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American Morning
A Capitol Fourth Host Barry Bostwick Discusses Day's Festivities
Aired July 04, 2001 - 09:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this was the scene a year ago during the Capitol Fourth celebration in the nation's capital. This year's festivities promise to be just a spectacular. The event is going to be held on the West Lawn of the Capitol. And it is going to be broadcast live on PBS.
Now, the host of this year's Capitol Fourth is actor Barry Bostwick, who plays the mayor of New York City in the ABC comedy "Spin City." He joins us this morning from Washington.
How are you doing, man?
BARRY BOSTWICK, HOST, CAPITOL FOURTH: I am doing great. Good morning.
HARRIS: Hey, glad to have you with us this morning. Please bear with me. I am losing my voice from screaming too much yesterday.
But I have got to ask you, I understand this is, what, the fourth time that you will be doing the Capitol Fourth?
BOSTWICK: Yes, this is my fourth time hosting. I have done it five times. The first time I was hired on as a singer and sang sort of poorly, I think. And so they brought me back as the host the next year.
(LAUGHTER)
BOSTWICK: So -- no -- I do an opening number every year, some big production number. This year, we're doing a number called "Celebration." So we are rocking with Cool and the Gang.
HARRIS: That's some kind of assessment of your singing, if they say: We want you to come back, but you have got to talk next time.
(LAUGHTER)
BOSTWICK: Yes, I know.
HARRIS: Well, who is going to be in the program this time around?
BOSTWICK: This year, we've got a -- first of all, the opening number I am doing with the Washington Redskin cheerleaders.
HARRIS: Oh.
BOSTWICK: And I am so sad that you couldn't find any beautiful women in Washington to put on your cheerleader squad.
(LAUGHTER)
BOSTWICK: And then we're doing -- we've got the Pointer Sisters, The Fifth Dimension, Susan Anton, The Irish Tenors, Harolyn Blackwell. And I know I have left a number of people out, because there is more people that it takes to fill in a wonderful 90-minute concert.
HARRIS: Well -- and we're seeing some of the rehearsals from yesterday, I suppose. That was the dress rehearsal, correct, yesterday?
BOSTWICK: That was the dress rehearsal yesterday, yes, yes. This opening number is huge. It's amazing. We have got kids dressed up as Uncle Sams and me trying not to trip over myself.
HARRIS: Any big surprises planned this time around?
BOSTWICK: The big surprises are that we are going to make it on the air without rain -- I hope -- and that we'll get through it. I mean, it's a miracle that the show ever gets on the air with two rehearsals. It's a 90-minute live show, you know? And it just goes on and on and on.
And I am reading the words on a monitor like this that I have never seen before. And so it's...
HARRIS: Hey, man, we do that every day here, I have to tell you.
(LAUGHTER)
BOSTWICK: I know you do. But you don't have a half million people live sitting in front of you, staring up at you, waiting for you to mess up.
HARRIS: Yes, that's a very big difference. I know exactly what you mean. In fact, most of what you do is to a camera, right -- I mean, when you are doing -- putting together the show.
BOSTWICK: After the opening number -- after the opening.
HARRIS: Exactly.
So when you have to do something like this live in front of this many people, I mean, don't the knees start to knock up a little bit?
BOSTWICK: Yes, thank God, right -- right up to about here, there is a wall. So you don't see anything below that. And it's not bad; 500,000 people, after a while, they just become like family. You know, why not?
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Yes, I guess the King family maybe, or the Wayans family, I don't know.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Well, listen, why is it that you come back and commit to this event every single year? It just is -- is there something about this that just trips your trigger?
BOSTWICK: Well, it is. You know, I first witnessed this as an audience member when I was doing a miniseries called "George Washington" back in the early '80s. And I came out -- Patty Duke and myself -- we were shooting in Alexandria. And we came out and just happened to say: "Oh, there's this concert. Let's go look at it."
And we snuck underneath the lines. And we watched it. And I was really moved by it and the fireworks over the Washington Monument and everything. And a tear came to my eye. And I tapped into an emotion I never had tapped into before. And that's patriotism.
HARRIS: No kidding.
BOSTWICK: And so I have come back every year because of just that thrill, that feeling, that tear.
HARRIS: Good deal. Well, I tell you what, good luck in bringing that same emotion to it, all of those who are going to be watching it. And this is going to be one of the biggest events broadcast on PBS, as I understand it, too.
BOSTWICK: Yes, it's the highest watched entertainment show of the year, yes.
HARRIS: Good luck. Break a leg or a break a lip or whatever it is you are supposed do in this business.
BOSTWICK: Thanks a lot.
HARRIS: Barry Bostwick, thanks much. Good luck. We'll see you later on.
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