Nick Lachey on Wedding Plans and 4th of July Celebration
By: Judith Wallace
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks®, the nation’s largest display of patriotic firepower returns to celebrate Independence Day with host Nick Lachey. An awe-inspiring spectacle of color, light and sound will rumble over New York City on Monday, July 4th at 9:00 pm, as Macy’s dazzling celebration ends the holiday with a bang. With more than 3 million live spectators and millions tuned in nationwide, the Hudson River will be the showcase for more than 40,000 fireworks that together will ignite the sky for the nation’s 235th birthday party. “Macy’s 35th annual fireworks display will once again dazzle millions of New Yorkers and a national television audience like never before, as a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors and jaw-dropping effects stretch for two miles across the Hudson River,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks. “Building on 34 years of success, we will ignite the skies of New York City with the nation’s largest fireworks display celebrating Independence Day, as well as the 125th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.”
The fireworks spectacular will air Monday, July 4, live from New York City beginning 9:00 pm Eastern time on NBC.
Any major plans for the wedding?
Nick Lachey: We’re in the active planning mode. Maybe we’ll get married there on the Hudson. Who knows?
How did you get involved with this show?
Nick Lachey: Well, I’ve actually had the pleasure of performing on the show in years past and then this year as host of The Sing-Off and part of the NBC family they’ve reached out to me to see if I would be interested in being the host to this, which I obviously jumped at the chance to. It’s one of the marquee events of the year and one I have been very familiar in years past and very, very excited and honored to be a part of it this year.
How do you generally spend your 4th of July?
Nick Lachey: I don’t have any set tradition like that necessarily but some years I’ve been in New York actually for the fireworks and some years been here in L.A. and had the pleasure of watching them on TV because it usually fogs in here and you can’t see a thing. And other years I’ve been in Cincinnati, so it kind of depends on the year, but I always try to be with friends and family obviously.
Do you have any other party plans after the fireworks?
Nick Lachey: Being in New York and being a part of this event with Macy’s and NBC it’s a real honor for me. I always enjoy the chance to come to New York. It’s my favorite city in the world and to be in that city and just be a part of that atmosphere it’s always fun. So especially on the 4th with so much excitement in the air it’s going to be a great night. There’s no where else I would rather be on the 4th of July.
Do you enjoy hosting gigs?
Nick Lachey: I do. It’s certainly come to this in the last few years I’ve been able to do more of and I really have enjoyed it. It gives you an opportunity to kind of be yourself and bring a little of your own personality into the mix.And with The Sing-Off I get a chance to be around incredible talented groups. And certainly on this spectacular 4th of July there’s no place in the world you’d rather be on the 4th of July than New York City right there for the fireworks, so I’m a lucky man. As a musician and singer it’s such a joy to be around young and talented and enthusiastic singers like we have on The Sing-Off. And it really is a pleasure to go to work every day and kind of be immersed in that. It’s actually very contagious, it refreshes me as far as music goes. It makes me even more excited to sing myself just being around that. It’s very contagious. So I couldn’t imagine being a part of a better show or a more rewarding show than The Sing-Off. It’s been a blast.
Can you talk about the challenges of doing a live show like this?
Nick Lachey: I guess from my perspective it is that unforeseen which makes it exciting. I actually prefer doing live events to pre-taped because I think there’s just a genuine excitement and adrenaline rush that comes from knowing that there really is no turning back. And you just have to roll with the punches no matter what they are or how they come and be quick on your feet. But it’s always exciting and I’m sure that the fireworks spectacular will be exactly that. But yes, I think that you plan as much as you can and certainly you prepare as much as you can and then once you go live you’re just rolling with the punches, so it’s fun.
What was your favorite 4th of July as a child?
Nick Lachey: Well I think that the fireworks no matter where you are kind of a staple of 4th of July and I have a lot of memories of cookouts and playing football or badminton or whatever it is in the yard with your family and having a big grill-out. When it gets dark it’s time to track down the fireworks because that’s really the way to kind of wrap up the 4th of July holiday. So no matter what my memory was, no matter where it was, it certainly always culminated with a great fireworks show. My family was never big into the hold-your-own fireworks show in the backyard kind of thing so we always go to the local park, or wherever the fireworks are being held that year. I have memories of living in Astoria and getting on the train and going down and watching the Macy’s fireworks there in New York, a good 15 years ago. The premier fireworks event of the year and again I’m just to be a part of it.
What is your relationship with Big Brothers, Big Sisters?
Nick Lachey: I try to focus my charitable work specifically on kids, on children, the Big Brothers, Big Sisters organizations, one I’ve been affiliated with for about eight years. And I have a little brother and that’s probably the most rewarding relationship that I’ve seen come out of doing charitable work. It’s been a joy to be a part of his life and be a part of that program.
The Sing-Off was picked up for a fall lineup…
Nick Lachey: We’re honored and flattered. I think it speaks to the success of the show and to the numbers that we pulled in last year for NBC. We’re very honored that we got the full fall pickup. Obviously there comes some challenges with that and having to expand the show and so we’re looking at that creatively and how to best do that. But we’re excited. It started out as kind of the little engine that could and here we are with a full fall pickup. So everyone associated with the show is very, very excited and looking forward to it.