Season 2!
"World's Greatest Cemeteries" Season 2 continues this exciting Public Television/PBS Passport series about the most beautiful burial grounds on earth, and diverse historical figures interred in them. In each episode, Host/Executive Producer Roberto Mighty takes us to one of these iconic outdoor museums, where we meet inspiring people from the past who helped make our world what it is today. The shows feature costumed historical reenactors, breathtaking cinematography, and upbeat interviews with historians, tour guides, landscape architects, horticulturalists and other experts. Perfect for lovers of travel, history, gardens and biography.
Season 2 includes mini bios on boxer and humanitarian Muhammad Ali; authors Louisa May Alcott, Herman Melville, and Henry David Thoreau; Salsa Singer Celia Cruz; Musicians Irving Berlin, Miles Davis, and Grover Washington, Jr; Food magnates Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz and Colonel Harland Sanders; Scientist Jokichi Takamine; formerly enslaved colonial era farmer John Jack; Civil War Medal of Honor winner David Urbanski; and many others.
(NYCTV-LIFE, New York, NY) “I discovered your show this evening and loved it. I have always admired cemeteries for their peaceful, park like beauty. Very thrilled to be able to discover other locations through your show. I look forward to watching all episodes in your series!” - Kathryn M.
S2Ep1: Cave Hill Cemetery
Join Host/Producer Roberto Mighty at beautiful Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, KY — a 300 acre arboretum, birding space, gardening gem and historic burial ground. Interments include boxer and humanitarian Muhammad Ali, Colonel Harland Sanders, Suffragist Susan Look Avery and Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark. A reenactor portrays Sculptor Enid Yandell, and we view exquisite monuments. (Left: Roberto Mighty and Mrs. Yolanda Ali, Widow of Muhammad Ali)
GUEST EXPERTS THIS EPISODE
Gwen Mooney, President and CEO, Cave Hill Cemetery
Michael Higgs, Manager, Cave Hill Heritage Foundation
Mrs. Yolanda Ali, Widow of Muhammad Ali
Paul Bickel, Chairman, Cave Hill Heritage Foundation
Roger Martin, Head Arborist, Cave Hill Cemetery
Sarah Schaffner, Horticulture & Landscape Manager, Cave Hill Cemetery
Rev. Lee Payne, President, Louisville Audubon Society
Melinda Beck, Actor portraying Enid Yandell
S2Ep2: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Join Host/Producer Roberto Mighty at this must-see for book lovers and history buffs! Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery boasts “Author’s Ridge” — with Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson and more! Also, a side trip to Walden Pond, historical reenactments, and a surprise for “I Love Lucy” fans. This gem is on the US National Register of Historic Places. (Left: Actor Jan Turnquist as Louisa May Alcott, Roberto Mighty)
GUEST EXPERTS & LINKS THIS EPISODE
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, MA
Amy Cole, Concord Tour Guide
Jan Turnquist, Actor portraying Louisa May Alcott
Jan Turnquist, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House
Joseph Zellner, Actor portraying John Jack
David Daniels, Son of Marc and Emily Daniels
S2Ep3: Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
Join Host/Producer Roberto Mighty at Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati. A reenactor portrays Civil War Medal of Honor winner David Urbanski. We learn the story of food manufacturer Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz, and interpret traditional Jewish funerary iconography. Includes a look at 19th century immigration from Germany, three branches of Judaism, and a modern connection to Spain in 1492. (Left: Cameraman Ed Koziarski, Roberto Mighty, and Trustee Emeritus Jack Rabinstein)
GUEST EXPERTS / LINKS THIS EPISODE
Karen Zanger, Vice President, Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
Lee Drake, Actor portraying David Urbanski
Jack Rabenstein, Emeritus Trustee, Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
Danielle Minson, The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Nimet Jerusalmi, Rudisa
Dr. Gary P. Zola, American Jewish Archives, Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion
Carrie Rhodus, Operations Manager, Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati
S2Ep4: St. Louis Cemetery No.1, New Orleans
Join Host/Producer Roberto Mighty at legendary St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, in New Orleans! The town, known for mardi gras, jazz and great cuisine, is home to this Catholic cemetery with multicultural roots. We learn about Asian immigration, and tombs include the “witch” Madame Marie Laveau; civil rights activist Homer Plessy; Chess master Paul Morphy, and a mysterious pyramid for actor Nicolas Cage. (Left: Roberto Mighty and Professor D. Ryan Gray of the University of New Orleans)
GUEST EXPERTS / LINKS THIS EPISODE
Heather Veneziano, New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries
Kendric Perkins, The Historic New Orleans Collection
Winston Ho, Independent Historian
Judy Geddes Bajoie, New Orleans Tour Guide
Jeff Poree, Master Plasterer
D. Ryan Gray, Ph.D., The University of New Orleans Archaeology
S2Ep5: Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadephia, PA
Join Host/Producer Roberto Mighty at historic Laurel Hill and bucolic West Laurel Hill cemeteries near Philadelphia. Laurel Hill is America’s second major rural garden cemetery, on bluffs overlooking the scenic Schuylkill river. We explore the famed Medallion Garden. Interments include jazz saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., Civil War General George Meade, and inventor Martha Coston. (Left: Docent Sarah Hamill and Roberto Mighty at the grave of singer Teddy Pendergrass)
GUEST EXPERTS / LINKS THIS EPISODE
Nancy Goldenberg, President and CEO, Laurel Hill Cemetery
Sarah Hamill, Docent
Najee Rasheed, Jazz Musician
Thomas Keels, Independent Historian and Tour Guide
Elizabeth Savastana, Volunteer & Tour Manager, Laurel Hill Cemetery
Gregg Tepper, Senior Horticulturist, Laurel Hill Cemetery
Anthony Waskie, Ph.D., Independent Historian
Aaron Greenberg, Arboretum Manager, Laurel Hill Cemetery
S2Ep6: Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY
Join Host/Producer Roberto Mighty and tour a National Historic Landmark. New York’s Woodlawn Cemetery is the final resting place of legends — Duke Ellington, Herman Melville, Bat Masterson, Celia Cruz, Dorothy Parker, Miles Davis, Jokichi Takamine and Irving Berlin. Gilded age monuments, towering mausoleums, modern sculptures and exquisite landscaping grace this tree-lined urban oasis. (Left: Woodlawn Director of Operations Tom Howryletz, Roberto Mighty)
GUEST EXPERTS / LINKS THIS EPISODE
Tom Howryletz, Director of Operations, Woodlawn Cemetery
Mark Nielsen, Davey Landscaping
José Massó, WBUR Radio Announcer & Producer
Susan Olsen, Director of Historical Services, Woodlawn Cemetery
Prof. Mary K. Bercaw Edwards, Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Robert Capiello, Resident Craftsman, Woodlawn Cemetery
Meg Ventrudo, Woodlawn Conservancy
(KVCR - San Bernardino/Riverside, CA) “This is a wonderful series! I actually wish every episode was one hour long. It's awesome to see these cemeteries and more episodes located in the U.S. or other places in the world would be great….Keep up the great work!” - Lesley T.
Musical Moment
Filming today on location at New England Conservatory of Music for Season 2 of public television series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries”. Host/Producer Roberto Mighty (left) interviews multiplatinum and Grammy-nominated Jazz saxophonist/flautist Najee (right) about the late Grover Washington Jr., who’s fourth album, “Mister Magic”, climbed to the top of the charts in 1974, followed by critically acclaimed recordings, Grammy Awards and many other honors. Najee was mentored by Washington, who is buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA. www.worldsgreatestcemeteries.com
Little Women
Filming for Season 2 of public television series “World’s Greatest Cemeteries”. Reenactment with Actor and Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House Executive Director Jan Turnquist. Alcott is buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. (left to right): Jan Turnquist, Actor; Roberto Mighty TV Producer/Director. BTS photo by Shawn Read. Also interred at Sleepy Hollow: Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne; Marc and Emily Daniels.
Cincinnati
Season 2: Filming at the grave of Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz, matzah manufacturer, at Covedale Cemetery in Ohio. L-R: Ed Koziarski, Cameraman; Roberto Mighty, TV series Producer/Host; Jack Rabinstein, Trustee Emeritus, Jewish Cemeteries of Cincinnati.
Louisville
Season 2: Filming with Lonnie Ali, widow of Boxer and Humanitarian Muhammad Ali, at the Ali Memorial, National Historic Landmark Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville Kentucky. Interred include Muhammad Ali; KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders; 19th century Suffragist Susan Look Avery; Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark; and Sculptor Enid Yandel; L-R: Roberto Mighty, Series Producer/Host; Lonnie Ali.
Philadelphia
Season 2: Filming at National Historic Landmark Laurel Hill Cemetery. Interred include jazz musician Grover Washington, Jr; Civil War General George Meade; 19th Century Inventor Martha Coston; Singer Teddy Pendergrass; and sports announcer Harry Kalas. Left to Right: Cameraman Reid Carrescia; Volunteer Sarah Hamill; Producer/Host Roberto Mighty; Volunteer & Tour Manager Beth Savastana; Production Assistant Richard Ffrench.
New Orleans
Season 2: Filming at National Historic Landmark, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, near the French Quarter. Interred include civil rights activist Homer Plessy of “Plessy vs. Ferguson”; and Madame Marie Laveau, voodoo practitioner and midwife. L-R: Heather Veneziano, Cemetery Historian; Roberto Mighty, Producer/Host; Cameraman Julius Evans
Bronx, NY
Season 2: Filming at National Historic Landmark, Woodlawn Cemetery, NYC. Interred: Miles Davis, Herman Melville, Celia Cruz, Irving Berlin, Madame CJ Walker, Jokichi Takamine, Bat Masterson, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Parker. L-R: Roberto Mighty, Producer/Host; Barbara Selesky, Susan Olsen, Meg Ventrudo of Woodlawn Cemetery; Cameraman Talal Jabari. Photo by PA Harry Colvin.
Sleepy Hollow
Season 2: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, MA. U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Interred: Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau; Ralph Waldo Emerson; John Jack; Nathaniel Hawthorne; Marc and Emily Daniels (“Star Trek”)
Audiences are clamoring for more episodes of World’s Greatest Cemeteries! Since our debut in October, 2021, We have over 70 recommendations from viewers and staff.
SEASON 1 - 6 Episodes
Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, MA
Highgate Cemetery, London, UK
Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, CA
Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum, Cincinnati, OH
Season 1 Grand Finale!
SEASON 2 - 6 Episodes
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, LA
Jewish Cemeteries of Cincinnati, OH
Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, MA
Laurel Hill Cemeteries, Philadelphia, PA
Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, KY
What’s YOUR favorite historic cemetery?