‘A Capitol Fourth’ Marks America’s 250th With a Star-Studded PBS Special

For 45 years, A Capitol Fourth has marked America's Independence Day with a live celebration from the U.S. Capitol, bringing together some of the country's most celebrated performers for a concert and fireworks spectacular broadcast nationwide on PBS every July 4.

As the United States begins celebrating its 250th anniversary, this year's A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration will take place on July 3 instead of its traditional July 4 date. Executive producer Michael Colbert said the decision was made because of the unusually busy schedule of events happening both in Washington and across the country. "Not only are there tons of things going on in Washington, there's tons of things going on all over the country," Colbert said. "We've heard already from so many public television stations how excited they are that we're kicking off this year a day early. Next year, we'll go back to the Fourth, as we've always been."

Joining host Alfonso Ribeiro is a lineup that spans multiple genres, featuring Chicago, Trace Adkins, Patti LaBelle, Kool & The Gang, Carly Pearce, Alan Jackson, Loren Allred, Angel Blue, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Broadway cast of Just in Time. Actors Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna will also be part of the celebration.

"We really try to have something for everybody," Colbert said. "You start out with a blank sheet of paper, and you end up with just an unbelievable group of artists from so many wonderful genres."

Because the event celebrates Independence Day, American performers remain the main focus. Even so, Colbert noted that the show has occasionally welcomed international guests over the years. "We have been blessed here and there to have friends from other parts of the world to come and celebrate with us," he said.

Despite today's often divided political climate, A Capitol Fourth, along with its companion National Memorial Day Concert, continues to remain firmly nonpartisan. "Since day one, these have been completely nonpartisan, and they're always going to be," Colbert said. "There's no other way to do it. Left, right or center, everybody is for celebrating our birthday."

To mark the nation's 250th anniversary, this year's grand fireworks finale will launch from George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in Virginia instead of the National Mall. Actress and singer Loren Allred will perform "God Bless America" during the display. "What a perfect connection to 250 years ago," Colbert said. "We wouldn't be a country if it weren't for George Washington."

The commercial free special begins at 8 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide. Many local stations will immediately rebroadcast the program, giving the event PBS's full three hour primetime schedule for the evening. Presented by Boeing, the concert will also stream on YouTube and air on the American Forces Network.

The milestone anniversary has also resulted in an unusually packed holiday schedule. Competing celebrations include NBC's two hour Macy's 4th of July Fireworks special, Disney Celebrates America, a 24 hour cross platform event hosted by David Muir beginning July 3, and President Donald Trump's Great American State Fair/Freedom 250 celebration, which started June 25 on the National Mall and continues through July 10.

For Colbert, the event has always been personal. His late father launched A Capitol Fourth 46 years ago, when Colbert himself was only 12 years old. "I was there, holding his script and a Diet Coke for him," he recalled. Today, Colbert and his wife, Jill Jackson, serve together as executive producers of the annual production.

Many of the artists have also become familiar faces over the years. Ribeiro returns for his fourth year as host, something Colbert says has made the live production even smoother. "We all know he does live television every week [as host of Dancing with the Stars], but he is a joy to work with," Colbert said. "He's such a talent, but he's also one of the nicest people I've ever met, and when you're live and you got that clock dangling above your head to get off on time, he is just such a pro."

Several performers will debut or present special performances during the broadcast. Adkins will premiere his new song, "American Made," before performing "Still a Soldier" during a tribute honoring 250 years of military service, accompanied by service members wearing uniforms representing every era from 1776 through today.

LaBelle is set to perform Frank Sinatra's "The House I Live In," while soprano Angel Blue will deliver "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Pearce will perform both "The National Anthem" and a country inspired version of "This Land Is Your Land."

The celebration will also include appearances by the Artemis II crew along with athletes from the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Although nearly every performance will be presented live, one segment was recorded in advance. Jackson's rendition of "America the Beautiful" was filmed at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium over Memorial Day weekend. The country legend, who is living with the degenerative neurological condition Charcot Marie Tooth disease, also recorded his farewell concert at Nashville's Nissan Stadium on June 27.

For Colbert, producing the annual event has only deepened his appreciation for both the celebration and the nation itself. "I just feel very humble and happy and grateful to be able to do this," he said. "Not just continuing my dad's legacy, but to be able to do something that it ultimately about love of country and love of one another. Let's celebrate and dance all the way through it."