Film & TV NewsPBS' A Capitol Fourth Will Feature West Side Story Tribute With Chita Rivera
Darren Criss and Yolanda Adams will also be part of the broadcast, which will also be available for streaming.
By
Andrew Gans
June 23, 2022
Chita Rivera
The 42nd annual A Capitol Fourth, the long-running Independence Day celebration, will be broadcast on PBS July 4 beginning at 8 PM ET; check local listings. The program will also stream on YouTube and PBS.org and will be available as Video On Demand July 4–18.
The evening will include a 65th anniversary celebration of the classic 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story, led by three-time Tony recipient Chita Rivera, who created the role of Anita in the original Broadway production.
Hosted by Grammy nominee Mickey Guyton, A Capitol Fourth will also feature Emmy winner Darren Criss (American Buffalo), Grammy-winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams, songwriter Andy Grammer, Grammy winner Gloria Gaynor, Grammy-winning blues musician Keb’ Mo’, Grammy-winning composer and recording artist Emily Bear (The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical), andsongwriter and recording artist Loren Allred (The Greatest Showman). The artists will be backed by the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Jack Everly.
The concert, which marks the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Memorial, will also include a tribute to those in uniform and their families led by Emmy-winning recording artist Rachel Platten, who will perform “Stand by You.” The celebration will conclude with a fireworks display accompanied by patriotic musical favorites and featuring The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” with a commemoration of its 100th anniversary.
After two years of virtual presentations due to the pandemic, the concert venue on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol will be open to the public to enjoy the live broadcast.
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Celebrate 65 Years of West Side Story With a Look Back at the Original Production From Rehearsals to Backstage to Showtime
Celebrate 65 Years of West Side Story With a Look Back at the Original Production From Rehearsals to Backstage to Showtime
Composer Leonard Bernstein, playwright Arthur Laurents, choreographer Jerome Robbins (seated), costume designer Irene Sharaff, lyricist Stephen Sondheim, producer Robert Griffith, and production assistant Sylvia Drulie
Jerome Robbins and cast
Leonard Bernstein
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Peter Gennaro and Tony Mordente
Chita Rivera, Ken LeRoy, Larry Kert, and Carol Lawrence
Peter Gennaro
Stephen Sondheim on piano with Leonard Bernstein and Carol Lawrence
Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Hal Prince, Robert Griffith, Leonard Bernstein, and Jerome Robbins