The multi-talented Hugh Jackman has been tapped to host TNT’s holiday celebration Christmas in Washington set to air on December 20, 2013 at 8pm ET/PT. The annual special will include musical performances by Sheryl Crow, Janelle Monáe, Backstreet Boys, Anna Kendrick, and Pat Monahan, as well as an appearance by NBA great Charles Barkley.
Christmas in Washington, produced by Michael Stevens and George Stevens, Jr, benefits the Children’s National Health System. Now in its 32nd year, the holiday concert is traditionally attended by the President and First Lady and has been aired on TNT since 1999.
Christmas in Washington will take place at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
Profiles of the Christmas in Washington Host and Performers [Courtesy of TNT]
Hugh Jackman is one of the most versatile actors working today. He has not only starred as Wolverine in 20th Century Fox’s popular X-Men franchise but also earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Jean Valjean in the big-screen adaptation of the epic musical Les Miserables. He most recently starred in the thriller Prisoners. Additionally, Jackman has starred in such films as Real Steel, Australia, The Fountain, The Prestige, Scoop, Deception, Someone Like You, Swordfish, Van Helsing and Kate and Leopold. In 2009, Jackman hosted the 81st Annual Academy Awards, having previously hosted the Tony Awards for three consecutive years (2003 – 2005), earning an Emmy for his 2004 duties.
A consummate stage performer, Jackman won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, as well as Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World awards for his portrayal of the 1970s singer-songwriter Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz. His other notable stage credits include A Steady Rain, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, Carousel, Oklahoma!, Sunset Boulevard and Beauty and the Beast.
Backstreet Boys – which consists of A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell – is the best-selling boy band in history, with in excess of 130 million albums sold worldwide. They are also the only group since Sade to release seven consecutive albums in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200. Along the way, they have earned multiple Grammy nominations, launched record-breaking tours, scored hit songs like “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)” and “I Want It That Way”; and, earlier this year, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In July, Backstreet Boys released their eighth studio album, In a World Like This in celebration of their 20th Anniversary. BSB are currently in the midst of a massive world-tour that will see the boys perform throughout 2014.
Sheryl Crow is a nine-time Grammy winner who has sold more than 50 million albums around the world. Her most recent album, Feels Like Home, captures the sound of a great and established artist enjoying a kind of fresh start. It features songs on which Crow collaborated with her longtime guitar player and frequent co-writer Jeff Trott (with whom she co-wrote such past Crow classics as “If It Makes You Happy,” “My Favorite Mistake” and “Every Day Is A Winding Road”), as well as such Nashville songwriters as Chris DuBois, Luke Laird, Natalie Hamby and Chris Stapleton, among others.
Anna Kendrick is known for her roles in such films as Pitch Perfect, The Company You Keep, End of Watch, The Twilight Saga, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, ParaNorman and 50/50. In 2010, Kendrick starred opposite George Clooney and Jason Bateman in the film Up in the Air, which earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. Next year, Kendrick will be seen as Cinderella in the big-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.
An accomplished theater veteran, Kendrick made her Broadway debut in the 1997 production of High Society for which she received a Tony Award nomination. Kendrick’s additional theater work includes A Little Night Music, My Favorite Broadway/The Leading Ladies: Live at Carnegie Hall and Broadway workshops of Jane Eyre and The Little Princess. Earlier this year, Kendrick’s hit song “Cups (When I’m Gone),” from the Pitch Perfect soundtrack, climbed into to the Top 10 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Song chart.
Janelle Monáe, a singer, songwriter, producer, and performer from Kansas City, Kansas, has an innovative style that melds a redefined pop sensibility with an extraordinary mash-up of soul, funk and rock ‘n’ roll. Monáe’s debut album The ArchAndroid, was released to widespread acclaim, earning her multiple Grammy nominations.
The Associated Press, the Guardian, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times all named the album The #1 Album of 2010. Monáe’s new album, The Electric Lady, debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 and #3 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, earning Monáe her highest chart entry to date. Monáe was also a recipient of the 2011 ASCAP Vanguard Award and was included in the first-ever Women Who Rock exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A dynamic performer and artistic entrepreneur, Monáe has launched her own record label called the Wondaland Arts Society and performed worldwide with such artistic legends as Stevie Wonder and Prince. Monáe has been an active spokeswoman for both Covergirl cosmetics and Sonos.
Pat Monahan is the lead singer and songwriter for the multi-platinum band Train. The group made its mark on music history with the Grammy Award-winning song “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” and chart-topping singles “Meet Virginia” and “Calling All Angels.” Train earned its third Grammy in 2011 for the worldwide smash “Hey, Soul Sister” from the album Save Me, San Francisco. “Hey, Soul Sister” hit #1 on the radio in the U.S. and in 15 countries abroad. It was the top-selling song of the year in the U.S., as well. Save Me, San Francisco has sold more than 1 million albums worldwide and more than 10 million tracks. Train’s latest album, California 37, contains the global hits “Drive By” and “50 Ways to Survive.”
Charles Barkley is widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of his generation. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Barkley is the 23rd all-time scorer in the NBA; ranks 19th in all-time rebounds per game and 18th in total career rebounds; and is one of only five players in NBA history with 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists. Barkley has followed up his Hall of Fame basketball career with an Emmy-winning television career as a popular and insightful NBA analyst for TNT’s Inside the NBA. Barkley has also authored several books, including Who’s Afraid of a Large Black Man? (2005), I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It (2002), Sir Charles (1995) and Outrageous! (1992).
