WILLIAMSBURG — Colonial Williamsburg will serve as the backdrop for a live PBS special marking the nation’s 250th anniversary on July 4, featuring performances by Judy Collins, Michael Feinstein, Kelli O’Hara and other nationally known artists.
“America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together” will air live at 8 p.m. on PBS,as part of PBS America @ 250, the network’s multiyear programming commemorating the nation’s semiquincentennial.
The two-hour broadcast will originate from Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and feature musical performances, historical interpretations, a drone show and fireworks.
Scheduled performers include Collins, Feinstein, opera singer Ryan Speedo Green, Broadway star Kelli O’Hara and Tony Award-winning actress Adrienne Warren. Actor Richard Thomas will narrate the program and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns will deliver a greeting.
The special will include “The Heartbeat of Freedom,” a performance bringing together Indigenous, West African and English colonial drumming traditions. The program will also feature excerpts from the Declaration of Independence performed by actors portraying Thomas Jefferson, Martha Washington and James Lafayette, an enslaved Virginian who gained his freedom after serving as a double agent during the Revolutionary War.
Additional performances include the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums and the world premiere of “Through a Window,” performed by Leah Glenn Dance Theatre, the Virginia Chorale and Green. The performance will be accompanied by a display of 400 synchronized drones.
The broadcast will conclude with a fireworks display set to recordings by the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band.
“America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together” will stream live and on demand on PBS following the broadcast. The event is produced in partnership with Virginia’s American Revolution 250 Commission and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
