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"TAKING THE STAGE: AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC AND STORIES THAT CHANGED AMERICA" AIRS THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, ON ABC

The Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History and Culture opened its doors with an all-star tribute on ABC Television's "Taking the Stage," a two-hour program of music, dance and the spoken word on THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 (9:00-11:00 p.m. EST).

ABC previously announced influential entertainers who would participate in the opening of the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History and Culture, including Angela Bassett, Dave Chappelle, Chuck D., Doug E. Fresh, Savion Glover, Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, Quincy Jones, Rashida Jones, Elijah Kelley, Janelle Monae, Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Octavia Spencer, Chris Tucker, Jesse Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Patti Austin, Christina Aguilera, Alvin Ailey dancers, Angela Bassett, Jon Batiste, Shirley Caesar, Chloe x Halle, Gary Clark Jr., Common, Cynthia Erivo, Fantasia, Jamie Foxx, Robert Glasper, Dave Grohl with Trouble Funk, Herbie Hancock, Gladys Knight, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, NeYo and Usher.

World-renowned dignitaries, athletes and artists from around the globe will come together for the program at Washington's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Designed to explore and celebrate African American contributions to the global landscape, the program will feature new film footage of iconic items from the museum's collections - items ranging from a plane used to train the famed Tuskegee airmen for World War II combat duty to a bible owned by Nat Turner. The film is accompanied by music, dance and dramatic readings by a wide range of stage and screen actors. The executive producers were Don Mischer and Quincy Jones, along with Don Mischer Productions' Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare. The production was filmed on September 23 and will air on ABC stations nationwide on Thursday, January 12.

About the Disney|ABC Television Group

Disney|ABC Television Group is comprised of The Walt Disney Company's global entertainment and news television properties, owned television stations group, and radio business. This includes ABC Studios, the ABC Owned Television Stations Group, and the ABC Television Network, which provides entertainment and news programming to viewers via more than 200 affiliated stations across the U.S. It also includes Disney Channels Worldwide, a portfolio of 116 kid-driven, family-inclusive entertainment channels, including Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Disney Cinemagic, Hungama, and Radio Disney brands, as well as cable network Freeform, which targets Millennials. Disney|ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution and Disney Media Distribution round out the portfolio. Disney|ABC Television Group also has equity interests in A+E Networks and Hulu.

About Don Mischer Productions

Don Mischer Productions (DMP) is an internationally acclaimed and universally respected producer of television and live events. Led by Don Mischer and Charlie Haykel, along with Juliane Hare, DMP has consistently produced programs that share the best of the human experience, whether it be the work of our most acclaimed artists or the celebration of our most cherished monuments and greatest international events. They are at the forefront of their craft, with an eye to innovate and advance the art form. Some of their marquee productions include: We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, the Kennedy Center Honors, 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, Super Bowl halftime shows (Prince, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, among others), the Opening Ceremonies of both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games (Atlanta and Salt Lake City), and the 83rd, 84th and 85th Academy Awards. Other productions include the Billboard Music Awards, the groundbreaking Breakthrough Prize ceremony and specials featuring Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Bono, Prince, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, Stevie Wonder and Barbra Streisand, among many others.