41st ANNUAL BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR WILL BE TELEVISED EXCLUSIVELY ON CBS BOSTON’S WBZ-TV FROM 8 P.M.-11 P.M. ON JULY 3

The Boston Pops has issued an update on its first-ever webcast of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, following the news that the Independence Day Celebration has been moved to July 3, due to the necessary cancellation of the July 4 concert in response to inclement weather predictions. This news was announced by the State Police and B4 Productions late in the day on Tuesday, July 2.

The first-ever webcast of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, sponsored by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, will stream live on July 3 at 8 p.m. on www.bostonpopsjuly4th.org and www.cbsboston.com, bringing the event to a worldwide audience. Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra will be joined by special guests The Beach Boys, Megan Hilty, and the Boston Children’s Chorus for the July 3 concert.Governor Deval Patrick will narrate a newly commissioned Boston Pops arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner in honor of the national anthems 200th anniversary in 2014.

The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will be televised exclusively on CBS Boston’s WBZ-TV from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The broadcast recently won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Event Coverage presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Boston/New England.

Any questions about the cancellation of the July 4 concert and logistics about the July 3 performance should be directed to: David Procopio, Director of Media Communications,State Police, [email protected]; 508-820-2623 OR Steve McDonald, B4 Productions, [email protected]; 617-817-2111

BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR PROGRAM
The Beach Boys’ vocal harmonies are unmistakable and enduring, and their torrent of hits changed the musical landscape profoundly. The Beach Boys continue to create and perform with the same bold imagination and style that marked their explosive debut over 50 years ago. Captained by Mike Love, The Beach Boys play an astoundingly busy schedule of concerts, averaging 150 shows a year. The Beach Boys are led by Mike Love and Bruce Johnson, who along with Christian Love, Randell Kirsch, Tim Bonhomme, John Cowsill, and Scott Totten continue the legacy of the iconic American band. Few, if any, acts can match The Beach Boys’ concert presence, spirit, and performance.
Star of television and the Broadway stage, singer and actress Megan Hilty will perform at this year’s concert along with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. After stints on Broadway in Wicked, 9 to 5: The Musical, andGentlemen Prefer Blondes, Megan Hilty became one of TV’s newest stars with her leading role in the popular NBC series Smash. Hilty recently starred alongside Sean Hayes in NBC’s comedy Sean Saves the World. In March 2013, she released her debut solo album, It Happens All the Time, and made her debut with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall in May 2013.

The Boston Children’s Chorus is a creative social integration organization that unites area children ages 7-18 across differences of race, religion and socioeconomic status. Their focus is not on one specific community, but the energy of the intersection of all our communities. Through intensive choral training and once-in-a-lifetime performing experiences locally, nationally and around the world, BCC enhances the education and social development of youth as future leaders and global citizens in the 21st century.

This year’s program will be hosted by WBZ-TV News anchors Lisa Hughes and Jonathan Elias and will feature members of WBZ-TV News: WBZ-TV morning news anchors Kate Merrill and David Wade, evening anchors Paula Ebben and Jack Williams, Chief Meteorologist Eric Fisher, and Sports Director Steve Burton. It will also air locally on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 hosted by Jordan Rich with reports from WBZ News anchor Joe Mathieu. Additionally, the broadcast will stream live on the FM dial on WCRB 99.5 beginning at 7 p.m. with Ron Della Chiesa and Laura Carlo. The WBZ-TV Emmy-winning broadcast marks the twelfth year that WBZ-TV has carried the program.

This year’s Spectacular will keep alive several of the Boston holiday traditions including the Pops’ now classic Independence Day rendition of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, which features real cannons, the live ringing of area church bells, and fireworks. Also on the program is The Stars and Stripes Forever, which includes the ceremonial American flag drop and confetti shot. The Spectacular will be capped off by a magnificent fireworks array that fills the skies above Boston with a stunning exhibition of color and breathtaking pageantry.

The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular is an annual, free outdoor concert at the DCR Hatch Shell on the Esplanade and is sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance, one of America’s leading insurers, offering auto, home, and life insurance for individuals and families, as well as a variety of insurance products and services for businesses. The final 20 minutes of the broadcast, featuring the spectacular fireworks display, will be presented commercial-free by Liberty Mutual Insurance.

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BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR

Thursday, July 3, 2014
8 p.m. – 11 p.m., (10:30 p.m. fireworks)
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra
The Beach Boys
Megan Hilty
Governor Deval Patrick
Boston Children’s Chorus