PRESS
RELEASE FROM A PREVIOUS YEAR
Macy's
4th of July Fireworks® Ignites Lady Liberty, and
the New York and Jersey City Skylines
New York, NY- July roars in with excitement as America
celebrates its 228th birthday, and there's no better
place to party than in New York, and at the 28th annual
Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, entitled Beneath A Summer
Sky. This year's nationally televised show promises
to leave spectators from coast-to-coast captivated and
awestruck as more than 36,000 pyrotechnic shells burst
with radiant color over two locations in the East River
at midtown and South Street Seaport; as well as a special
location at Liberty State Park in Jersey City on the
Hudson, in honor of the Nation's supreme diva, Lady
Liberty.
At approximately 9:20PM EDT, thousands of shells will
simultaneously burst into the night, igniting a fireworks
extravaganza that is sure to fill patriotic hearts across
the country. Behind the artistry, brothers Gary and
James Souza and the entire Sousa Fireworks team from
Rialto, CA have once again designed a show like no other
by bringing the world's most unique and technically
advanced pyrotechnic shells to the Big Apple skyline.
The 30-minute pyrotechnic celebration will be fired
from a total of six barges; with three barges located
at the traditional East River site between 23rd and
42nd Streets, two barges at the South Street Seaport,
just south of the Brooklyn Bridge and one barge between
Ellis and Liberty Islands in celebration of the reopening
of the Statue of Liberty.
"Because of its size, scale and spectacular New
York City setting, Macy's Fireworks display is incomparable.
We've expanded this year's show to three locations including
a new one at the Statue of Liberty. We chose Jersey
City because it offers some of the best views of the
Manhattan skyline," says Robin Hall, executive
producer, Macy's Fireworks. He adds, "Macy's Fireworks
is the biggest fireworks show in the nation, and this
year the summer sky will be filled with light, color
and sound as over 36,000 shells dance to a sweeping
new soundtrack of original music, commissioned specifically
for this show."
The original musical score, written, arranged and produced
by Macy's Annual Events Creative Director, William Schermerhorn
and Broadway Composer Doug Katsaros will add emotional
firepower to the show. Each musical chord recorded by
the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America punctuates
an amazing aerial display of color, light and sound.
The music is just the beginning. The entire display
has been designed to take a more artistic approach in
expressing American patriotism. In addition to using
traditional red, white and blue hues, the show will
broaden its palette to include pastels, fuchsia, lemon,
silver and emerald green. The newness continues with
the introduction of new geometrical shapes, patterns
and movements including clown faces, butterflies, bees,
titanium bouquets, kaleidoscopes, farfalle, silver spiders,
twitters and waterfalls.
In addition to the new components, the show will satisfy
true diehard Macy's Fireworks fans by launching the
famed golden mile element (for the 11th year in a row)
and the custom-made Sousa comet, which will be launched
into the sky and burst with magnificent color and symmetry.
Never a dull moment throughout the 30-minute spectacular,
the skyline will be filled with layer upon layer of
pyrotechnic wonder.
The six specially rigged barge configurations, each
measuring from 350 to 500 feet in length and powered
by a tugboat, are equipped to handle an extensive number
of shells and electrical set pieces needed for this
year's show. The entire show is at the command of a
computer that digitally synchronizes each individual
shell to the time of the music ensuring perfect precision
and punctuation with each burst. A series of shells
will be launched every second from the barges, reaching
heights of more than 1,200 feet in the air. Over the
duration of the half-hour display, more than 1,000 shells
will be fired per minute.
The OOH's and AAH's begin at 7:30PM, as spectators
on both sides of the river in midtown will be treated
to a FDNY Fireboat Water Show. In a special tribute,
New York?s Bravest will honor America the Beautiful
by sailing two Marine Division fireboats along the East
River. The boats will spray arcs of red, clear and blue
water up 300 feet into the air before cascading into
the river. The boats will set sail northward from 23rd
street and southward from 42nd street, spouting clear
water arcs. At approximately 7:45PM, the arcs will change
from clear to colored red and blue water.
The fun continues at approximately 8:00PM, as a team
of four United States Air Force A-10 Fighter Jets, courtesy
of the 102nd Fighter Unit of Massachusetts fly over
the three fireworks locations including the East River,
South Street Seaport and Statue of Liberty, wowing spectators
with authentic military maneuvers.
Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will add to
the excitement, as he provides the narrative for the
live televised broadcast, which will air nationally
on NBC starting at 9:00 PM EDT. The Fireworks spectacular
will be seen and heard throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn,
Queens, New Jersey and across the country. Emmy Award
winner Louis J. Horvitz will direct this year's telecast.
Spectators watching the live show can also hear the
original musical score broadcast on radio station 1010
WINS.
Hosting honors will go to Carson Daly of NBC's Last
Call. The telecast will also include musical performances
by popular recording artists.
The 2004 Macy's 4th of July Fireworks is sponsored
in part by Planters and Rocawear, and is presented in
partnership with the New York City Downtown Alliance,
City of Jersey City, the Jersey City Economic Development
Corp., the Jersey City Urban Enterprise Zone, and The
Star-Ledger.
For further information about the Show, please call
the Macy's Fireworks Hotline at (212) 494-4495 or Marine
Hotline at (212) 494-5243.
|
