Partnership with American History Unbound Set to Unfold at Carnegie Hall and New World Center

“The Great War & The Great Gatsby” Brings World War I to Life Through Music and Imagery

“The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day” Recounts Harrowing Final Year of World War II

MIAMI, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, today announced a new partnership with non-profit American History Unbound that will present the educational organization’s dramatic multi-media storytelling of World War I and World War II to audiences in New York and Miami in April and May 2025. A unique combination of narration and imagery from renowned historian John Monsky, and music from Broadway stars and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, brings to life in new ways two of the most consequential moments of the 20^th century.

Monsky’s production focusing on World War I, “The Great War & The Great Gatsby,” is set for April 21 and April 22 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. His production focusing on World War II, “The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day,” is set for May 10 at the New World Center in Miami Beach. The New York shows coincide with the 100^th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, and the Miami show comes two days after the 80^th anniversary of the Allied victory over Germany in 1945.

The production of “The Great War & The Great Gatsby,” which debuted at Carnegie Hall in November 2023, will be directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer (“Spring Awakening“) with music arranged and conducted by Ian Weinberger (“Hamilton“). It will be filmed as a documentary set to air nationwide later this year around Veterans Day. The production of “The Eyes of the World,” currently streaming on PBS.org, was filmed at Boston’s Symphony Hall last year.

“The bravery and sacrifice of American service men and women during the World Wars reflect a heroic commitment to our nation’s values,” said Ken Griffin. “I’m proud to support the stories of American History Unbound so that current and future generations can appreciate the sacrifices made to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.”

“Through his generous philanthropy over many decades, Ken Griffin has worked to preserve and present our collective history through profound acts, including his 2022 acquisition of a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution,” said John Monsky, founder of American History Unbound. “We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Ken and Griffin Catalyst for helping us to reimagine ‘The Great War & The Great Gatsby’ and ‘The Eyes of the World’ and present America at its best to audiences in New York, Miami, and beyond.”

American History Unbound’s “The Great War & The Great Gatsby” focuses on solider-composer James Reese Europe and his Harlem Hellfighters; Lt. Quentin Roosevelt, the aviator son of Theodore Roosevelt; Vera Brittain, a British nurse on the front lines; and Charles Whittlesey, an unassuming lawyer-turned-warrior who led a melting pot of New York soldiers under fire in one of America’s bloodiest battles.

In “The Eyes of The World: From D-Day to VE Day,” the backdrop switches from World War I to World War II and focuses on three journalists – Ernest Hemingway, Lee Miller, and Robert Capa – each an eyewitness to the Allied invasion of Europe, from the Normandy landings to the liberation of Paris and the fall of Berlin, each encountering on their journey people and events altering the tide of world history.

Music plays a pivotal role in each production, with the Broadway vocalists and a full orchestra filling the venues with sounds of the respective eras. In “The Great War & The Great Gatsby,” songs by Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, and others emanate from the stage. In “The Eyes of the World,” classic interpretations of Glenn Miller and Edith Piaf, among many others, provide the stirring soundtrack.

Recent examples of Ken Griffin and Griffin Catalyst’s efforts to strengthen freedom and democracy include providing critical support services to the U.S. military’s elite special operations forces and their families through the largest gift in the history of the Navy SEAL Foundation; supporting veterans’ employment through the largest private donation in the history of the Call of Duty Endowment; sharing the stories and values of the Medal of Honor through a $30 million gift to the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation; and making a rare, original print of the U.S. Constitution available for public viewing so that people from across the country and around the world can reflect on our nation’s founding principles and the radical experiment in representative government the document ushered in.

Ken Griffin and Griffin Catalyst’s partnership with American History Unbound represents the latest support for bold initiatives to strengthen American freedoms, promote civic engagement, and honor America’s past to help inspire the country’s future.

About Griffin Catalyst

Griffin Catalyst is the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, encompassing his philanthropic and community impact efforts. Tackling the world’s greatest challenges in innovative, action-oriented, and evidence-driven ways, Griffin Catalyst is dedicated to expanding opportunity and improving lives across six areas of focus: Education, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, Freedom & Democracy, Enterprise & Innovation, and Communities. For more information, visit griffincatalyst.org.

About American History Unbound

The American History Unbound series combines live music, performed by leading orchestras and celebrated Broadway actors, lecture, photographs and film from the National Archives, historic American flags, and material culture to explore watershed moments in American history.

These symphonic and visual journeys through history are commissioned by the Carnegie Hall Presents series. Created and narrated by historian John Monsky, programs to date have explored the Vietnam War, the race to the moon, D-Day, and World War I.

These works have been presented at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center Opera House, New York Historical Society, Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida, Yale University, New York University’s Skirball Center and the New York Stock Exchange.

In December 2024, The Eyes of the World: From Day to VE Day was performed in the East Room of The White House for the President, top administration officials and veterans.

American History Unbound Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization.

www.americanhistoryunbound.com

Media Contact

[email protected]

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