PBS’s ‘A Capitol Fourth’ Will Feature ‘West Side Story’ Tribute, Salute To Lincoln Memorial’s Centennial — Update

UPDATE: This year’s A Capitol Fourth, the annual televised Independence Day concert, will feature a celebration of West Side Story‘s 65th anniversary, headlined by Chita Rivera, and a centennial salute to the Lincoln Memorial.

Just added to the lineup are Cynthia Erivo and Jake Owen.

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The event, to be broadcast on PBS, will be hosted by Mickey Guyton, with performances by Darren Criss, Yolanda Adams, Gloria Gaynor, Keb’ Mo’, Emily Bear, Andy Grammer and Loren Allred with the National Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jack Everly. Rachel Platten will do a special tribute to military heroes and their families, as she performs her song Stand By You.

The event, on the West Lawn of the Capitol, will be open to the public, after two years of virtual celebrations due to Covid.

Guyton will also perform during the event. She was the first African American artist to be nominated in a country music category. She has hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards and performed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.

Rivera, who played Anita in the original Broadway production of West Side Story, will lead the anniversary celebration, as the National Symphony Orchestra performs a musical tribute. Erivo will perform Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s ballad Somewhere.

Owen will perform American Country Love Song and Down To the Honkeytonk with the National Symphony Orchestra.

Adams will perform Battle Hymn of the Republic from the Lincoln Memorial as part of the 100th anniversary salute.

The evening will conclude with the Capital fireworks display, including a performance featuring The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” also marking its 100th anniversary.  

The event will air July 4 from 8 PM ET to 9:30 PM ET on PBS. It also will be aired on Armed Forces Network and aired on NPR member stations. It will be streamed on YouTube and PBS.org from July 4 to July 18. 

Also participating will be the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, the U.S. Army Presidential Salute Battery, members of the Armed Forces carrying the state and territorial Flags, the Armed Forces Color Guard provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C., the Choral Arts Society of Washington and Patrick Lundy & The Ministers of Music. 

The concert is a co-production of Michael Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA-TV.

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