Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Locals make Circus Dreams come true

Mark your calendars and set your TiVos because Rhode Island PBS will show the fun and inspiring family film Circus Dreams on April 4 at 10 P.M. Winner of audience awards at film festivals from coast to coast- including Best Feature Film at the 2012 Providence Children’s Film Festival in February - Circus Dreams follows the adventures of a troupe of teens and 'tweens who astonish and delight audiences around New England on a Big Top Tour. The vibrant production captures the energy, perseverance, teamwork, and deep friendships at Circus Smirkus, the acclaimed Vermont-based youth circus, as the cast readies a brand-new show and takes it on the road for 70 performances in 14 towns over seven weeks. From the grueling training and rigorous rehearsals to the emotional final show of the season, Circus Dreams documents a magical summer for a group of extraordinary young people.

Featured players in Circus Dreams include best friends and clown partners Joy Powers and Maddy Hall who battle self-doubt and tradition as they aim to prove that “girls can be funny, too,” a mission that eventually sends one to the pinnacle of circus success. Juggler Jacob Tischler overcomes the isolation he’s experienced at home to find a place among kindred spirits. The magnetic supporting cast includes death-defying aerialists, two brothers on a quest to become the best diabolo jugglers in the world and Barrington, Rhode Island, native Spencer Novich, who delivers one of the funniest lines about life on Clown Alley. Novich went on to earn a degree in physical theater from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and today lives in Las Vegas, where he stars as the lead clown in Cirque du Soleil’s production, KA.

See encore performances of Circus Dreams on April 6 at 2:30 a.m., April 28 at 2:30 a.m. on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (digital 36.1, Cox 08/1008HD, Verizon 08/508HD, Full Channel 08, Comcast 819HD, DirecTV36, and Dish 7776.

WSBE Learn will feature Circus Dreams will air on April 10, April 11, April 12 at 2 AM. on WSBE Learn (digital 36.2, Cox 808, Verizon 478, Full Channel 109, Comcast 294 / 312).

~*~*~*~*~

For the live experience, Circus Smirkus returns to Rhode Island this summer on its 25th anniversary tour. Circus Smirkus will perform at the Washington County Fairgrounds July 15-16, with four shows presented by and benefitting the Meadowbrook Waldorf School in West Kingston. For more information, visit www.smirkus.org.



Monday, March 26, 2012

PBS Newshour to cover the Supreme Court hearings on "Affordable Care Act"


PBS NEWSHOUR is set to cover three days of Supreme Court hearings on health care reform law with extensive package of online and on-air reporting and analysis. PBS NEWSHOUR is shown on WSBE Learn weeknights at 7 P.M. (digital 36.2, Cox 808, Verizon 478, Full Channel 109, Comcast 294 or 312).

Starting Monday, March 26, the Supreme Court will begin three days of hearings on the "Affordable Care Act," and the PBS NEWSHOUR’s health, politics and legal reporting teams will cover every aspect of the landmark case.

Throughout the week’s hearings, the National Law Journal’s Marcia Coyle and Health Affairs editor Susan Dentzer will appear on the NEWSHOUR each night to provide informed analysis of each day’s hearing. Dentzer and Coyle provided a detailed preview of the hearing on Thursday’s NEWSHOUR broadcast.

Along with the nightly look at the hearing, the PBS NEWSHOUR will have a daily primer on the case available on the NEWSHOUR website each morning, including Q and A’s with Coyle.

Coverage of the hearing will also be rounded up daily in the NEWSHOUR's political newsletter, the Morning Line. Subscribe here.

Additional elements of the PBS NEWSHOUR’s coverage of the three-day SCOTUS health care law hearings are listed below:

MONDAY
· PBS NEWSHOUR Health Correspondent Betty Ann Bowser will examine the election season political efforts by both sides of the health care debate leading up to the hearing.
· Photos and quotes from demonstrators who protested against the health care reform law on Capitol Hill on the PBS NEWSHOUR website

TUESDAY
· Legal experts debate the constitutionality of the health care reform law on the evening broadcast of the NEWSHOUR.
· The NEWSHOUR’s political unit looks at what the candidates are saying about the health care law on the campaign trail; and how the issue has been a politically difficult one for Mitt Romney.
· Online updates from PBS NEWSHOUR Health Correspondent Betty Ann Bowser on the scene outside the court.
· Online photos and interviews with some of the protestors who demonstrated in favor of the health care reform law on Capitol Hill.
· A Twitter chat on health care reform law with Neera Tanden from Center for American Progress, Joseph Antos from the American Enterprise Institute and Mary Agnes Carey from Kaiser Health News—the hashtag is #HCRchat.
· Online analysis from Susan Dentzer of what could happen to the rest of the health care reform provisions if the individual mandate is struck down.

WEDNESDAY
· Political debate on the NEWSHOUR of the arguments in the case, participants TBD.


Please note that this schedule is tentative, and could be subject to change. Transcripts and video excerpts from each day’s coverage may become available before the evening broadcast of the PBS NEWSHOUR.

Friday, March 23, 2012

It's all about the money on A Lively Experiment tonight (March 23)



Panel
Dyana Koelsch – moderator
Rob Horowitz  – columnist, GoLocalProv.com  
Dave Layman – corporate communications consultant
Maureen Moakley – political science professor, University of Rhode Island
John Robitaille   2010 Republican candidate for governor

Topics:
  • The governor's legislation for municipal relief
  • ACLU lawsuit against Central Falls receiver Robert Flanders
  • New URI Coach Dan Hurley's salary


A Lively Experiment airs on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1) Fridays at 8:30 P.M., with rebroadcasts on Saturdays at 7 P.M. on WSBE Learn (36.2), and Sundays at noon on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1).
WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; in Massachusetts: Comcast 819HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36, Dish Network 7776.

WSBE Learntransmits over the air on digital 36.2; on Cox 808; Verizon 478; Full Channel 109; and Comcast 294 or 312.

Can't get to the TV? Watch the episode online anytime and anywhere on our YouTube channel. Episodes of A Lively Experiment are generally available to watch on the next business day. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and YouTube will notify you when a new episode is uploaded.

On Facebook? So are we! "Like" A Lively Experiment on Facebook


Friday, March 16, 2012

Sports: Both Athletic and Political on A Lively Experiment (week of March 15)

A Lively Experiment will not be seen at its regular time this Friday night. Tune in on Sunday at noon for this panel:

Panel
Dyana Koelsch – moderator
Dave Layman – corporate communications consultant
Scott MacKay – political analyst, Rhode Island Public Radio
Donna Perry – columnist, GoLocalProv.com
Wendy Schiller - political science professor, Brown University

Topics:
  • The Institute for International Sport scandal 
  • Governor Chafee’s municipal aid plan 
  • The First Congressional District race 


A Lively Experiment airs on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1) Fridays at 8:30 P.M., with rebroadcasts on Saturdays at 7 P.M. on WSBE Learn (36.2), and Sundays at noon on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1).
WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; in Massachusetts: Comcast 819HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36, Dish Network 7776.

WSBE Learntransmits over the air on digital 36.2; on Cox 808; Verizon 478; Full Channel 109; and Comcast 294 or 312.

Can't get to the TV? Watch the episode online anytime and anywhere on our YouTube channel. Episodes of A Lively Experiment are generally available to watch on the next business day. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and YouTube will notify you when a new episode is uploaded.

On Facebook? So are we! "Like" A Lively Experiment on Facebook


Thursday, March 15, 2012

Iraq War Veterans "Coming Home" a documentary by The Providence Journal

**UPDATE** 
Veterans and Family Assistance Resources
are listed at the end of this blog

The September 11th attacks on America in 2001 left a shared scar on the American psyche.

Even so, there are Americans, New Englanders, Rhode Islanders, whose scars are not shared by most Americans. Those experiences are only shared among the small group of American soldiers who have served in the "war on terror" in the decade that followed September 11.

In those ten years, 43 New Englanders lost their lives. Thousands of veterans have returned, forever changed. Coming Home is about four of them. WSBE is proud to present Coming Home, a documentary by The Providence Journal, on Monday, March 26 at 8 P.M. on Rhode Island PBS (digital 36.1, Cox 08/1008HD, Verizon 08/508HD, FullChannel 08, Comcast 819HD, DirecTV 36, Dish Network 7776).



Reaching Out
Following the broadcast, WSBE presents a live panel discussion hosted by (pictured left top) The Providence Journal's G. Wayne Miller, with Dr. Jennifer Lambert, acting chief of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic, and coordinator of the Returning Veterans Program at the Providence VA Medical Center; Dr. Thomas O’Toole (center photo), director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Homeless PACT program; and Iraq veteran Sergeant First Class Amy Slater (bottom photo) of the Rhode Island National Guard.

Representatives of the Veterans Administration and the Rhode Island Guard will be in the WSBE studios to staff an off-camera phone bank, answering questions and making referrals to services available to veterans. Viewers – especially veterans and their family members – are invited to call in anytime during the 90-minute program.

Coming Home
In October and November of 2011, The Providence Journal published an extraordinary series titled, "War on Terror: Coming Home." The eight-part series by Journal staff writer G. Wayne Miller chronicled the stories of several soldiers who served and the after-effects of war.

The stories upon which the newspaper series was based were woven into a compelling 50-minute documentary, Coming Home. Produced by Journal photographer John Freidah, Journal video editor Cecilia Préstamo, and Miller, narrated by Journal columnist Bob Kerr, and funded by The Providence Journal, the film also includes archival photos and video taken by the soldiers themselves.

In Coming Home, Army veteran Derek Pelletier and National Guard veterans John DiRaimo, Brian Santos, and Sean Judge share their combat experiences, and their lives back in the civilian world. Fall River resident Pelletier, twice honored with the Bronze Star, continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, as do Johnston native DiRaimo and Narragansett native Judge. Santos, who served with Judge, has followed a different path, becoming a New Jersey state trooper and marrying. Their interwoven stories illustrate the human toll of a war fought by a tiny fraction of Americans serving in an all-volunteer military.

Encore Broadcasts
A replay of the Coming Home and the panel discussion will air Wednesday, March 28 at 12:30 A.M. The phone bank will not be available during this replay, but referral phone numbers will be displayed on the TV screen. The documentary alone will also air on Saturday, March 31 at 7 P.M. as part of the ongoing Rhode Island PBS series, Rhode Island Stories.

Additional replays are scheduled for the Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 26 at 7 P.M. and Sunday, May 27 at 11 P.M.

To view the film anytime, and to read the original series of stories by G. Wayne Miller published in The Providence Journal, visit providencejournal.com/cominghome.

* *   * *   * *   * *   * *   * *   * *   * *   * *   * *   * *   * *  * *
Veteran and Family Assistance
VA Crisis Hotline 
1-800-273-TALK (8255) Press “1

The Providence VA Medical Center’s OEF/OIF/OND Clinic 
401-273-7100, x 6401 or
401-273-7100, x 6137

Rhode Island Army and Air National Guard Family Assistance Center 
401-275-4194 or
877-440-7994 

The Rhode Island Veterans Affairs 
401-254-8495

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Gefilte Fish Chronicles: the annual favorite returns to WSBE

(Re-post of an earlier blog about this annual favorite among WSBE viewers)


With all the wonderful chaos of preparing for a large gathering of extended family, The Gefilte Fish Chronicles honors the rich tradition of Pesach (Passover) with an intimate and candid look at the Dubroff family preparing for Seder.

But don't be misled - no matter what your heritage is, you will find your own family members among these charming and feisty storytellers.

The story began in 1904, when Abe and Minnie Dubroff emigrated from Russia to Brooklyn where they raised seven daughters and a son. For a century, the family has gathered at Passover and celebrated the Seder together, first in Brooklyn, then in Boonton, New Jersey. For the last four decades, Passover has been celebrated in Newburgh, New York.

"Don't Just Stand There… Cook!"
Led by the three surviving sisters, Sophie Patasnik, Peppy Barer, and Rosie Groman, traditional preparations are made for the Seder at Peppy's home in Newburgh. Six weeks before the Seder they shop and chop, taste and season. Using recipes nearly a century old, they begin to put together the gefilte fish, cholent, horse radish, and sponge cake.
"Don't Just Sit There… Eat!"
The Gefilte Fish Chronicles is a funny, touching, and universally familiar story of love, of tradition, and of generational family unity - and it's reality television the way it should be. This is a loving, living photo album.
"I've heard it said many times, and it's the truth:
The family that sits around the table together,
stays together. And we have many tables."

- Peppy Barer

The Gefilte Fish Chronicles returns to WSBE Rhode Island PBS on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at 10 P.M., with rebroadcast on Tuesday, April 3 at 2:30 A.M., on digital 36.1; on Cox 1008HD / 08, Verizon 508HD / 08, Full Channel 08, Comcast 819HD; on DirecTV 36, and Dish Network 7776.

WSBE presents Yanni: Live at El Morro, and Live at PPAC

His concerts are legendary. His live shows have amazed millions on every continent in the world. After an extensive World Tour, Yanni returns to the USA and Canada with an all new show - Yanni as you know him best, performing his instrumental hits from the shows that have become famous around the world. Fans will witness Yanni and his world class musicians as they take the stage to perform his greatest instrumental hits made famous in his shows from The Acropolis in Greece, The Taj Mahal in India, The Forbidden City in China, and The Royal Albert Hall in England.

Yanni brings the world to Providence on Saturday, May 19 for an at 8 P.M. concert at the Providence Performing Arts Center. And you can get the best PPAC seats when you support WSBE Rhode Island PBS. The live show will feature some of the music from Yanni's new album "Truth Of Touch," which is the composer’s first album of original studio music in almost a decade. This is Yanni returning to his roots with a live performance that will deliver old and new fans the very best of Yanni and his music.



On Saturday, March 10 at 7:30 P.M., and in a newly added encore performance on Saturday, March 17 at 5 P.M., WSBE presents Yanni Live at El Morro.

In this television concert, Yanni performs at the 16th-century Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Musical selections included: "Santorini"; "Felitsa"; "Voyage"; "The End of August"; "The Rain Must Fall"; "Nightingale"; "Acroyali"; "Marching Season"; "Standing in Motion"; "Nostalgia"; "The Storm"; "One Man's Dream."

Support local public television and hear the music that touches the world, right at home.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; in Massachusetts: Comcast 819HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36, Dish Network 7776.

WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on Cox 808; Verizon 478; Full Channel 109; and Comcast 294 or 312.

Encore! Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre - Live from New York (then Providence)

Special encore presentation!


WSBE has just added an encore presentation of Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre - Live from New York on Saturday, March 17 at 9:30 P.M., in case you can't get to the TV on Sunday, March 11 at 9 PM. Joe Bonamassa is coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, May 22, and WSBE has phenomenal tickets to his concert. Support WSBE and see Joe Bonamassa up close.

As Joe Bonamassa grows his reputation as one of the world’s greatest guitar players, he is also evolving into a charismatic blues-rock star and singer-songwriter of stylistic depth and emotional resonance. His ability to connect with live concert audiences is transformational.

In Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre - Live from New York, Bonamassa is joined by John Hiatt for "Down Around My Place" and "I Know a Place"; and Bad Company's Paul Rodgers for "Fire and Water" and "Walk in My Shadows." Other songs include "Slow Train," "Cradle Rock," "When the Fire Hits the Sea," "Midnight Blues," "Dust Bowl," "The River," "You Better Watch Yourself," "Steal Your Heart Away," "Bird on a Wire" (we're partial to this title), "Blue and Evil," "Mountain Time" and "Young Man Blues."

Here's a clip from the television concert.




Tune in to watch his performance on Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre - Live from New York on March 17th, and get yourself some of the best seats in PPAC for his live local concert, while you help keep local public television in Rhode Island - it's only WSBE.

Here's the full schedule for the weekend of March 17-18.

Saturday, 3/17
11:30 a.m. Covered Bridges of New England
1:00 p.m. Blood Sugar Solution with Dr. Mark Hyman
2:30 p.m. Rick Steves' Hidden Europe
4:30 p.m. This Old House
5:00 p.m. Yanni: Live At El Morro (TICKETS!)
6:30 p.m. Oscar Hammerstein II - Out Of My Dreams
8:00 p.m. Celtic Thunder - It's Entertainment
9:30 p.m. Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theater - Live In New York (TICKETS!)
11:00 p.m. Over Hawaii

Sunday, 3/18
For the night owls:
12:30 a.m. Rick Steves' Hidden Europe
2:30 a.m. Blood Sugar Solution With Dr. Mark Hyman
Evening into Prime Time:
4:00 p.m. Dr. Wayne Dyer - Wishes Fulfilled
7:00 p.m. Big Band Vocalists
9:00 p.m. Peter, Paul and Mary - 25th Anniversary Concert
11:00 p.m. The Story of the Costume Drama

WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; in Massachusetts: Comcast 819HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36, Dish Network 7776.

WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on Cox 808; Verizon 478; Full Channel 109; and Comcast 294 or 312.

Friday, March 9, 2012

What's up this week on A Lively Experiment (March 11 at noon)

A Lively Experiment will not be seen at its regular time this Friday night. Tune in on Sunday at noon for this panel:

Panel

Dyana Koelsch – moderator
Michael Lewis – Director of the RI Department of Transportation
Mark Murphy – Editor of the Providence Business News
Travis Rowley – columnist, GoLocalProv.com

Topics:
  • Proposal to charge tolls on Interstate 95 to pay for repairs to the state's roads and bridges 
  • Opposition to the governor's proposed 10% meal tax 
  • Bill to raise the income tax rate of the wealthiest Rhode Islanders 




A Lively Experiment airs on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1) Fridays at 8:30 P.M., with rebroadcasts on Saturdays at 7 P.M. on WSBE Learn (36.2), and Sundays at noon on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1).

WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; in Massachusetts: Comcast 819HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36, Dish Network 7776.

WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on Cox 808; Verizon 478; Full Channel 109; and Comcast 294 or 312.

Can't get to the TV? Watch the episode online anytime and anywhere on our YouTube channel. Episodes of A Lively Experiment are generally available to watch on the next business day. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and YouTube will notify you when a new episode is uploaded.

On Facebook? So are we! "Like" A Lively Experiment on Facebook

Friday, March 2, 2012

What's on A Lively Experiment (March 2, 2012 at 8:30 P.M.)



Panel

Dyana Koelsch – moderator
Dave Layman – corporate communications consultant; former TV news  director / anchor
Maureen Moakley – political science professor, URI
Rob Horowitz – columnist, GoLocalProv.com
Mark Zaccaria – chairman, Rhode Island Republican Party

Topics:
  • T.F. Green Airport gets clearance for runway extension 
  • WPRI poll results 
  • Rhode Island GOP’s “Strike Force” initiative

A Lively Experiment airs on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1) Fridays at 8:30 P.M., with rebroadcasts on Saturdays at 7 P.M. on WSBE Learn (36.2), and Sundays at noon on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (36.1).

WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; in Massachusetts: Comcast 819HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36, Dish Network 7776.

WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on Cox 808; Verizon 478; Full Channel 109; and Comcast 294 or 312.

Can't get to the TV? Watch the episode online anytime and anywhere on our YouTube channel. Episodes of A Lively Experiment are generally available to watch on the next business day. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and YouTube will notify you when a new episode is uploaded.

On Facebook? So are we! "Like" A Lively Experiment on Facebook