A Capitol Fourth on PBS Goes for the Gold With a Special Olympic Tribute to Team USA Led By Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton
On July Fourth, there's no place like our nation's capital for America's biggest birthday party. The 28th annual broadcast of A Capitol Fourth, hosted by Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits, will feature a special salute to our country's summer Olympians. Gold medal winner Scott Hamilton will lead the tribute to Team USA, honoring past and present Olympians on stage before a crowd of hundreds of thousands live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. A musical tribute from the National Symphony Orchestra with maestro Erich Kunzel will include John Williams' "Olympic Fanfare" and the inspirational song "This is the Moment" performed by Tony Award-winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell. Kunzel will also conduct the Cincinnati Pops at the Beijing Olympics this summer, the only American orchestra to perform in this year's Olympic Games. Olympians to be honored during the tribute include: Eli Bremer (Modern Pentathlon); Tim Morehouse (Fencing); Dominic Grazioli (Shooting), Jake Deitchler (Wrestling), Kendrick Farris (Weightlifting), Nancy Rios (Sailing), Bob Malaythong (Badminton) and Jessica Long (2006 Paralympian of the Year). The multi-award winning event will be broadcast in high definition and commercial free on PBS Friday, July 4, 2008 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings), simulcast on National Public Radio and around the world to our troops on the American Forces Network.
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