Top Picks: NBC's 'Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular,' Mark O'Connor's new album 'MOC4,' and more
Spectacular Fourth
This Independence Day, will televise Macy鈥檚 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular live from New York City. Before the pyrotechnics begin, Nick Cannon will host an all-star show, featuring Ariana Grande, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, and Lionel Richie. The Brooklyn Bridge provides a stunning backdrop for the country鈥檚 largest Fourth of July fireworks show. The show airs on NBC on July 4 at 8 p.m., and will be rebroadcast at 10 p.m.
Revisiting the 鈥�90s
is going back to the time of Bill Clinton鈥檚 presidency and when grunge icon Kurt Cobain ruled the stage with its miniseries The 鈥�90s: The Last Great Decade? For three consecutive nights, the network will explore the events of those years, such as the Gulf War, the Rodney King riots, the Anita Hill hearings, and the rise of reality TV. The miniseries will include interviews with people such as Gen. Colin Powell and 鈥�Friends鈥� star Matthew Perry. It debuts July 6 at 9 p.m. Viewer discretion is advised.
Women Playwrights
In pursuit of a more balanced gender representation on the hallowed boards of traditional theater, has assembled what it plans as an annual list of top work by women in American theater. Inspired by Franklin Leonard鈥檚 鈥淭he Black List,鈥� an annual survey of Hollywood鈥檚 favorite unproduced screenplays, the group surveyed more than 100 top theater professionals to come up with 鈥淭he List,鈥� 46 plays to recommend to regional, off-Broadway, and Broadway producers. The hope is to offset the statistic that nearly 80 percent of plays in American theater are written by men. Check it out at www.thekilroys.org/thelist.
History of twee
Ever wonder how Brooklynites with their ukuleles and jars of pickles became so ... precious? Marc Spitz explains how the cultural epicenter of a handcrafted aesthetic came to be in Twee: The Gentle Revolution in Music, Books, Television, Fashion, and Film. Beginning with the works of Walt Disney, passing through musical trendsetters such as Velvet Underground, and up to the quirky 鈥淧ortlandia鈥� TV show, Spitz traces the cultural evolution and celebration of the sweetly shy outsider who is more committed to childhood and decency than a hardened adult world.
Classic meets bluegrass
American violin virtuoso is back with his mission to embrace as many musical traditions as possible with his latest release, MOC4. The classically trained string player has partnered in the past with the likes of cellist Yo-Yo Ma in his pursuit of a larger musical canvas. In this release, he fiddles with a mean bluegrass trio and teams up with some of his own prot茅g茅s on duets that embrace the haunting rhythms and melodies of Americana.
Jazz favorites
If you like the gentle rhythm and sway of old-fashioned jazz love songs, presents 12 classic standards ranging from 鈥淢y Romance鈥� to 鈥淏ye, Bye Blackbird鈥� on Once in a While. Redfern, an award-winning singer-songwriter from Maine known for her warm, folksy voice, adds a bit of nightclub glamour to her repertoire with this new album and gives old favorites a sweet new sound. Check it out at www.lisaredfern.com.
