Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits returns to host the biggest and brightest birthday party in the country, A Capitol Fourth, featuring for the first time ever, Barry Manilow, who will both open and close the concert broadcast with a stirring medley of hits and patriotic classics along with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society of Washington.
He will be joined by the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, international pop sensation Natasha Bedingfield, the Tony and Grammy Award-winning cast of Jersey Boys, multi Grammy Award-nominee Michael Feinstein and acclaimed classical pianist Andrew von Oeyen. This star-studded cast will light up the stage on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol for the 29th annual A Capitol Fourth celebration featuring unrivaled musical performances with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of America's prince of pops Erich Kunzel.
As a special treat for the entire family, Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and more of the SESAME STREET gang will be on hand to celebrate America's 233rd birthday.
The Muppets will perform a musical medley of patriotic favorites as well as iconic songs that we all know and love from this breakthrough children's television series that is celebrating 40 years of fun and learning.
The multi-award winning A Capitol Fourth, featuring the most spectacular fireworks display anywhere in the nation, will be broadcast live in high definition and commercial free on PBS Saturday, July 4, 2009 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as on National Public Radio and around the world to our troops on the American Forces Radio and Television Network.
The skyline of the nation's capital will come alive with vibrant and booming pyrotechnics, set against silhouettes of national landmarks the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. A Capitol Fourth will capture this stunning fireworks display from every vantage point with eighteen TV cameras stationed around the city — including the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument and across the Potomac River. Capping off the show will be a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky's “1812 Overture” complete with live cannon fire provided by the United States Army Presidential Salute Battery, an audience favorite and now A Capitol Fourth tradition. Also participating in the event will be The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, The U.S. Army “Old Guard” Fife and Drum Corps and the Armed Forces Color Guard provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.
Commented Smits, “I am honored to be asked once again to host this year's special party to celebrate our great country's birthday… and what a 'guest list!' The music itself embraces so many genres — we've got pop, we've got classical and we've got soul. Throw in an anniversary celebration of Sesame Street, topped off with the biggest fireworks display around and we've got quite a show!”
For A Capitol Fourth executive producer Jerry Colbert and producer Michael Colbert have assembled an award-winning production team that features the top Hollywood talent behind some of television's most prestigious entertainment awards shows. This includes Emmy award-winning producer Walter C. Miller, American's leading director and producer of live programs including the Grammy Awards and Country Music Awards; award-winning director Paul Miller whose credits include the Country Music Awards and Saturday Night Live; and veteran television writer Jon Macks, whose credits include the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. The program is a co-production of Jerry Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA, Washington, D.C.
For more than 25 years, Capital Concerts has produced the two major patriotic events at the U.S. Capitol. In 1981, Colbert presented the first PBS Fourth of July telecast with the National Symphony Orchestra and guest artists performing live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. In 1990, he introduced the National Memorial Day Concert. Since then, both holiday specials have been honored with over 80 awards including the New York Film Festival Award, the Telly Award, the Golden Cine Award, the Videographer Award, the National Education Association Award, the Aurora Award, the Christopher Award, the Communicator's Award, the AXIEM Award, the Omni Award and the Writer's Guild of America Award.
A Capitol Fourth 2009 is made possible by grants from The Boeing Company, the National Park Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Department of the Army, the National Endowment for the Arts, PBS and public television stations nationwide. Air travel is provided by American Airlines.
COCHON 555 – Washington D.C.
5 Pigs, 5 Chefs, 5 Winemakers
May 31st, 2009
WHAT: A group of top Washington D.C. area chefs will each prepare a heritage breed hog from head to toe for this competition. Cochon 555 is the only national chef competition promoting heritage pigs and breed diversity. Guests and professional judges will determine a winner based on creative, classic preparation and overall best flavor. The winner will be crowned the Prince of Porc. In addition, five family-owned wineries will showcase their wines. We are proud to announce Bev Eggleston from EcoFriendly Foods will be featuring his fine line of heritage swine.
WHO: Taste Network presents www.amusecochon.com
Brian McBride, Blue Duck Tavern
RJ Cooper, Vidalia
Nicholas Stefanelli, Mio
Jamie Leeds, Commonwealth Gastropub
John Manolatos, Cashion's Eat Place
VIP Chef: Vaughn Skaggs, Market Salamander
VIP Cheese: Cowgirl Creamery
Wineries: Miner Family Vineyards, Patz & Hall, Arcadian Winery, Pax Winery and Bonny Doon Vineyeards.
WHEN: Sunday, May 31st, 5:00 p.m.
Chef & Judges VIP Reception 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. – 1330 Maryland Ave SW
WHY: To promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities. Also, to raise awareness for ICompassion <http://icompassion.org /> , an organization that works to reduce the number of individuals who die from kidney disease each year through providing support with a national live donor registry.
HOW: Advance ticket purchase required. Dress is smart casual.
Cochon 555 began in Atlanta and is national in scope. Other cities include Chicago, New York and San Francisco. Chefs and judges from each city are selected by Taste Network to participate in the event. www.amusecochon.com
Taste Network is a Georgia-based company delivering experiential services to the artisan wine and cheese industries. The companys mission is to provide cultured events and education focused around artisan wine, cheese and cuisine to its clients and the public at large.
Magnolia Pictures and the Impact Arts + Film Fund will screen the documentary FOOD, INC. on Monday, June 8 at 6:00PM at Landmark’s E Street Cinema (555 11th St, NW, WDC) as part IAFF’s ongoing films series.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker Robert Kenner, Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and food safety advocate Barb Kowalcyk. In FOOD, INC. Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli–the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Magnolia Pictures for a screening of FOOD, INC., one of the most important and critically-acclaimed documentaries of the year,” said Jody Arlington who founded IAFF with Jamie Shor and Kimball Stroud. “The film artfully exposes a growing crisis in the American food supply that will completely change the way you look at the food on your plate.”
Magnolia Pictures will open FOOD, INC. on June 19 in Washington, DC.
About Robert Kenner (producer/director)
Award-winning filmmaker Robert Kenner worked for over six years to bring FOOD, INC. to the screen. Kenner’s previous films have played theatrically, on television, and to President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore at the White House. His previous films include “Two Days in October,” “The Road to Memphis“ and “War Letters” which aired on PBS.
About Eric Schlosser (co-producer)
Eric Schlosser is an investigative journalist, best-selling author, playwright and a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly. He is considered a leading authority on the impacts of industrialized agriculture. He is the author of three best-selling books: Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal, Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market, and Chew on This: Everything You Don’t Want to Know About Fast Food which he co-wrote with Charles Wilson. Schlosser is the recipient of both a National Magazine Award and a Sidney Hillman Foundation Award for his investigative reporting.
About Michael Pollan (featured author)
Michael Pollan is the author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, winner of the James Beard Award, and The Omnivore's Dilemma, which was named one of the ten best books of the year by both the New York Times and the Washington Post. Previous books include Second Nature, The Botany of Desire, and A Place of My Own. In addition to FOOD, INC., Pollan next will appear in “The Botany of Desire,” which will be broadcast on public television this fall. Pollan is a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and the Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley.
About Impact Arts and Film Fund
The Impact Arts and Film Fund (IAFF) is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization that was created as a platform for arts, documentary and narrative filmmaking to engage with the political and policy arena. IAFF hosts screenings, panel discussions, promotional events, and exhibits to educate and enlighten its audiences and create a climate for meaningful social impact.
There's a lot to be said and done about National Harbor.
The man-made fantasy island just short of Johnny Rockets can be a teenager's bliss with plenty of curves and carousals, but it's the grown-ups who inhabitate this island and a rich island do they make. Frankly, it's gawkers paradise, with plenty of surf and turf for the ride, and weekends can be jampacked between the burgeoning restaurant corridor, off-the-cuff festivals, discovery creeks and pathaways, a gigantic hotel called Gaylord, and a grand finale of asphalt strip that leads to the river where weekend stalls and booths cajole the mood for some public good.
Last weekend we were in such a mood, thanks to Publicist Carlyle Fairfax Smith who shadows Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center when in-house PRshrink Amie Gorell is trailing the big guns. We had been invited for an overnight courtesy which included a luxurious suite, dinner at the Moonbay Coastal Cuisine followed by drinks at the uber-risque Pose Ultra Lounge. Breakfast the next morning was heralded at Pienza Italian Market.
As soon as we arrived in National Harbor, what struck us was how close this was to our usual surroundings as locals, yet how distant it seemed to our travel buds – and as soon as we took ourselves off the ramp, we were in a new man's land and among other welcomes, there it was – a new plaque announcing that Disney had arrived – or was planning to arrive as the announcement had just been made in screaming headlines just days ago that the Disney operatives had finally landed a lucrative landing spot in the nation's capital (for those who have been is Disneyland Paris all these years, the giant tried to get into town through the backdoor of Virginia's countrywide but those DisneyDollars were met with DomesticDisdain and a mini-revolt was quelched).
Taking a walk in the Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center is like cruising on a ship. It balloons in proportions and looking into the courtyard can be dizzying heights from the premium, atrium-view guest suite we were in. Of course it's a hotel, but if course it's a conference center. But where does one begin and the other end, that's hard to say.
Where else could you fathom a walk-way that reminds you of work and pleasure both at the same time to make you feel guilty that you may be indulging in one while neglecting the other (the photo below shows the pathway one must take if going to a convention or just indulging in the spa, or vice versa, and its a reminder alright)
Even though it's a large property, the staff is very pleasant and service is extra-ordinary. Since we had arrived a bit early than the usual check-in, we were compensated for our early tidings with complimentary drinks at the bar thanks to the Front Desk.
So we hung out at the National Sports Bar and Grille – its the biggest and most opulent sports bar we have ever seen with a 30-foot video wall plastered with wall-to-wall HDTVs (see below).
After downing a pint, we decided to go for a stroll in the lower-level atrium of the hotel which is lined with trees and fountains and zigs-zags through eateries, a bakery, a coffee shop and a sundry store. Aptly, they even have a store named Pajama Party (below) for those looking for a late night , last-minute hook up (and this would be the place for it).
Once you've decided you've had enough of the indoor sunlight the place has to offer, and you want to actually be on the water, that's when discovery island fun has just begun.
We spent over 24 hours just discovering what National Harbor was all about and why the fuss was so real that it was making everyone in Alexandria, and DC, nervous.
A few minutes of jaywalking, and we figured out why. This place is being built strategically (Tommy Bahama Rum posters on restaurant windows inviting you to the life and beyond) and at a frenetic pace that would have even given Reston Town Center a run for its money in its heydays. In just two short blocks, there is so much to do, so much to eat, so much to drink, and so much to see – and gawk.
For starters, the weekend we were there there was a casual flea market on Saturday and a major schmoozer-casual United States Yacht Show.
We snapped Coral Anika Theill of Stafford, Virginia who is a regular at the flea market with her Honeycomb Keepsakes, which sells 100% pure beeswax ornaments and candles.
A few doors down was the monkey-business boat show and we couldn't help but take in some of the million-dollar yachts so puritanical in look and feel that you'd just want to stare.
The inside cabin of a million yacht that was yours for the asking only if you didn't say recession.
Lending some cultural cringe to the theory of a boat show in these times was the tall and characteristic Miss Ann which was moored for the evening and also hosted the after-party for the yacht show. Seen here are newly-minted owners and brothers Frank and Guy Schroff who entertained guests at the party and wanted everyone reading this article to know that they just bought the boat (for a steal) from the owner of The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia and that she was available for private charters and they were taking reservations for a private sail for the 4th of July Weekend. (Contact Guy if you want to take Miss Ann for a ride.)
So, having sailed our minds away, and before we cocooned back to our room, we decided to take one last lap of luxury to see what other things were happening at the National Harbor when we saw a few folks buzz by on those human-wheelers called Segways so we poked around and found one of the few official Segway stores in the DC area which was a cool find. We also had a chance to learn more about Intrepid boats and their benefits.
Before we headed back to homeland, we ate at the Pienza Italian Market and guess who we found in the buffet assembly line on Sunday morning?
Former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder with a lady squeeze was seen hobknobbing the buffet the morning we ate.
Shaking Wilder's hand and taking his picture, it hit us:
We had finally arrived. And so had Gaylord's National Harbor.
That's the legendary Doc Hayes (extreme right gold necklace) with his posse from the Erikka A. Hayes Foundation. Shows Inc., the event organizers, worship him, because the Man makes all the permits happen. And if you're dealing with alcohol, you know how much a connection like Doc is worth. He had a booth as soon as you came in and they were raising funds for a good cause in the name of Mojitos!
Diagonally across from Doc was the Watermelon Lady! Of all the things one can pedal, there's always watermelon! So that's Jessica Haden (in tiara) the 2009 Maryland-Delaware Watermelon Queen with Candice Hales whose real job is to push watermelons for a living. Yeah, she actually works for the Mar-Del Watermelon Association.
Taking a stab at some business at the winefest was a knife-wielding purveyor of Hammer Stahl knives which you can get at different sites as all-knives.org and others.
A few doors down we ran into Nichole Benolken, General Manager of aloft Washington National Harbor, a stylish new hotel property envisioned by the W Hotel chain. When we told Nichole about our last weekend getaway at Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center and the resulting press, she said she couldn't wait to invite us back to the man-made island so we could check out her hot property. We're gonna take her up on her invite and our readers will only be as proud!
An unusual contraption at the winefest was being served/sold by George A. Papendick who fronts for a company called Soiree. So, what is this test-tube babyä It helps aerate your wine by bringing the pour in first contact with Oxygen and than your glass, a process called double-decanting. Go figure!
Not too clear on the double-decanting, we double-dipped on the Vodka – Svedka Vodka, we were reminded by Larry Brookman (left) who promised to send us some of the V-decanters. Hopefully, he won't recant!
Before we were accused of abandoning the wines, we found ourselves in the "Black Box" lounge with some Hollywood-types. That's Heather Ackroyd in the black and white dotted dress with Publisher Lak Vohra. Heather is the niece of Dan Ackroyd, repping for VinOne, a Constellation Brands company, that handled many of the big box brands in town for the festival. Heather tells us Uncle Dan has happily branched out into the wine, vodka and horror regalia business. She's got the family look, doesn't sheä
Chilling in the Black Box wine lounge three unidentified patrons. No wine, just cameras!
That's a familiar family! John A. Harrington (who assembled his family for the festival) has known us for over a decade and all this while he's been loyal to Trefethen Family Vineyards of Napa. One family sticking with the other. We like that. Go John!
Lot's of foodie luminaries from around the nation descended at the festival. Caught taking a break with her entourage was Barbara Fairchild, Editor-in-Chief of Bon Appetit magazine.
We saved the last word for the Robert Mondavi Pavilion – by far the coolest winetrap we have ever seen in ages perched high above the festival asphalt in cool climes resembling an African safari mission. As you can see, the hourly tastings and special demonstrations had standing room only with local chefs pairing mini-meals with Mondavi wines. The sessions were led by Nick Padula, Area Manager, VinOne (holding the microphone). The pavilion fatured hi-def flat screen TVs and very chic serving stations run by flight-attendants-by-day-and-wine-pourers-by-the-hour damsels (above) who made khakis a word you could keep rolling around your tongue around dreaming of flights you couldn't have enough of. Salud!
Domino's Pizza, the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, heats up the summer with its new Fiery Hawaiian pizza, the newest addition to its popular Domino's American Legends specialty line, and hot new commercials featuring Domino's franchisees.
The Fiery Hawaiian pizza is for those who like it hot with spice in every bite. It's made up of sliced ham, smoked bacon, juicy pineapple, roasted red peppers, hot sauce, jalapenos and mozzarella cheese on a cheesy parmesan crust. "All Domino's American Legend pizzas are packed with so much bold taste, and 40 percent more cheese than a regular Domino's pizza," said Russell Weiner, Domino's Chief Marketing Officer.
"Customers looking to spice things up will love the addition of the Fiery Hawaiian pizza. "In addition to the new pizza, we wanted to do something different in this round of commercials for Domino's American Legends line," Weiner continued.
"Since the pizzas are inspired by legendary American tastes, we thought featuring Domino's Pizza franchisees associated with pizzas from their respective hometowns would be a fun and cool way to show off these specialty pizzas to America."
In addition to the new Fiery Hawaiian, six other tasty Domino's American Legend pizzas are available at .99 for a large or .99 for a medium:
— Philly Cheese Steak–Steak, onions, green peppers and mushrooms with provolone and American cheeses on a cheesy provolone crust
— Pacific Veggie–Roasted red peppers, spinach, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and black olives, with feta, mozzarella and provolone cheese on a cheesy parmesan crust
— Honolulu Hawaiian–Sliced ham, smoked bacon, juicy pineapple, and roasted red peppers with provolone and mozzarella cheese on a cheesy parmesan crust
— Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch–Chicken breast, white sauce, smoked bacon, tomatoes and parsley with provolone cheese and mozzarella cheese on a cheesy provolone crust
— Memphis BBQ Chicken–Chicken breast, barbeque sauce, onions, and parsley with provolone, mozzarella and cheddar cheese on a cheesy cheddar crust
— Buffalo Chicken–Chicken breast, Buffalo hot sauce, onions and parsley with provolone and American cheese on a cheesy cheddar crust
Domino's American Legends are available at all continental U.S. stores, with promotional support from America's dairy farmers in cooperation with Dairy Management Inc.
Order at http://www.dominos.com
Give a film-buff Dad a couple of movies and snacks when you select this Movie Night Scoop Box. The tall theater popcorn box is stuffed with classic movie munchies including fresh-buttered popcorn, red licorice twists, malted milk balls and a Blockbuster® gift card so Dad can select the movies of his choice. No red-carpet budget required.
The search for a perfect golf-themed gift ends with the Range Bucket and Golf Balls filled with the tastiest of treats: mini pretzels, Almond Pecan corn, chocolate chip cookies, sour stars, Jelly Belly® beans and a popcorn ball. You're sure to score a hole in one when Dad sees the centerpiece – a sleeve of Titleist® golf balls.
http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/range-bucket-and-golf-balls.product.254285.
For the Dad that’s fascinated by Crossword, Sudoku or World Jumbles, send him a puzzle-tin filled with a choice of snack combos ranging from fresh buttered, robust cheese, caramel, or white cheddar popcorn, buttermilk ranch or alphabet pretzels. A Sharpie® pen is included to ensure that his snack time intellectually stimulating as well. Make it a family activity, since two gallons or more of macho goodies are likely to be shared.
Quadcopter
Cute volunteers at the sign-in (including the bobblehead!).
When all the wine ran out prematurely, everyone flocked to Country Vittner's Doug Mohr who kept the taste pours to a minimum and the crowds to the maximum. Can't go wrong when labelled like that!
All the volunteers from the different teams with the participating chefs for the evening.
Publisher Lak Vohra with Roll Call's Ali McSherry, Washington Blade's Amy Cavanaugh and fans.
P. Kevin Smith of LTU Technologies chairs the board for the charity and posed with Betsy Dahm whose husband Paul runs the Brainfood charity; along with Bethany Potter, Client Relations Manager for Open Table. Potter has been repping for OpenTable locally for over a year now and says the online reservation system is doing quite well despite the downturn and currently has over 432 local restaurants in its system. Impressive!
John Butt, General Partner, Conduit Ventures, flew down from London to attend the event and do vodka tastings with his friend Irina Filippova, International Commercial Director, 2degrees.
Husband-wife duo having the time of their life. Jonathan D. Taylor, Managing Partner, TTR Sotheby's International Realty with his better-half who also co-owns the realty business at the event.
That's Clarice M. Dionot, daughter of the famous Patrice & Francois Dionot who started L'Academie de Cuisine. She's now managing the business.
Last but not the least, anchor-emcee for the evening Leon Harris of ABC-7 with Ralph Rosenberg, Partner, Stir Food Group and Bryan Moscatello of Zola restaurant.
A private DJ at the Sky Vodka Lounge on the first hole teed things off to some groovy music and some Playmate-wannabes.
Sky Lounge in DC had a booth where they mixed heady cocktails and passed out $10 gift cards for comp meals at the hot lounge in DC. If you'd like one of those gift cards, contact us.
Marriages may be made in heaven but bliss could be had on the golf course! Just ask Chris Moore, Publisher of The Observer Newspapers in Herndon who was a pint away from divorce. (His digital cell phone saved him as he kept texting his wife pictures and sweet nothings of all the no-good he was upto! Or maybe was just just sexting!)
Publisher Lak Vohra shared the 'rough life' with ex-Redskins great Ricky Irwins who has a mean swing but doesn't drink not smoke (don't pay any attention to the guy shooting the picture.)
The ladies who worked the hospitality rounds during the game cleaned up pretty good for the dinner reception and awards ceremony.
That's Jennifer E. Lewis, National Events Manager, TAJ LLC, the group that organized the Playboy Golf Tournament nationwide with one of the trophies for the evening.
Redskins' greats Brian Mitchell and Ricky Irwins all smiles at the after-party and ceremony.
We snapped Playboy's Miss June Candice Cassidy with Ajay Pathak, Founder & COO, Playboy Golf enjoying each other's company at the after-party.
And- the final line-up:
