The annual PBS Independence Day TV event A Capitol Fourth is to hosted by Mickey Guyton, with guests including Keb’ Mo’, Gloria Gaynor, Jake Owen, and Yolanda Adams. The occasion, taking place on the West Lawn of the Capitol, marks the return of the event as an in-person occasion, after two years as a virtual broadcast.
Guyton will also perform, and the star-studded festivities will also feature Darren Criss, Andy Grammer, Emily Bear, Loren Allred, Rachel Platten, and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Jack Everly. Owen will sing his “American Country Love Song” and “Down To the Honkytonk” with the NSO.
There will be a special segment to mark the 65th anniversary of the original Broadway production of the musical phenomenon West Side Story, headlined by Chita Rivera. Cynthia Erivo will perform Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s signature ballad from the show, “Somewhere.”
Also featured in the production will be a centennial salute to Washington’s Lincoln Memorial, which opened on May 30, 1922. It will include a performance of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Yolanda Adams. Rachel Platten is to present a special tribute to military heroes and their families, performing her song “Stand By You.”
The evening will conclude with the Capitol’s fireworks display, including a performance featuring “Pershing’s Own,” by the US Army Band, which is also marking its 100th anniversary.
A Capitol Fourth will air on PBS Monday, 4 July from 7pm-8:30pm CT. It will also be broadcast to US troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The program is to be broadcast in stereo by NPR member stations across the United States, and will be stream live on YouTube and the PBS website. It will be available as Video on Demand from July 4-18.
Check local US listings for A Capitol Fourth at the PBS website.