Hamilton to appear in "A Capitol Fourth"
Skater will lead a special salute to the Olympic Games
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Scott Hamilton will try and edge out an all-star cast to win the job of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice. (Getty Images) |
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(06/18/2008) - On July 4th, there's no place like our nation's capital for America's biggest birthday party.
Featuring the most spectacular fireworks display anywhere in the nation,
the 28th annual broadcast of A Capitol Fourth airs live in high-definition
and commercial free from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Hosted by Emmy
and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits, the star spangled party
features special performances by Grammy Award-winning winning musicians
Huey Lewis and the News, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, Rock 'n' Roll
Hall of Fame legend Jerry Lee Lewis, Tony Award-winning Broadway star Brian
Stokes Mitchell, classical superstar Hayley Westenra and American soprano
Harolyn Blackwell in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under
the direction of top pops conductor Erich Kunzel. New this year will be
extended coverage of the most dazzling display of fireworks in the nation.
The skyline of the nation's capital will come alive with vibrant and
booming pyrotechnics, set against silhouettes of national landmarks the
U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.
A Capitol Fourth will capture this stunning fireworks display from every
vantage point with eighteen TV cameras stationed around the city --
including the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument and
across the Potomac River. The multi-award winning event will be broadcast
on PBS Friday, July 4, 2008, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local
listings), simulcast on National Public Radio and around the world to our
troops on the American Forces Network. Capping off the show will be a
rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" complete with live
cannon fire provided by the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery,
an audience favorite and now A Capitol Fourth tradition.
"We heard from our viewers that they'd like to see more of the most
amazing fireworks display in the nation. We are pleased to respond to our
viewers' requests, not only with extended coverage of this year's
fireworks, but we've also added more TV cameras that will capture these
dazzling and colorful pyrotechnics in high definition from virtually every
panorama. If you can't be in Washington, D.C. for our nation's birthday,
watching A Capitol Fourth will truly be the next best thing to being
there!" said executive producer Jerry Colbert of Capital Concerts.
In addition to the extended fireworks, A Capitol Fourth will include a
special salute to the Olympic Games with figure skater and gold medal
winner Scott Hamilton
. The musical tribute will include John William's
"Olympic Fanfare" from the National Symphony Orchestra led by Erich Kunzel.
Kunzel will also conduct the Cincinnati Pops at the Beijing Olympics this
summer, the only American orchestra to perform in this year's Olympic
games. The program will also feature performances by The Choral Arts
Society of Washington, The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Marine Drum
and Bugle Corps, The U.S. Army Presidential Salute Battery, and an Armed
Forces Color Guard provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.
For A Capitol Fourth executive producer Jerry Colbert has assembled an
award-winning production team that features the top Hollywood talent behind
some of television's most prestigious entertainment awards shows. This
includes Emmy award-winning producer Walter C. Miller, American's leading
director and producer of live programs including the Grammy Awards and
Country Music Awards; award-winning director Paul Miller whose credits
include the Country Music Awards and Saturday Night Live; and veteran
television writer Jon Macks, whose credits include the Tonight Show with
Jay Leno, the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. The program is a
co-production of Jerry Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA, Washington,
D.C.
For more than 25 years, Capital Concerts has produced the two major
patriotic events at the U.S. Capitol. In 1981, Colbert presented the first
PBS Fourth of July telecast with the National Symphony Orchestra and guest
artists performing live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. In 1990, he
introduced the National Memorial Day Concert. Since then, both holiday
specials have been honored with over 55 awards including the New York Film
Festival Award, the Telly Award, the Golden Cine Award, the Videographer
Award, the National Education Association Award, the Aurora Award, the
Christopher Award, the Communicator's Award, the AXIEM Award, the Omni
Award and the Writer's Guild of America Award.
A Capitol Fourth 2008 is made possible by grants from The Boeing
Company, the National Park Service, the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, the Department of the Army, the National Endowment for the
Arts, PBS and public television stations nationwide. Air travel is provided
by American Airlines.