BBC continues major season of musical celebrations while Sky Arts programmes stage show broadcasts

The BBC will continue to offer an array of musical treats for stage aficionados.

Broadcast for the first time on the BBC in over 60 years, BBC Four will present a concert from Broadway legend Ethel Merman, recorded in London in the mid-1960s. The airing takes place on Sunday 25 May at 8.40pm.

After that, at 9.30pm will be a re-showing of a 1987 Royal Albert Hall gala concert of songs from My Fair Lady, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. Kiri Te Kanawa, Jeremy Irons and Warren Mitchell will star.

The evening of musical celebration will start with two further episodes of Showstopper with Gary Wilmot. Into the later evening will be a double bill of shows celebrating Ira Gershwin – Song By Song and Who Could Ask for Anything More?. 

The latter was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Charles Dance and David Soul in the mid-1990s and featuring Larry Adler, Paul Nicholas, Liz Robertson, Daniel Benzali, Ruthie Henshall and Lorna Luft.

Over on Sky Arts, broadcasts include the West End production of 42nd Street (1pm on Bank Holiday Monday, 26 May) and the ENO staging of HMS Pinafore with Les Dennis (6am on Friday 30 May).