Now the artistic universe of Cirque du Soleil is captured in a two-hour performance special, Cirque du Soleil: Flowers in the Desert, an extraordinary entertainment experience that is part of special programming premiering on PBS.
“I suppose you could use the word ‘addiction,’” says Rod Stewart, explaining his relationship to the classic pop standards of his “Great American Songbook” series. “I’m totally addicted to these songs. They’re just so great to sing—if you fancy yourself even a bit of a singer, these songs are like chocolate.” The two-time Hall of Famer has teamed with Grammy award-winning producer and songwriter David Foster to record Merry Christmas, Baby, the first Christmas album of his five-decade-long career. This album features duets with Mary J. Blige, Michael Bublé, Cee-Lo Green and Ella Fitzgerald.
On November 22, 1981, the Rolling Stones were in the midst of a major tour of America and had arrived in Chicago, where they would spend the next three nights playing the Rosemont Horizon stadium. As luck would have it one of their greatest musical idols, the legendary Muddy Waters, was playing on Chicago’s South Side at a club called The Checkerboard Lounge (owned in part by another Chicago blues legend, Buddy Guy). Band members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood and the Stones’ longtime keyboard player, Ian Stewart, were escorted into the club and seated at the front table of the crowded club. Shortly after, Mick, Keith and Ron were invited onstage by Muddy. Later in the evening, Ian Stewart and blues greats Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Lefty Dizz joined in on this unique occasion. The show was captured on camera and the footage was recently digitally re-mastered.
This brand new, high definition program takes viewers into the heat and heart of the Blenko glassworks to see how the beautiful, all-handmade, glassware is created. Each piece is unique and so are the artisans and members of the Blenko family who continue this proud, 100 year tradition.
