Airing Sunday, June 15 at 12 noon, the half-hour news program leads into a broadcast of Puccini's popular work. This timeless interpretation by director Franco Zeffirelli also stars French baritone Ludovic T_zier as painter Marcello, Spanish soprano Ainhoa Arteta as Musetta, American baritone Quinn Kelsey as musician Schaunard, American bass Oren Gradus as philosopher Colline, and veteran American bass Paul Plishka as both landlord Benoit and Musetta's protector, Alcindoro.

The lead SundayArts News segment will report from the Museum of the City of New York's ongoing theater exhibit, Perform, with costumes, photos, props, and other materials from the museum's collection. After a look in on Roundabout Theater Company's Tony-nominated hit Sunday in the Park with George, the program will visit Governors Island's public art grounds for In Sight, a celebration of the Sculptors Guild's 70th year. SundayArts News also reports on Playing the Building: An Installation by David Byrne at the Battery Maritime Building, and the free, five-borough Make Music New York festival.

This week's SundayArts Profile features highlights from the recent 80th birthday tribute to Charles Strouse at the Paley Center. Produced by John Walker, senior producer of the Great Performances series on PBS, the segment includes film clips, conversations with the legendary composer-lyricist, and a presentation by original Annie star Andrea McArdle. SundayArts "Choice" will explore Asa Ames: Occupation Sculpturing at the Museum of American Folk Art with the exhibit's curator, Stacy Hollander.

For more information visit www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/

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SundayArts is Thirteen/WNET's on-air/online series through which arts enthusiasts everywhere can access the Big Apple's cultural best. New York's public television station has long partnered with the city's most celebrated cultural institutions, capturing and broadcasting their work on PBS.

Every Sunday at noon on Thirteen, SundayArts wraps insightful interviews, on-location features, profiles, and introductions around a showcased presentation. SundayArts News segments cover current cultural highlights while Curator's Choice briefs offer first-hand, insider reviews of highlights from shows and events around town. Profiles of cultural figures reflect the eclectic New York arts scene.

For those outside of Thirteen's tri-state viewing area, www.thirteen.org/sundayarts makes New York's cultural bounty accessible anytime, from anywhere. The video-rich new site features the latest arts news, interviews, and previews of SundayArts broadcasts. Contributing bloggers Elizabeth Vincentelli (Time Out New York), Adam Wasserman (Opera News) and cultural journalist Jennifer Melick add knowledgeable, lively dialogue to the site. Users are encouraged to email questions and comments to the host, artists and organizations.

Funding for SundayArts has been provided by The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation. Additional funding has been provided by The Lemberg Foundation.

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Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Secrets of the Dead, NOW With David Brancaccio, Expos_, Bill Moyers Journal, and Cyberchase to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions such as New York Voices, Reel 13 and SundayArts.