Performance, The Vietnam War at 50

Larry Burrows, *Ammunition Airlift into Besieged Khesanh*, from the series *Larry Burrows: Vietnam, The American Intervention 1962–1968*, 1968, printed 1985. Dye transfer print. Yale University Art Gallery, Purchased with acquisition funds from George A. Class of 1954 and Nancy P. Shutt and the Heinz Family. © Larry Burrows

With the help of a six-piece band and four Broadway performers, John Monsky, B.A. 1981, tells the story of the Vietnam War. Through the prism of soldiers’ cigarette lighters—on which they engraved their dreams, demons, and regrets—Monsky delivers a TED-like talk, the drama of which is heightened with pictures, film, and live music from the 1960s. The Whiffenpoofs also take the stage, stealing a moment from the 1960s that few will be able to forget.

This production comes to the Gallery from the New York Historical Society, and it will be staged next at Carnegie Hall, in New York. The performance will be followed by a reception, where the director, producers, and Broadway performers (who have appeared in such musicals as Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, SpongeBob SquarePants, Cats, and School of Rock) will be available to talk with visitors and discuss the genesis and development of the performance.

This program will be held in the Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Lecture Hall. Seating is limited. The Gallery opens one hour prior to the performance, at 6:00 pm. Free tickets to the performance are handed out in the lobby beginning one hour prior; ticket holders are guaranteed a seat.