Even if you don't know the man Henry Mancini, you definitely know the music—from "The Pink Panther Theme" to "Moon River," the American composer and conductor is behind some of the most instantly recognizable scores in Hollywood history. One of the greatest songmen in all of film (think Breakfast at Tiffanys, Days of Wine and Roses, Victor/Victoria and Charade, among many others), Mancini was the recipient of four Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and a whopping twenty Grammy Awards, plus a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
And tonight, PBS pays tribute to the seminal composer with Henry Mancini 100 at the Hollywood Bowl, a celebration of what would have been Mancini's 100th year. Airing Friday, November 29 at 9pm Eastern Time on PBS, the special concert will kick off the 2024 season of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra—Mancini conducted at the famed California venue 29 times. Overseen by conductor Thomas Wilkins, the concert will feature performances by Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, Grammy-winning crooner Michael Bublé, Grammy-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz as well as Henry Mancini's own daughter, Monica Mancini. Erivo's Wicked co-star Jeff Goldblum will serve as the event's host.
Along with live renditions of Mancini's most famous tunes—accompanied by archival footage and clips from those beloved films and TV shows—the program will also go behind the scenes of the recording of the 100th anniversary album featuring John Williams, Arturo Sandoval, Herbie Hancock, Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil, Stevie Wonder, Lizzo, James Galway and the last televised appearance of the late, great Quincy Jones.
To watch Henry Mancini 100 at the Hollywood Bowl, you will need access to PBS. You can tune into your local PBS station through a traditional pay-TV provider or via a live TV streaming service (i.e. Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV) and specific channels on streaming services, like the PBS channel on Prime Video. PBS.org website and the PBS app are also options and are free for all.
See a sneak peek of Cynthia Erivo performing Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses" above before watching Henry Mancini 100 at the Hollywood Bowl tonight on PBS.
