Happy 239th birthday, America! To channel Billy Crystal, "You look mahvelous, dahling -- not a day over 220!"
Yes, Saturday is Independence Day, and that means it's time once again for two things -- Pops on the River in Little Rock and A Capitol Fourth on PBS.
This will be the 35th year for A Capitol Fourth on PBS. The annual 90-minute tradition airs at 7 p.m. Saturday on AETN. If you really, really like it, the show encores immediately at 8:30.
As usual, PBS is planning "an all-star musical extravaganza" that features aging pledge-drive-worthy acts plus some relatively unknown young folks, and a couple of classical niche performers thrown in for good measure.
Seventy-two year old "music legend" Barry Manilow will headline the celebration, opening the broadcast with a special patriotic medley that has not been performed since the re-opening of the Statue of Liberty 29 years ago.
Kids, ask your folks about Manilow. He was a huge star in the 1970s and '80s. In 1978, five of his albums were on the best-seller charts simultaneously.
Just ignore his unfortunate, drum-taut, Madame Tussauds-esque face-lifts and Botox abuse. I think Manilow and Kenny Rogers went to the same plastic surgeon.
A Capitol Fourth will be broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol and feature performances by the following:
• Country music group Alabama. The band formed in 1969 and had 27 No. 1 hits in the 1980s.
• Singer/songwriter Nicole Scherzinger. You might remember her as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls or as the winner of Season 10 of Dancing With the Stars.
• Country singer and multi-instrumentalist Hunter Hayes. The 23-year-old Hayes is the youngest male to ever top the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
• Singer Meghan Linsey. She was runner-up on the most recent season of The Voice and is formerly half of the country duo Steel Magnolia.
• KC and the Sunshine Band. The group has been around since 1973 and had its biggest hits in the disco era.
• Classical pianist Lang Lang. The 33-year-old Chinese phenom has performed with leading orchestras around the world.
• Classical crossover star Ronan Tynan. He is most notable as a member of PBS' The Irish Tenors.
• The National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.
As a special treat, actor and classically-trained jazz vocalist Robert Davi (Profiler) will pay tribute to Frank Sinatra. The American icon's 100 birthday is Dec. 12. Sinatra died in 1998.
The program can also be heard live in stereo over NPR member stations nationwide.
To capture the full flavor of the event, there will be 20 cameras positioned around the city, including the U.S. Capitol, the White House and the Washington Monument. Capping off the show will be the traditional rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture complete with live cannon fire provided by the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery.
Also participating in the patriotic event will be the Choral Arts Society of Washington, the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, the U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, Members of the Armed Forces carrying the state and territorial Flags and the Armed Forces Color Guard provided by the Military District of Washington.
POPS ON THE RIVER
A Capitol Fourth may boast "the greatest display of fireworks anywhere in the nation," but you have to watch them on TV. If you want the real deal live, head down to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's annual family friendly Pops on the River. As usual, entry to the event is free.
This is the 32nd year for Pops on the River-- the largest Fourth of July celebration in the state with more than 30,000 expected to be on hand.
The fun begins at noon Saturday in Little Rock's River Market area with free activities for the kids, a classic car show, a marketplace for shopping and food trucks.
New this year is a Military Appreciation Program where all military (active or retired) can receive special discounts and promotions (check in at the main gate).
The gates to the First Security Amphitheater open at 5:30 p.m. Folding chairs and blankets are encouraged. No coolers, outside food or drinks, pets or fireworks are allowed.
Entertainment inside the amphitheater will include the Oh Say! Can you Sing? contest at 6:30, music by various local artists, and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in all its patriotic glory at 8:30. Music Director Philip Mann will conduct this year's performance.
The most impressive fireworks display in the entire state will begin around 9:30 off the Main Street Bridge.
For more information, check the Pops on the River Facebook page or the website at pops.arkansasonline.com.
Style on 06/28/2015