Review: A Theatrical, Multi-Media History Experience, ‘The Eyes of the World’ At New World

“The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day” was presented for one night only on Saturday, May 10 at New World Center and combined live music by New York’s Orchestra of St. Luke’s, photographs and films, and songs, and narration by historian John Monsky. (Photo by Nicole Pereira Photography, courtesy of Citadel)

When Kenneth C. Griffin moved the global headquarters for his company Citadel from Chicago to Miami in 2022, there was no doubt there would be some pluses that arrived for Miamians.

One of those was on display on Saturday, May 10, when Griffin’s civic engagement initiative, Griffin Catalyst, presented, for free, “The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day” at New World Center. The historical multimedia production recreates the final 11 months of World War II in Europe.

Inside seating was invitation only, many were Citadel employees who had been given tickets, some were Holocaust survivors others were military veterans. Outside hundreds gathered to watch the special one-night only performance on Wallcast in Soundscape Park.

Although it was at the New World Center, it was not a New World Symphony program but a production of a company “American History Unbound, Inc.”

In a brief interview before the program began, John Monsky, the creator, writer and narrator of “Eyes of the World” and founder and executive producer of “American History Unbound,” was getting ready in one of New World’s backstage dressing rooms. He spoke quietly to “save his voice” for the more than two-hour performance to come. He talked about how he wanted to share stories of history, which inevitably brought him to this moment in time.

John Monsky, creator, writer and narrator of “Eyes of the World” with his flag from Normandy in the background. (Photo by EJ Camp, courtesy of American History Unbound)

“I wanted to be a historian, but my dad said, ‘You’ll starve. So I went to law school, but I kept up with history and I collected American flags,” says Monsky, who lives in New York City, where he is a senior partner of Oak Hill Capital. He also spent time in Washington, DC., as assistant counsel to the United States Senate Select Committee investigating the Iran-Contra Affair, the arms scandal about a secret deal between Iran and the United States in the 1980s.

But on this night, he wasn’t a lawyer, he was a storyteller.

“Every year on Flag Day, we would have our four kids and their friends and their parents over. I’d put a flag on the fireplace and tell a story, I had some friends that were Broadway singers and my wife played the piano. It got to be a thing (this was around 2007-2008) and there ended up being around 80 people crammed in. At one point, someone from the New York Historical Society was at one of the flag gatherings and said, ‘You have to present for us at the historical society.’

Monsky says he spoke there about the Vietnam War. “I grew up in the shadows of Vietnam in Jacksonville, Fla., with naval officers across the street.” Then he got a call from Carnegie Hall to present about the Vietnam War in a program about the 1960s.

“Eyes of the World”

His company has a tagline: “History Like You’ve Never Felt It Before.” The show at New World Center, about World War II, has been performed at Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center Opera House, at Boston Symphony Hall and in the East Room of the White House, was created, according to Monsky, to have audiences see the war through the eyes of “four magnificent people.”

It’s the final eleven months of World War II in Europe and Monsky creates his story around journalists covering the war: Vogue model-turned-photojournalist Lee Miller, Life magazine war photographer Robert Capa, Ernest Hemingway, and a solder named, Jerry.

“I called Lee Miller’s family after I researched her. They gave me access to 6,000 of her photographs. I went to Robert Capa’s estate, J.D. Salinger’s son, Matt, is a friend of mine and then Patrick Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway’s great grandson. And I don’t think anyone’s ever seen Robert Capa’s photographs at the size and scale we’re showing here – on a five-screen projection.”

Through music, photographs, songs, and Monsky’s storytelling, “The Eyes of the World” entertains and informs.

Photos shown larger than life on the five huge projection sails inside the Frank Gehry designed hall immersed the audience in images. The pictures heighten the marvelous storytelling of Monsky, a genial host who knows his history.

Various orchestras have accompanied other productions, but Miami audiences had the opportunity to hear the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, a New York City institution which turned 50 this year. And what a privilege it was.

Directed by Ian Weinberger, the show’s conductor and arranger, was in top form accompanying a quartet of Broadway singers (Shereen Ahmed, John Clay IIII, Haley Podschun and Nicholas Rodriguez) with songs from the era along with satisfying orchestra pieces with St. Luke’s opening the show with Michael Kamen’s “The Mission Begins” from the film “A Band of Brothers.” A little bit of background on this song choice. Kamen wrote the soundtrack for the film as a requiem for Captain Paul Kamen, his father’s twin, who was killed at Remagen, three days before the end of the war.

From left, singers Haley Podschun, Nicholas Rodriguez, John Clay III and Shereen Ahmed on stage at the New World Center in “The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day,” (Photo by Nicole Pereira Photography, courtesy of Citadel)

The production, directed by Trey Ellett, moved with precision: the orchestra would play, Monsky would tell a story as the giant photographs appeared, and then the singers would entertain, many times helping to recreate the era — a Glenn Miller medley with photos of Miller on the big screens, at one point, took everyone back to the big-band era with “In the Mood,” “Tuxedo Junction,” and Chattanooga Choo Choo.”

In Act 1, vocalist John Clay III sang a stirring rendition of “Freedom’s Road,” written by Langston Hughes in 1944 and composer by Emerson Harper. During WW II, Hughes was an activist decrying the United State’s involvement in the war because of racial discrimination at home. Written as a marching song for freedom during the war, it also was an anthem to bring about change in racial inequality.

In Act II, Shereen Ahmed so eloquently sang “La Vie En Rose” in French and segueing into the sublime “The Last Time I Saw Paris.”

Making Connections

What makes the show so unique, and touching is the way it connects to the audience. Much of that is Monsky’s doing — personal stories, stories of connections, ways for the audience to participate with their own memories.

It opens with Monsky recounting when he took his family on a trip to France, with a stop in Normandy. Accompanying them is one of the American flags in Monsky’s collection, a historical relic because it was from one of the boats that landed at Normandy.

Large flags on both sides of the stage framed in glass belong to Monsky – including the one now at stage right that had been hoisted in Normandy.

Then there’s the story that ties the music director at the podium to one of the photos shown larger-than-life.

It’s of a soldier with a badly wounded leg. Monsky recounted the story of a platoon leader whose leg was blown off; he wasn’t expected to survive but he was saved by American medics. Then Monsky announces: “Our conductor tonight (Weinberger) is the grandson of that platoon leader.”

When the orchestra played a “Salute to Our Fighting Forces,” which included the “Marines Hymn,” “Anchors Aweigh for the Navy,” “The Army Goes Rolling Along,” “Army Air Corps” for the Air Force, and the Coast Guard’s “Semper Paratus,” members of the audience were asked to stand if they had a tie in any way to one of the branches. (I stood for my father, a veteran in the Air Force in World War II).

John Monsky narrates “Eyes of the World” for a performance with the Boston Pops at Boston Symphony Hall that was recorded for broadcast on PBS stations. (Photo by Winslow Townson, courtesy of American History Unbound)

Monsky shared his moment, taking from his pocket his grandfather Leroy’s Bronze Star.

Then there were the stories of those in all of those hundreds of photos that keep moving and changing on the big screens: of Ernest Hemingway, of Anne Frank, of the Holocaust, of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, and Lee Miller, and the soldier named Jerry.

And there were photos and stories of Miami’s involvement — the beaches were used for training. The audience murmured in surprise and delight at this fact since it appeared most didn’t know the story.

A theatrical experience, of sorts, it’s more than that because “Eyes of the World” tells a story that remains relevant to this day.

A version of “The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day” filmed during two sold-out nights at Boston Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops in 2024 aired on public television stations nationwide and streamed on PBS.org. See the video here.

On June 6, the production heads to New Orleans presented by the National WWII Museum with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Path To Miami

And the path for “The Eyes of the World” to New World Center, to Miami audiences, and getting Ken Griffin’s support?

While in New York, Josh King says he randomly went to Carnegie Hall one night and by chance caught a performance of one of “American History Unbound’s” shows, “The Great War and The Great Gatsby.”

King was working at Intercontinental Exchange at the New York Stock Exchange before he joined Citadel, where he is now its head of corporate affairs. So taken by Monsky and what he was doing, King joined “American History Unbound’s” Board of Directors.

“I said, ‘I need to become part of John’s world because it touched so many chords with me.”

When King arrived at Citadel, Julia Quinn, the director of Griffin Catalyst, the philanthropic and civic engagement side of Ken Griffin’s businesses, told him about a Community Leaders Program.

He immediately thought of Monsky’s “American History Unbound” and mentioned it to her.

Audiences were treated to the live accompaniment of the incomparable Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Manhattan’s 50-year-old ensemble and a New York treasure. (Photo by Nicole Pereira Photography, courtesy of Citadel)

“Before I knew it, Julia and her colleague Charlotte were producing a check I could present to the board on behalf of Ken Griffin in honor of my board service.”

He then invited Ken and some others to a presentation by American History Unbound to the East Room of the White House. But Griffin had to be in Paris for a donation he had made to help support the reconstruction of Notre Dame. King recalls him saying, “You should see if this guy would bring his show to Miami.”

Quinn said that Griffin supported the Chicago community for 30 years and now wants to continue that for the city that’s Citadel’s new home base. “He wants to support the trajectory that Miami has been on for a long time of becoming a world class, global city. And, for Ken, that means world class education, world class medical, research and health care, and world class arts and cultural opportunities.”

The six pillars of Griffin Catalyst’s philanthropy are education, science and medicine, communities, upward mobility, enterprise and innovation, and freedom and democracy.

“And that includes honoring the servicemen and women for their sacrifice and everything that they have given to this country, and the founding principles and freedoms of this country have meant throughout history.”

With King aligned with Monsky’s board and interest from Griffin Catalyst, maybe another edition of “American History Unbound” will make its way to Miami. For now, “The Eyes of the World” lives on to those who were fortunate enough to see it.

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