kersten Rodau, Laura Rudolph, Adam Sarette, Jason Simon, Brian Skellenger, Brian Sostek, Peter Thomson and J. Tyler Whitmer.

The PBS Arts Fall Festival schedule on WKNO/Channel 10 and WKNO2 is below. WKNO2 is available over the air on Channel 10.2 and on Comcast Digital Cable Channel 910.

• PBS Arts from Minnesota: The Guthrie Theater Presents H.M.S. Pinafore H.M.S. PINAFORE, Sunday, October 16 at 4:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 (and Friday, October 14 at 8:00 p.m. on WKNO2)
• PBS Arts From Seattle: American Masters “Pearl Jam Twenty”, Sunday, October 23 at 4:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 (and Friday, October 21 at 8:00 p.m. on WKNO2)
• PBS Arts From Miami: Great Performances“Miami City Ballet Dances Balanchine and Tharp,” Sunday, October 30 at 4:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 (and Friday, October 28 at 8:00 p.m. on WKNO2)
• PBS Arts From the Blue Ridge Mountains: Give Me the Banjo, Sunday, November 6 at 4:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 (and Friday, November 4 at 8:00 p.m. on WKNO2)
• PBS Arts From Chicago: American Masters “Bill T. Jones: A Good Man”, Sunday, November 13 at 4:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 (and Friday, November 11 at 8:00 p.m. on WKNO2)
• PBS Arts From Cleveland: Women Who Rock, Sunday, November 20 at 4:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 (and Friday, November 18 at 8:00 p.m. on WKNO2)
• PBS Arts From Los Angeles:GREAT PERFORMANCES“Il Postino From LA Opera”, Sunday, November 27 at 4:00 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10 (and Friday, November 25 at 8:00 p.m. on WKNO2)
• PBS Arts From New York: GREAT PERFORMANCES “Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park”, Sunday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m.
• PBS Arts From San Francisco: GREAT PERFORMANCES “The Little Mermaid From San Francisco Ballet”, December

ABOUT PBS ARTS
As part of its commitment to increase every American’s access to — and participation in — the arts, PBS kicks off the multi-platform PBS Arts Fall Festival in October.  Anchored by broadcasts each week into December and a range of related online content, theFall Festival features artists and performances from nine communities across the country with celebrity hosts from each locale. Comprising full-length performances, behind-the-scenes interviews, and artist and performer profiles, the PBS Arts Fall Festival is complemented by locally produced mini-documentaries that highlight related topics and cultural aspects of the country’s top arts cities.  

ABOUT THE GUTHRIE THEATER
The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joe Dowling, Director) was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 and is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. With annual attendance of nearly 500,000 people, the Guthrie Theater presents a mix of classic plays and contemporary work on its three stages. Under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie continues to set a national standard for excellence in theatrical production and performance. In 2006, the Guthrie opened its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Guthrie Theater houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public lobbies. www.guthrietheater.org

ABOUT WKNO
WKNO is a non-profit, private foundation serving the Mid-South for more than 50 years. An important community resource, WKNO uses the power of non-commercial public broadcasting to provide the Mid-South with quality educational and cultural programs that inform, entertain, and inspire. For more information: wkno.org

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