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THE CONCERT
The PerformersThe 2008 National Memorial Day Concert features a host of award-winning stars and well-known personalities. Gary Sinise Gary Sinise
 Joe Mantegna
For more information, visit www.joemantegna.com. Gladys Knight
The great ones endure, and Gladys Knight has been one of the greatest ever. Very few singers over the last 50 years have matched her unassailable artistry. This seven-time Grammy winner has enjoyed number one hits in pop, R&B and adult contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance. Knight has received many accolades for her musical talent, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Georgia native has recorded more than 38 albums, including four solo albums. From chart-topping hits like I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Every Beat of My Heart and Midnight Train to Georgia, Knight has done it all, including collaborations with fellow music legends Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Dionne Warwick, on That’s What Friends Are For, Knight has also contributed her talents to the James Bond franchise by recording License to Kill. From the studio to the stage, Knight has been on Broadway in 1999 in the smash hit musical Smokey Joe’s Café. In television, her many performances include such classic shows as The Jamie Foxx Show and The Jeffersons, as well such current hits as Las Vegas, JAG and American Idol. Today, Knight helps oversee her busy career from the Las Vegas headquarters of Shakeji, Inc., her personal entertainment corporation. A humanitarian and philanthropist, Knight has devoted her efforts to worthy causes that include the American Diabetes Association (as a national spokesperson), the American Cancer Society, the Minority AIDS Project, amFAR and Crisis Intervention. She has been honored by numerous organizations, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and B’Nai Brith, and is the recipient of BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Knight is a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a performer and a businesswoman with a spiritual outlook on her life. Her faith in God has been the driving force behind all of her endeavors. For more information, visit http://www.gladysknight.com/ Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is one of the most trailblazing entertainers of her time, effortlessly transcending and blending musical styles from pop, rock, and Broadway show-stoppers, to operatic and classical arias, all the while captivating audiences around the globe with her exquisite voice and her undeniably electrifying stage presence. Brightman has established herself as the world’s best selling soprano of all time. Her extraordinary abilities as a consummate recording artist and live performer have allowed her to achieve sales of more than 26 million albums and two million DVDs, and earned her more than 150 gold and platinum sales certifications in 34 countries on all continents. She remains the only artist ever to hold the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Classical and Dance charts simultaneously. Ms. Brightman’s unprecedented crossover success has also helped pave the way for such performers as Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo, and Josh Groban. Yet, in spite of her mass appeal, each album she delivers makes a strong personal statement and cuts right through to the heart and soul of the individual listener. Her latest is certainly no exception. Symphony – Ms. Brightman’s first new studio recording in five years – luminously exemplifies the meaning of that very word. “Symphony” is defined as “a harmonious combination of elements, especially an effective combination of colors.” “Throughout my career I have worked in so many different styles of music,” says Sarah. “This is the first album where all of these styles come together to create a very diverse musical landscape.” Recorded in Germany, the USA and the UK, Symphony features all new songs, and was created by Sarah with long-time producer Frank Peterson. In addition to reuniting her with Andrea Bocelli on the sweeping, romantic “Canto Della Terra,” the characteristically eclectic album features collaborations with Spanish counter tenor sensation Fernando Lima (“Pasión”), Italian tenor Alessandro Safina (“Sarai Qui”), and rock superstar Paul Stanley (KISS) on “I Will Be with You (Where the Lost Ones Go).” Another highlight is “Running,” the International Association of Athletics Federation Green Project Charity song, which Sarah performed at their Championships opening ceremonies in Osaka, Japan. Coupled with the excitement generated by the long-awaited release of Symphony, 2008 will also give Sarah’s fans the chance to see her on the silver screen in Repo! The Genetic Opera!, a musical thriller directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (who directed three of the hugely successful films in the Saw series). The film also stars Paul Sorvino, Alexa Vega, Anthony Head and Paris Hilton. And 2008 could offer audiences another opportunity to witness the tremendous impact Sarah has made as a live entertainer as a tour is in the works. For more information, visit http://www.sarah-brightman.com/
Denis Leary
Denis Leary, the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated actor and comedian, is the star and co-creator of the FX television series Rescue Me. He created the series after a tragic warehouse fire in his hometown of Worcester, MA, took the lives of six firemen, including his cousin and a childhood friend. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston, he was a charter member of the Emerson’s Comedy Workshop, and taught at the college for five years, while also performing as a stand-up comedian. He has over 40 film credits including The Sandlot, The Ref and Snitch. He has produced numerous movies, television shows and specials through his production company Apostle; this includes Comedy Central’s Shorties Watchin’ Shorties and the movie Blow. In 2000, he founded The Leary Firefighters Foundation which has distributed over $2.5 million to fire departments in the Worcester, Boston and New York City areas for equipment, training and new facilities. His foundation also runs The Fund for New York’s Bravest for the families of the 343 firemen killed on 9/11. Denis Leary is a huge fan of the Boston Red Sox. He also would like to thank the New York Yankees for losing four games in a row to the Sox in the 2004 American League Championship series, thereby allowing the Sox to move on and capture their first World Series Championship in 86 years.
General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.)
One of the most respected statesmen in U.S. history, General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) has appeared in the National Memorial Day Concert multiple times from 1991 to 2007. General Powell became the 65th Secretary of State in January 2001 and served in that role until January 2005. Powell was previously a key aide to the Secretary of Defense and National Security Advisor to President Reagan. He also served 35 years in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Four-Star General and serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989 – 1993). During this time, he oversaw 28 crises, including the Panama intervention of 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. He went on to lead the State Department in major efforts to solve regional and civil conflicts – in the Middle East, Sudan, Congo and Liberia, the Balkans, Northern Ireland and elsewhere. Born in New York City on April 5, 1937, General Powell was raised in the South Bronx. His parents, Luther and Maud Powell, immigrated to the United States from Jamaica. General Powell was educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from Morris High School and the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. He received a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University. General Powell is the recipient of numerous U.S. military awards and decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. General Powell’s civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President’s Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal. He has received awards from more than two dozen countries. These include the French Legion of Honor and an honorary knighthood bestowed by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. General Powell is the author of the best-selling autobiography My American Journey. Idina Menzel
Award-winning actress/singer/songwriter Idina Menzel began her career as a teenager, singing at weddings and bar mitzvahs in her native Long Island, New York, and acquiring a vast repertoire of songs, from classics to the latest hits from Madonna. While working toward her bachelor’s degree in drama from New York University, she performed with rock bands in clubs in New York City during the week and continued her wedding gigs on the weekends. In the winter of l995, Menzel auditioned for the Broadway-bound Rent and won the part of Maureen, an outspoken bisexual performance artist. The role earned Menzel her first Tony nomination, and the musical went on to win four Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize. In 2003, Menzel originated the role of “the green girl,” the misunderstood witch in the hit musical Wicked, which included her show-stopping performance of the song Defying Gravity. In 2007, she re-recorded and remixed Gravity, and the song went on to become a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Dance Chart. Her star turn in Wicked won Menzel a Tony Award and huge critical acclaim. She recently reprised the role on the London stage. Menzel’s film credits include starring roles in the Disney romantic fable Enchanted, Rent and Robert Towne’s Ask the Dust. She also performed the song A Hero Comes Home in the Robert Zemekis film and soundtrack album Beowulf. Menzel’s Warner Bros. Records debut album I Stand is a powerful collection of exquisite new songs written by Menzel herself. With her one-of-a-kind soaring voice and the talent of legendary Grammy-winning producer Glen Ballard, the final outcome is an album filled with pop tunes and heartfelt ballads – intimate yet universal stories of life, its challenges, relationships and, of course, the subject of love. Inspired by Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand and other performers who have achieved triple success on stage, in films and as recording artists, Menzel stands poised to embark on her ultimate challenge — that of a solo artist singing her very own songs. For more information visit, http://www.idinamenzel.com/ Charles Durning
Rodney Atkins
If you’re looking for an artist with the bona fide credentials to sing a country song, look no further. Rodney Atkins’ latest album, If You’re Going Through Hell, captures every aspect of his life, from his humble, multiple-adoption beginning, to his rural east Tennessee upbringing, to his present-day, stick to your roots convictions. His breakout success in 2006 – If You’re Going Through Hell, recently certified Platinum – debuted at number one on the Billboard country albums chart. The title track spent four weeks atop the Billboard country singles chart, earning Billboard Most Played Song of 2006 and SESAC Song of the Year honors. The follow-up single, Watching You, spent two weeks at number one on both the Billboard and Mediabase charts and was the most played song of 2007 for Billboard. Atkins is also the first artist since Tim McGraw in 2001 to have four back-to-back number one singles off one album. It wasn’t until high school that a guitar found its way into his hands and Atkins soon began playing at county fairs, festivals and shopping malls. Upon graduation, he started traveling to Nashville, playing more gigs and writing songs. He was quickly signed by Mike Curb and Curb Records, who have stood behind him ever since. His well-received and critically acclaimed debut album, Honesty, produced a top five hit of the same name in 2003. But Atkins wanted to try something a little different for his sophomore effort. He wrote six of the 10 tracks and laid down his vocals in a home studio between the responsibilities of everyday life and spending time with his family. Five songs on the album carry a southern theme. Leading off is the fiddle-filled, up-tempo These are My People. Cleaning This Gun is another real-to-life tune about that nervous time when a boy first meets his girlfriend’s father. Two songs written by Rodney, About the South, a tribute to Rodney’s Southern heritage, and In the Middle, a heartfelt portrayal about his rural way of life, along with Man on a Tractor, round out the album. Atkins, who was an adopted child, is the National Celebrity Spokesperson of the Year for the National Council for Adoption. He is the 2007 ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year and is up for six awards at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information, visit http://www.rodneyatkins.com/ John Schneider
After nearly 30 years on stage and screen and in the studio, John Schneider continues to perform regularly in all these arenas, demonstrating his extraordinary staying power. His diverse career has encompassed roles in everything from award-winning musicals and feature films to blockbuster TV series and directing his own productions. Schneider starred for six seasons as “Bo Duke,” one of the fast-driving, fun-loving cousins of the Duke clan on the hugely popular '80s comedy-adventure series The Dukes of Hazzard, which became a part of the national zeitgeist. He reprised the role in the television movie The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood. Last season, Schneider portrayed a porn producer in F/X’s hit series Nip/Tuck. He will star in the Hallmark mini-series Shark Swarm opposite F. Murray Abraham and Daryl Hannah, airing on May 25. Adding another Broadway credit to his resume, Schneider recently spent three months starring in Chicago. The busy actor was a series regular on the acclaimed drama Smallville and the popular series Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. On the big screen, Schneider has appeared in more than 15 feature films, including Snow Day with Chevy Chase, Garry Marshall’s Exit to Eden and Eddie Macon¹s Run opposite Kirk Douglas, to name a few. He recently wrote, directed and starred in the action-adventure film Collier & Company, released theatrically in mid 2007 by his own distribution company, A Greass Roots Effort. Schneider is also an accomplished singer, guitar player and songwriter. He has released 11 solo albums (four of which he co-produced with music legend Jimmy Bowen) and has performed in numerous Broadway shows, including the award-winning musical Grand Hotel, The Will Rogers Follies, Brigadoon, Music Man and Civil War. He continues to perform on stage and appeared last summer in Mame in the role of yet another smooth southerner, “Beauregard,” at the Hollywood Bowl. Recognizing a need for better health care for children, Schneider co-founded the Children’s Miracle Network, an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping children by raising funds and awareness for 170 children’s hospitals throughout North America. Each year, these hospitals treat more than 17 million children. Since its inception, the Children¹s Miracle Network Celebration has raised more than $3.5 billion and is the only telethon that gives 100 percent of the money raised directly to the charity. For more information, visit http://www.johnschneider.tv/index.php Gail O’GradyActress Gail O’Grady’s first major role was as Donna Abandando on the police drama NYPD Blue, a role she played from 1993 to 1996, each year receiving an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She has also appeared on Two and a Half Men, Designing Women and a number of television movies including The Three Lives of Karen, Every 9 Seconds and Lip Service. From 2002 to 2005 she starred in American Dreams on NBC playing the role of the mother, Helen Pryor. In 2007, she began a recurring role on Boston Legal as judge Gloria Weldon.
Caitlin Wachs
At 19 years old, Caitlin Wachs is already a veteran actress. Caitlin recently completed production on three independent features set to be released this year. She starred opposite Nikki Reed and Brenda Strong in Privileged, and she starred opposite Matthew Lillard and James Remar in Endless Bummer. In The Legend of Bloody Mary, she played the title role of Mary Worth. Caitlin has starred as a series regular on four TV shows. On ABC’s critically acclaimed drama series Commander-in-Chief, created and directed by Rod Lurie (The Contender, The Last Castle), Caitlin starred opposite Geena Davis and Donald Sutherland as Geena Davis’ daughter. She starred with Molly Shannon, Jason Schwartzman and Christopher McDonald on the critically acclaimed Fox comedy series Cracking Up, written by Mike White (School of Rock, The Good Girl) and directed by the Weitz Brothers (About a Boy, American Wedding). Caitlin starred as “Sissy” in the WB comedy series Family Affair with Tim Curry. She also starred on NBC’s The Profiler, earning a Hollywood Reporter YoungStar Award and multiple YoungStar Award nominations for her performance as Ally Walker’s daughter “Chloe Waters.” Caitlin has an extensive film pedigree as well, with starring roles in the comedy-drama Kids in America and the Warner Bros film The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, directed by Callie Khouri, in which she played the young version of Ashley Judd and Ellen Burstyn’s central character “Vivi.” As a youngster, Caitlin starred in the Warner Bros film My Dog Skip, with Frankie Muniz, for which she won a Young Artist Award. Other film credits include Disney’s Inspector Gadget 2; New Line Cinema’s Thirteen Days with Kevin Costner; Paramount’s The Next Best Thing with Madonna and Rupert Everett; Walt Disney’s Air Bud 3: World Pup; and Walt Disney’s Air Bud 4: 7th Inning Fetch, for which Caitlin was nominated for best actress by the Premiere DVD Awards in 2003. In addition to her successful career as an actress, Caitlin is a Theater major at USC. She also enjoys singing, writing songs and playing guitar, surfing and spending time with her family.
Maestro Erich Kunzel
For more information, visit: www.erichkunzel.com. The National Symphony Orchestra
For more information on NSO programs, please visit www.nationalsymphony.org. Military District of Washington
U.S. Army Herald Trumpets
From the Inauguration of the President to the national anthem at the Superbowl, the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets perform at some of the most spectacular events in America. Since their establishment in 1959, The Army Herald Trumpets have performed at numerous historical occasions.
For more information, visit U.S. Army Ceremonial Band
In June of 1943, The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” was ordered overseas to perform for American fighting Soldiers and Allies in Europe. During that two-year overseas tour, a representative element known as the “auxiliary band” was established to fulfill the diplomatic and military ceremonial needs in the Nation’s Capital. Eventually that group was renamed The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band. Since its original organization, The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band has grown to meet a wide range of commitments. While the Ceremonial Band’s primary mission is to support more than 2,000 military funerals each year in Arlington National Cemetery, the band performs other missions of national and international importance. These missions include wreath laying ceremonies by heads of state and other foreign dignitaries at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, monthly retirement parades, special reviews and arrival and departure honors for foreign dignitaries at the White House and Pentagon. Recent major events include 2005 Presidential Inaugural festivities, the State Funerals of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, and ceremonies honoring Her Majesty The Queen of England Elizabeth II during her visit to the United States in May 2007. The 70 musicians of The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band come from some of the most prestigious music conservatories and universities in the country. Beyond their ceremonial roles, members of The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band routinely display their versatility and superb musicianship while substituting with other elements of The U.S. Army Band, in chamber group performances, on recital programs and as soloists for summer concerts. Commitments performed by The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band are an integral and indispensable part of the overall mission of “Pershing’s Own” and are some the most visible missions performed by The United States Army Band. For more information, visit
The Soldiers' Chorus of The United States Army Field Band
For more information, visit http://www.army.mil/fieldband/pages/ensembles/sc.html The Master Chorale of Washington
Founded by the late Paul Hill, the Master Chorale of Washington (MCW) has flourished in the Washington, DC metro area for more than 40 years. Its contributions to the world of choral music range from the presentation of world premieres at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to guest performances throughout the country and abroad. Since playing a major role in The Kennedy Center’s opening in 1971, the Master Chorale (formerly the Paul Hill Chorale) has performed more than 200 concerts in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, appearing in its own subscription concert series and in collaborative performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington Chamber Symphony, Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem. MCW has also performed in Carnegie Hall and Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral with such notables as Aaron Copland, Victor Borge and Garrison Keillor. MCW has been featured on National Public Radio and on the Public Broadcasting Service, winning an Emmy for the telecast of Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore. MCW won national recognition from Chorus America as the recipient of The Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence in North America and a regional Wammie Award (Washington Area Music Award) for Best Choral Group. MCW uses the model of the finest European choruses by employing volunteer singers with a professional core. All singers participate in a rigorous audition process and receive training from a vocal pedagogue. In this way, MCW maintains the highest standard for choral music excellence and continues to provide inspiring and vibrant choral music experiences that connect with all audiences. For more information, visit
Behind the ScenesThis year’s award-winning production team features the Capital Concerts’ founder and top Hollywood talent. Jerry Colbert
In 1981, Executive Producer Jerry Colbert presented the first PBS Fourth of July concert with the National Symphony Orchestra and guest artists performing live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. In 1990, he introduced the National Memorial Day Concert. Since then, both holiday specials have become among the highest-rated performance programs on PBS. In addition to his annual work on these concerts, Colbert has produced Mr. Justice Brennan, Sister Adrian: Mother Teresa of Scranton, The Regulators: Our Invisible Government and H.R. 6161: An Act of Congress. Colbert was previously deputy director of the Center for Understanding Media in New York. Walter MillerProducer Walter Miller is recognized as America’s leading live director and producer, with credits that include such top television awards shows as the Grammy Awards, Country Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Tony Awards, American Comedy Awards, Emmy Awards, Daytime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. In 1999, he won an Emmy for producing the Tony Awards. For Liberty Weekend: Americana Music Concert, Miller received the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Director. He has been recognized with additional Emmys for S’Wonderful, S’Marvelous, S’Gershwin, a special with Jack Lemmon and Fred Astaire, and Annie, The Women In A Life Of A Man. In addition to A Capital Fourth and the National Memorial Day Concert, his live musical concert credits include Concert of the Americas with Frank Sinatra. Paul MillerPaul Miller has been directing television since 1982, with credits that include three seasons each as director of Saturday Night Live and In Living Color. In 1999, he won an Emmy for directing the Tony Awards and also received the Outstanding Television Director of the Year Award from the Directors Guild of America. For the last 10 years, Miller has directed the Country Music Awards. He is currently directing the second season of Blue Collar TV with Jeff Foxworthy. This is his sixth year as director of An American Celebration at Ford’s Theatre. On July 4, 1993, Miller teamed professionally with his father, Walter Miller, for A Capitol Fourth, and since then has directed both the National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth. Paul Miller is a partner in RickMill Productions, a Hollywood-based entertainment company that has produced numerous series for Comedy Central as well as specials for HBO and Showtime. Joan MeyersonWriter Joan Meyerson has received numerous nominations and awards as a writer, producer and director, including the distinguished Writers Guild of America Award for her 2006 script of The National Memorial Day Concert. She was also a writer of the International Documentary Association-nominated PBS mini-series, Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire. Other PBS credits include the highly rated mini-series Walking the Bible, an episode of the Emmy award-winning series Life and Times, and the special Pete Peterson: Assignment Hanoi. Meyerson was also associate producer of the Academy Award-nominated documentary Say Goodbye. She has written, produced and/or directed programs for many well-known series premiering on TLC, Discovery Health, and The History Channel, including the David L. Wolper series Legends, Icons & Superstars. Meyerson has written the National Memorial Day Concert since 1996. |
 
Natalie Cole sings 'Miss You Like Crazy,' a song about longing to see a loved one that resonated with the themes of the 2007 concert. 
REFLECTIONS "[The 2007] concert was extraordinary. Not only were the performers fabulously beautiful, but the music and words plumbed the pain of war in ways that honored both the nobility and the suffering. What an inescapable call to make the sadness and the beauty our own." Kathy Larsen
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Gary Sinise is a film, theater and television actor, as well as a director and producer. He received an Academy Award nomination in 1995 as Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Lieutenant Dan in Forest Gump. He is a three-time Golden Globe nominee and received the award in 1996 for the title role in Truman. He is a two-time Emmy Award nominee and won the award in 1998 for his lead role in George Wallace. Sinise is a four-time Tony Award nominee and a four-time nominee and two-time winner of the Screen Actor’s Guild Award (Truman and George Wallace). His numerous other awards include a Best Supporting Actor Award from the National Board of Review and the Commander’s Award from the Disabled American Veterans, both for Forest Gump. Additional film credits include Apollo 13, Ransom, The Green Mile, Snake Eyes, The Forgotten and The Human Stain. Currently, Sinise is starring as Detective Mack “Mac” Taylor in CBS’s CSI: New York. Over the past four years, Sinise has traveled to Iraq (three times) and Afghanistan in support of the troops. He has also started “Operation Iraqi Children” that enables schools in the United States to go to 
Joe Mantegna has received critical acclaim for his award-winning performances on the stage and in numerous film and television productions. He was awarded the Tony and Joseph Jefferson awards for his role in David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross. His long-standing association with Mamet also includes the premieres of A Life in the Theatre, The Disappearance of the Jews and Speed The Plow on Broadway. Mantegna directed a highly praised production of Mamet’s Lakeboat, which enjoyed a successful theatrical run in Los Angeles. He later directed the film version. He has starred in more than 80 films, among them The Godfather III, Alice, Celebrity, Liberty Heights, Bugsy, Forget Paris, Uncle Nino, Nine Lives, Searching for Bobby Fisher and Baby’s Day Out. He starred in the critically acclaimed Mamet films House of Games, Homicide, and Things Change, for which he received the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival. Long a baseball fan, Mantegna conceived and co-wrote the off-Broadway play Bleacher Bums, which earned him an Emmy when it was subsequently produced for television. For his work in the HBO special The Rat Pack, he was nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Dean Martin. He received his second Emmy nomination for his role of Pippi De Lena in the CBS mini-series The Last Don. His latest Emmy nomination was for his work in the miniseries The Starter Wife. Other television credits include starring roles in the CBS series First Monday and Joan of Arcadia, and, of course, his recurring role as Fat Tony in The Simpsons, which he reprised in the recently released feature film of the animated comedy. In 2004, Mantegna was named chairperson for the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This organization helps focus public attention on VA medical centers with the goal of increasing the number of VA volunteers. Born and raised in Chicago, he now lives in Los Angeles and currently stars as agent David Rossi on CBS’s Criminal Minds. 
Charles Durning is one of America's premier character actors. After his heroic participation in World War II, where he earned three Purple Hearts and the Silver Star for valor, Durning spent four decades making his mark in theater, film and television. In 1973, he was cast in a breakthrough supporting role in George Roy Hill's The Sting. As a two-time Academy Award nominee, four-time Emmy award nominee and winner of a Tony Award - for his portrayal of Big Daddy in the 1990 revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - he continues to delight audiences and critics alike. Durning's stage work includes his critically acclaimed 1997 return to Broadway, starring opposite Julie Harris in the revival of The Gin Game, and his performance in the revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross. In 2001, he played the role of Pappy O'Daniel in the comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? and appeared in the movie State and Main. He most recently appeared opposite Dianne Wiest in Third, Wendy Wasserstein's last play at the Lincoln Center. Other motion picture credits include One Fine Day, Spy Hard, The Hudsucker Proxy, Dick Tracy, True Confessions, The Greek Tycoon, Sharkey's Machine, Dog Day Afternoon, Home for the Holidays and The Grass Harp. Recent projects include A Boyfriend for Christmas, A Very Married Christmas, Forget About It, and Desperation Durning has a recurring role on Rescue Me, the critically acclaimed drama on FX Networks. In 2006, he was also nominated for an Emmy for a guest role on CBS’s NCIS. A series regular on television’s Evening Shade with Burt Reynolds, Durning’s other television work includes roles in The Kennedys of Massachusetts, Death of a Salesman, Dinner at Eight and Mrs. Santa Claus, as well as the narration for Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony. His notable guest appearances on television include recurring roles on Everybody Loves Raymond, The Practice, Cybill and Early Edition.
Erich Kunzel’s distinguished career is marked by his receipt of the 2006 National Medal of Arts, presented by President and Mrs. Bush in a ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House. The National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons by the U,S, Government, is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States. July 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of Kunzel’s professional debut in 1957 with the Santa Fe Opera Company. In a remarkable 42-year association in Cincinnati, his accomplishments are almost too numerous to list. It was in October 1965, that the music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra invited Kunzel to conduct an “8 O’Clock Pops” concert at Music Hall. That sold-out event was the beginning of a relationship with concert audiences that inspired the establishment of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in 1977 with Erich Kunzel as its conductor. Today, the Cincinnati Pops is firmly established as one of the world’s most active classical pops ensembles, maintaining a year-round performing and recording schedule and reaching music lovers worldwide through tour performances, television specials and best-selling Telarc recordings. Maestro Kunzel’s credits include an unprecedented catalog of 85 Pops recordings on the Telarc label; seven nationally televised Pops specials on PBS; and national and international appearances with the Pops, including 10 Carnegie Hall concerts, two tours to Taiwan, three tours to Japan and an historic tour to China. Kunzel is the most successful Billboard Classical Crossover recording artist in history. In 1991, Billboard named him the Classical Crossover Artist of the Year for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year. Of the 85 Cincinnati Pops Telarc releases, 56 have appeared on either the Classical Crossover or Classical Billboard charts, including The Nutcracker, which held the number two position in December 2007 and January 2008. “When it comes to topping the charts, no orchestra does it better than the Cincinnati Pops,” said Ohio Magazine. Dubbed the “Prince of Pops” by the Chicago Tribune, Maestro Kunzel has appeared in more than 100 performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival, where he holds the record for attendance – 22,000. Since 1991, Maestro Kunzel has led the National Symphony on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol for PBS’s nationally televised Memorial Day and Fourth of July concerts. In 1996, the Fourth of July concert drew a record crowd of nearly a million people to the Capitol, as well as the largest viewing audience for a musical event in PBS history. Erich Kunzel is a regular guest conductor with orchestras around the world. Educated at Dartmouth, Harvard and Brown, Maestro Kunzel received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Dartmouth College in June 2007. Kunzel also studied with and was personal assistant to renowned conductor Pierre Monteux. Last year, he was elected into Phi Beta Kappa, America’s oldest honor society, at his alma mater, Dartmouth. By 1970, when Arthur Fiedler invited him to conduct the Boston Pops for the first time, Kunzel’s commitment to “pops” was assured. 
The National Symphony Orchestra of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, under the music direction of Leonard Slatkin, is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the world's finest ensembles. Now in its 76th season, the Orchestra maintains a busy schedule in this country and abroad, performing approximately 175 concerts each season, including a classical subscription series, pops concerts, a summer series at Wolf Trap and one of the nation’s most varied and extensive educational programs. The National Symphony is particularly distinguished for its commitment to the music and musicians of this country, as exemplified by several innovative projects. One of these, the American Residency program, has so far taken the National Symphony to 17 states, performing concerts and providing educational services, with all proceeds benefiting local artistic organizations. Another key initiative is the National Conducting Institute, a groundbreaking training opportunity for gifted conductors. Through the John and June Hechinger Commissioning Fund, the Orchestra has commissioned more than 60 works by American composers; two have earned Pulitzer Prizes. The series also includes cycles of fanfares and encores, which, taken as a whole, represent the diverse influences in American composition today. The Orchestra provides free public concerts on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, as well as at other venues around the Washington, DC area. 
The Military District of Washington (MDW) has worked with Capital Concerts for several years to coordinate participation of many military groups, such as color guard teams, buglers and choruses. This year, MDW will provide an Armed Forces Color Guard, as well as color guard teams from each branch of the services.
The Soldiers’ Chorus, founded in 1957, is the vocal complement of the United States Army Field Band of Washington, DC. The 29-member mixed choral ensemble travels throughout the nation and abroad, performing as a separate component and in joint concerts with the Concert Band of the “Musical Ambassadors of the Army.” The chorus has performed in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, India, the Far East and throughout Europe, entertaining audiences of all ages. The musical backgrounds of Soldiers’ Chorus personnel – ranging from opera and musical theatre to music education and vocal coaching – provides unique programming flexibility. In addition to selections from a vast choral repertoire, Soldiers’ Chorus performances often include the music of Broadway, opera, barbershop quartet and Americana. This versatility has earned the Soldiers’ Chorus an international reputation for musical excellence and patriotic inspiration. Recent appearances with the Boston Pops, the Cincinnati Pops, and the Detroit, Dallas and National symphony orchestras have met with critical acclaim. Other notable performances include four world fairs, American Choral Directors Association conferences, music educator conventions, Kennedy Center Honors Programs, the 750th anniversary of Berlin and the rededication of the Statue of Liberty. 
