BWW Special Coverage: 4th of July Guide for the Patriotic Theatre Junkie - Videos, Event Schedules & More!

A devout theater fan knows no holiday, and thankfully, many of Broadway's most beloved shows and performers nationwide don't either. So what's a theater enthusiast to do on this Independence Day? Check out a sampling of this year's most exciting 4th of July offerings and click below to revisit some of your favorites saluting our nation in song!

ON TV:

A CAPITOL FORTH:

This July 4th, America's national Independence Day celebration kicks off our country's 236th birthday with A CAPITOL FOURTH on PBS hosted by, Emmy Award-winning television personality Tom Bergeron.

Bergeron will lead an all-star cast in a patriotic evening of unrivaled musical performances, topped off by the greatest display of fireworks anywhere in the nation. The multi award-winning event will feature two-time Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick performing songs from the hit Broadway musical NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT with four-time Tony nominee Kelli O'Hara; acclaimed Broadway and television star Megan Hilty (SMASH); singer-songwriter Javier Colon (winner of THE VOICE); multi-platinum, two-time Grammy nominated country music star Josh Turner; R&B superstars Kool & The Gang; world renowned tenor Russell Watson; actress and singer Amber Riley (GLEE); AMERICAN IDOL winner Phillip Phillips; and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.

The event is broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, and will air live in HD on PBS Wednesday, July 4, 2012 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. EST.

BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR FEATURING Jennifer Hudson:

Academy Award and GRAMMY Award-winning superstar Jennifer Hudson will perform on the BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR, an entertainment special to be broadcast live from the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, Wednesday, July 4 (10:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. Hudson, who wowed critics and audiences alike in the Dreamgirls film adaptation, is also the newest cast member of SMASH. Hudson will portray Veronica Moore in the "road to Broadway" musical TV drama.

BROADWAY:

Though quite a few productions will be dark in honor of the fourth, many of this season's biggest stunners are planning on drawing up the curtains and welcoming in audiences. Shows perfoming on Independence Day include ANYTHING GOES, END OF THE RAINBOW, GHOST, Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN, HARVEY, JERSEY BOYS, MARY POPPINS, ONCE, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, THE BOOK OF MORMON, PORGY AND BESS, War Horse, and WICKED.

ANYTHING GOES
Stephen Sondheim Theater
2:00 PM Matinee
www.anythinggoesonbroadway.com

All aboard for this saucy and splendid new production of Cole Porter’s musical romp across the Atlantic. When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention head out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love… proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail. Peppering this hilariously bumpy ride are some of musical theater’s most memorable standards, including “You're the Top,” “Blow, Gabriel, Blow,” “It’s De-Lovely,” “I Get A Kick Out of You,” and “Anything Goes.”

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