Broadway and recording star Maureen McGovern is just one of the special guests of this year's "Pops Goes the Fourth!" live broadcast, the annual Fourth of July concert for the A&E Network.

Featuring the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the leadership of Keith Lockhart, the 12th annual presentation will also feature the talents of Barry Manilow, Miss America Katie Marie Harman and the West Point Hellcats drum and bugle corps. The program, which will air from 7:30 to 10:30 PM on July 4, will be hosted by former "Good Morning America" host Joan Lunden and Boston WCVB talent, Mary Richardson.

The annual Independence Day festivities will begin with the country's national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," featuring Katie Marie Harman as soloist. McGovern will lead a salute to the legendary Broadway composer Richard Rodgers, and Barry Manilow will offer several of his hit songs as well as his patriotic work "Let Freedom Ring," which he performed at Super Bowl XXXVI. The Orchestra will also present a remembrance of the horrific events of Sept. 11, accompanied by Barber's "Adagio for Strings," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "And Liberty for All" and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture." A 30-minute fireworks display live from the Charles River Esplanade will conclude the program.

Maureen McGovern's performing credits are numerous and varied. She appeared on Broadway in Nine, The Pirates of Penzance and The Threepenny Opera, and her many recordings include the Grammy nominated "The Pleasure of His Company" and the Academy Award-winning song "The Morning After." She was also seen in the films "The Towering Inferno," "Airplane!" and "The Cure for Boredom," and she appeared at the Sundance Theatre in 1999 as Mme. Emery in the stage version of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. McGovern is currently back at Sundance in a new production of Jerry Herman's Dear World, which plays the Salt Lake City venue through Aug. 17.

"Pops Goes the Fourth!" will repeat on A&E immediately following the live broadcast. —By Andrew Gans