The Best Episodes of Great Performances Season 48

#1 Fan Favorite
7.5/10(18 votes)
#1 - Romeo and Juliet
S48:E19/11/2020
Experience a ballet of Shakespeare’s classic from choreographer Kenneth MacMillan performed by dancers from The Royal Ballet set to a score by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev filmed on atmospheric locations throughout Budapest.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.9/10(16 votes)
#2 - Now Hear This “Haydn: King of Strings”
S48:E29/18/2020
Explore the work of famed composer Joseph Haydn’s career with host Scott Yoo and featured guest artists as he discovers how Haydn borrowed folk music from Scotland, Hungary and Austria to create his famous “Emperor Quartet.”
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.8/10(20 votes)
#3 - Now Hear This “The Schubert Generation”
S48:E39/25/2020
Celebrate the work of Franz Schubert with host Scott Yoo as he plays with young musicians establishing themselves in North America's musical capitals by attempting to master the composer’s music.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.0/10(15 votes)
#4 - Now Hear This “Becoming Mozart”
S48:E410/2/2020
Join Scott Yoo, renowned violinist and conductor of the Mexico City Philharmonic, in Now Hear This Series 2, a four-part documentary miniseries presented by Great Performances that merges music, storytelling, travel and culture, as Yoo chases the secret histories of some of the greatest music ever written.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(11 votes)
#5 - GRAMMY Salute to Music Legends® 2020
S48:E510/16/2020
In collaboration with the Recording Academy®, Great Performances presents GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®, the fifth annual all-star concert offering a primetime spotlight for the Recording Academy’s 2020 Special Merit Awards recipients. The 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Chicago, Roberta Flack, Isaac Hayes, Iggy Pop, John Prine, Public Enemy, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Director:David Horn
Writer:David Wild
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Director:David Horn
Writer:David Wild
6.9/10(28 votes)
#6 - One Man, Two Guvnors
S48:E611/6/2020
Featuring a Tony Award-winning performance by CBS Late Late Show host James Corden, the hilarious West End and Broadway hit One Man, Two Guvnors by playwright Richard Bean delighted critics and audiences alike during its West End and Broadway productions in 2011 and 2012.
Director:Nicholas Hytner
Writer:Richard Bean
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Director:Nicholas Hytner
Writer:Richard Bean

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8.5/10(28 votes)
#7 - Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles
S48:E711/13/2020
Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles is the first in-depth documentary that chronicles the story of the international Broadway blockbuster "Fiddler on the Roof" – exploring the unexpected richness of its themes as well as its vast reach across time and cultures.
Director:Max Lewkowicz
Writers:Valerie Thomas, Max Lewkowicz
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Director:Max Lewkowicz
Writers:Valerie Thomas, Max Lewkowicz
7.6/10(21 votes)
#8 - Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn
S48:E811/24/2020
Roundabout Theatre Company’s festive production of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn – The Broadway Musical returns to GREAT PERFORMANCES for a special seasonal encore. Inspired by the 1942 Academy Award-winning film starring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, Holiday Inn tells the story of Jim, a song & dance man who decides to leave Broadway’s bright lights to settle down at a Connecticut farmhouse. But country life isn’t quite what he expects until he meets Linda, the schoolteacher next door with talent to spare. Together, they turn his farmhouse into a seasonal inn with show-stopping performances to celebrate each holiday. But when Jim’s best friend Ted tries to lure Linda away to be his new Hollywood dance partner, will Jim be able to salvage another chance at love? Starring Bryce Pinkham, Lora Lee Gayer and Corbin Bleu, the score’s back-to-back Irving Berlin hits include “Cheek to Cheek,” “Easter Parade,” “White Christmas” and many more.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.2/10(14 votes)
#9 - Lea Salonga in Concert
S48:E911/27/2020
Captured in peak performance with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga performs the beloved songs she made famous throughout her Broadway career, as well as her signature songs from the animated movie blockbusters “Aladdin” and “Mulan” from the Sydney Opera House.
Director:Todd Decker
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Todd Decker
Writer:Unknown
7.7/10(18 votes)
#10 - From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2021
S48:E101/1/2021
Ring in 2021 with host Hugh Bonneville joined by guest conductor Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic performing a festive selection of Strauss Family waltzes.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
6.6/10(12 votes)
#11 - The Magic of Callas
S48:E111/15/2021
Explore the legacy of superstar Maria Callas in this documentary detailing her 1964 comeback at London’s Royal Opera House in “Tosca,” featuring insights from fans including Rufus Wainwright and opera stars Thomas Hampson and Kristine Opolais.
Director:Holger Preuße
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Holger Preuße
Writer:Unknown
6.6/10(9 votes)
#12 - The Magic of Horowitz
S48:E121/22/2021
Experience legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz’s 1986 Russian homecoming for a sold-out concert of personal favorites, featuring commentary from former manager Peter Gelb and virtuoso pianists Martha Argerich and Daniil Trifonov.
Directors:Philipp Quiring, Holger Preuße
Writer:Unknown
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Directors:Philipp Quiring, Holger Preuße
Writer:Unknown
8.5/10(11 votes)
#13 - Great Performances at the Met: Renée Fleming in Concert
S48:E133/19/2021
Experience the beloved American soprano perform arias by Puccini and Massenet to selections by Handel and Korngold from the intimate music salon of Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.6/10(43 votes)
#14 - Movies for Grownups® Awards 2021 with AARP The Magazine
S48:E143/28/2021
Watch actors and filmmakers as they are honored for creating films that resonate with older viewers in this star-studded awards ceremony. Celebrating movies that matter, the Awards champion movies for grownups, by grownups.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.1/10(20 votes)
#15 - Great Performances at the Met: Jonas Kaufmann in Concert
S48:E154/2/2021
The superstar tenor sings a program of classic arias from the Baroque interior of the historic Polling Abbey located in the Bavarian countryside outside Munich, Germany. Selections from this performance include “Nessun dorma” from “Turandot,” “E lucevan le stelle” from “Tosca,” “Ah! lève-toi, soleil” from “Roméo et Juliette,” “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” and many more.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
6.9/10(12 votes)
#16 - Beethoven in Beijing
S48:E164/16/2021
Experience the international impact of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s historic 1973 trip to China, offering a story of cultural reversals and a glimpse into the worldwide future of classical music.
Directors:Jennifer Lin, Sharon Mullally
Writer:Unknown
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Directors:Jennifer Lin, Sharon Mullally
Writer:Unknown
7.3/10(15 votes)
#17 - Romeo & Juliet
S48:E174/23/2021
This stylized film of Shakespeare’s masterpiece from the National Theatre celebrates the theatrical imagination. In this contemporary retelling, a company of actors in a shuttered theater bring to life the tale of two young lovers who strive to transcend a world of violence and hate. Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley star as Shakespeare’s immortal star-crossed lovers.
Director:Simon Godwin
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Simon Godwin
Writer:Unknown
6.3/10(12 votes)
#18 - Uncle Vanya
S48:E185/7/2021
Tony Award nominee Conor McPherson breathes new life into Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece with his acclaimed adaptation of the drama, portraying life at the turn of the 20th century filled with tumultuous frustration, dark humor and hidden passions.
Director:Ross MacGibbon
Writer:Conor McPherson
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Director:Ross MacGibbon
Writer:Conor McPherson
8.3/10(14 votes)
#19 - Great Performances at the Met: Lise Davidsen in Concert
S48:E195/7/2021
The soprano performs arias and songs that brought her success around the world including selections from Wagner’s “Tannhäuser,” Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos,” Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” and more from Oslo’s Oscarshall Palace in Norway.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.1/10(21 votes)
#20 - The Arts Interrupted
S48:E205/14/2021
Take an inside look at how arts organizations nationwide are surviving the pandemic and how they are maturing during the country’s reckoning with systemic racism, featuring interviews with artists and performances made during lockdown.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
6.6/10(12 votes)
#21 - Great Performances at the Met: Aleksandra Kurzak & Roberto Alagna in Concert
S48:E216/4/2021
Recorded in August, the married tenor and soprano duo perform arias and duets from the Château de la Chèvre d’Or perched on a cliff in the South of France. selections performed include the love duet from “Madama Butterfly,” the hilarious “Caro elisir” from “L’Elisir d’Amore,” and the Mexican favorite “Cielito Lindo.”
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
8.0/10(14 votes)
#22 - Andrea Bocelli: Believe
S48:E226/5/2021
Enjoy the songs of the internationally beloved tenor’s 2020 album recorded on location in Malta. Selections performed include “Gratia Plena,” a duet with Cecilia Bartoli, and new interpretations of “Ave Maria” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(13 votes)
#23 - Mick Fleetwood & Friends
S48:E236/5/2021
Experience an all-star concert honoring the early years of Fleetwood Mac and founding member Peter Green at the London Palladium featuring artists including Pete Townshend, Steven Tyler, David Gilmour, Noel Gallagher, Christine McVie and more.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
0.0/10(0 votes)
#24 - Great Performances at the Met: Anna Netrebko in Concert
S48:E246/18/2021
Recorded in February from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria, the megastar performs Russian songs by Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Tchaikovsky as well as selections by Debussy, Dvořák, Fauré and Strauss. Accompanied by Pavel Nebolsin on piano, the program also features mezzo-soprano Elena Maximova for duets from Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” and Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades.”
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
0.0/10(0 votes)
#25 - Great Performances at the Met: Joyce DiDonato in Concert
S48:E257/2/2021
Experience a new performance by the American mezzo-soprano from the art-nouveau Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum, Germany, featuring Baroque works by Handel as well as songs like “La vie en rose” and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown