For Release: 2008-06-16 10:59:00
Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning film, theater and television actor Jimmy Smits hosts the 28th annual broadcast of A Capitol Fourth live from Washington Friday, July 4 at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET2 and KET HD and at 9:30/8:30 p.m. CT on KET1 and KET HD.The program will feature Grammy-winning musicians Huey Lewis and the News, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, rock ’n’ roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis, Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell, classical superstar Hayley Westenra and soprano Harolyn Blackwell. They will perform a selection of patriotic and celebratory music with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Erich Kunzel.
Following this musical salute, the Washington skyline will come alive with a colorful, creative and booming display of fireworks set against silhouettes of the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.
Capping 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 Capitol Fourth tradition. The multi-award winning event will be broadcast from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol and can be heard in stereo over National Public Radio and by U.S. military personnel in more than 175 countries and aboard 140 U.S. Navy ships at sea on the American Forces Network.
A Capitol Fourth is produced by Capital Concerts. More information about KET programming and education services, as well as how to support KET, can be found at www.ket.org.
Contact: Ellen Soileau
###
Download this release as an RTF file - 13 Kb
View or link to a public version of this release.
