For the past 45 years, Capitol Force has celebrated the Fourth of July live from the Capitol, bringing together some of America’s most beloved performers to host a Fourth of July concert and fireworks show that airs on PBS.
As the country celebrates its 500th anniversary this year, Capitol Hill’s 4th: 250th weekend celebrations will start early, moving the annual holiday to July 3 to jump ahead with the crowds. “Not only is there a lot going on in Washington, there’s a lot going on across the country,” says Michael Colbert, executive producer of “Capitol Force.” “We’ve already heard from many public television stations how excited they are to start this year a day early. Next year, we’ll be back for a fourth edition, just like we’ve always been.”
In addition to host Alfonso Ribeiro, the musical will feature artists from the music world, including Chicago, Trace Adkins, Patti LaBelle, Kool & the Gang, Carly Pearce, Alan Jackson, Lauren Allred, Angel Blue, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Broadway cast of Just in Time, and actors Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna.
“We try to offer something for everyone,” Colbert said. “When you start with a blank piece of paper, you end up with an incredible group of artists from so many great genres.”
Although the nature of the holiday focuses on U.S. performers, in recent years “we’ve been fortunate here and there to have friends from other parts of the world come and celebrate with us,” he says.
“Capitol Force”
In these politically divisive times, Capitol 4 (and its sister National Day Concert) remains devoutly nonpartisan. “From the beginning, they have been completely nonpartisan and always will be,” Colbert said. “We wouldn’t have it any other way. Everyone left, right and center is coming together to celebrate our birthday.”
This year, the special event commemorating his 250th birthday will feature fireworks set off from George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon, Virginia, instead of the usual location on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as actress and singer Allred sings “God Bless America.” “What a perfect link to 250 years ago,” Colbert said. “If it weren’t for George Washington, we wouldn’t be a country.”
The concert will be broadcast commercial-free on PBS stations nationwide starting at 8:00 PM ET, and will be immediately rebroadcast in many markets, giving the entire three-hour prime time slot on PBS that night a special broadcast. The program, presented by Boeing, will be streamed on YouTube and broadcast on the American Forces Network.
Due to the special anniversary of the 250th anniversary, more celebration events than usual are planned. The unusually crowded field includes Macy’s two-hour Fourth of July fireworks display, which will be broadcast on NBC. There will also be a 24-hour cross-platform broadcast and prime-time special, “Disney Celebrates America,” anchored by David Muir, which will run from July 3rd to July 4th, and President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair/Freedom 250 Celebration, which begins June 25th and ends July 10th, on the National Mall.
For Colbert, the Fourth Capitol is literally a family affair, with his late father starting the event 46 years ago when Colbert was 12 years old. “I was there with his script and a Diet Coke,” Colbert recalls. He and his wife, Jill Jackson, currently serve as the festival’s executive producers.
And many of the performers have been to the event several times, so they feel like family. Liberio will return as host for a fourth year. “We all know he’s on live TV every week [as host of Dancing with the Stars]”But I enjoy working with him. He’s a very talented guy, but he’s also one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He’s just a pro when he’s hanging a watch over his head during a show to make sure he gets home on time,” Colbert says.
Some artists have special performances scheduled. Adkins will perform his new songs “American Made” and “Still a Soldier” for the first time on TV, in honor of 250 years of military service and sacrifice, accompanied by military personnel in period uniforms from 1776 to the present.
Lovell will sing Frank Sinatra’s “The House I Live In,” and operatic soprano Blue will perform “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Pierce sings “The National Anthem” and a country-inspired version of “This Land Is Your Land.”
Additionally, members of the Artemis II crew and the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will be in attendance.
While most of the performances are live (the only exception in recent decades has been during COVID-19 shutdowns), this year there was one recorded appearance by Jackson performing “American the Beautiful,” which the country superstar recorded at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Memorial Day. (Jackson, who suffers from the degenerative neurological disorder Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, was photographed at his farewell concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on June 27.)
For Colbert, attending each year increases his appreciation for the event and this country. “I feel very humbled and happy and grateful to be able to do this,” he says. “We get to do something that’s not just about carrying on our father’s legacy, but ultimately about love for our country and love for each other. Let’s celebrate that and dance to the end.”
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