A CAPITOL FOURTH | Jimmy Smits and Elmo | PBS

Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jimmy Smits and Elmo from Sesame Street prepare for the 29th annual broadcast of A Capitol Fourth, America's National Independence Day celebration, airing live on PBS in high definition from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Saturday, July 4, 2009 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings.) Hosted by Smits, the all-star cast includes Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, international pop sensation Natasha Bedingfield, the Tony and Grammy Award-winning cast of Jersey Boys, multi Grammy Award-nominee Michael Feinstein and acclaimed classical pianist Andrew von Oeyen. Featuring the most spectacular fireworks display anywhere in the nation, A Capitol Fourth will be broadcast before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, and around the world to our troops on the American Forces Radio and Television Network.