2011 Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular with Executive Producer Amy Kule

They said it plainly: "We know that America is watching, and when we launch our 40,000 shells from the Hudson River we've got big shoes to fill…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.

As executive producer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and 4th of July Fireworks, Amy Kule oversees all aspects of planning and production of these iconic events — including design and construction, creative direction, logistics, operations, agency liaisons, and marketing partnerships. The 35th Annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks fired more than 40,000 pyrotechnic shells during a 25-minute synchronized display, designed in collaboration with SOUSA Fireworks and set off from six barges on the Hudson River stretching from 20th to 55th Streets. With an average of 1,600 shells launched per minute, the show reached heights of 1,000 feet across two miles of sky. The fireworks spectacular aired live on NBC beginning at 9:00 PM Eastern time.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: How will the theme of "Gift of Freedom" be incorporated into the show?

AMY KULE: Well, the Gift of Freedom is certainly the freedom that we all experience every day in the United States, and we've got an amazing soundtrack that's going to go along with this Gift of Freedom — a real celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. We'll be able to see the Statue in all of our advertising for the show as well as in the show itself.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: How do you generally spend your 4th of July?

AMY KULE: Working for Macy's, we have the distinct honor of always working on unique American holidays. Certainly the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks is one of those. And having been with Macy's for nearly 15 years, I barely remember a day when I was enjoying it outside of being part of this magnificent fireworks display.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Who are some of the talents for this year's show?

AMY KULE: Beyoncé is performing two amazing songs and she's going to be performing right at the Statue of Liberty, we believe. And Brad Paisley — another dynamic superstar — is singing two incredible songs as well from a rooftop with a magnificent view of the New York City skyline.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Why do you think it's so important that something like the 4th of July is combined with music and art?

AMY KULE: Fireworks just lend themselves to the inclusion of music. When we produce the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, we've got a very talented creative team that produces a special musical score that lasts the full 25 minutes of the fireworks. If you're seeing it live in New York you can always tune in to 1010 WINS and have that soundtrack playing over your own loudspeakers. And obviously for those tuning in on NBC, they'll be able to hear the soundtrack created specifically for this fireworks display, simulcast with the fireworks.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Do you have a favorite fireworks shape?

AMY KULE: We've got about 50 different shapes that are going to be in the skies on the 4th of July. We've got diamonds and hoops and hearts and jellyfish — which may be one of my favorites, because they shoot up and then kind of hold tight in the air before they disperse and come down in a cavalcade and seem to disperse slowly as they come through the sky. But there are lots of unique shapes up there as well as the traditional huge bursts that everybody expects to see.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What are some of the challenges in putting on a live show like this one?

AMY KULE: Nick has probably the single biggest challenge, because he is 100% live and has to roll with the punches of whatever mishaps could happen with the things we've been planning for a long time. So kudos to him to be able to handle those challenges. But the fireworks themselves are really computer-programmed at this point. With any computer program, we all know the frustration — there could always be some kind of mishap. But we've got the most amazing pyrotechnicians in the country working on this show and of course the most amazing talent, so there's really very little that could trip us up. Except you never really know what kind of weather you're going to deal with. You can't control the weather. You can control the fireworks, you have great professional talent working with you — but the unforeseen is the only thing you can't control.

PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What is the process that goes into planning and producing Macy's 4th of July Fireworks?

AMY KULE: Macy's produces live events throughout the year. The 4th of July Fireworks is probably the second biggest thing that we do, and we spend all year really thinking about how we can do it better than we did the year before. But there really comes a time when you can't really surpass that — so you change it up, you look to develop different thematics. This year of course it's our 35th anniversary of the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks and the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. When you look at those things thematically, sometimes the partnerships you have to have in place and the way you produce the show really lend themselves to these kinds of dynamic milestones being celebrated. We look at new creative elements, new musical talent. We worked with the New York Pops for the past several years, and this year we're actually working with pre-recorded popular show tunes — so we do change it up every year. But we know that America is watching, and when we launch our 40,000 shells from the Hudson River we've got big shoes to fill from the previous year and the expectations of the American public.

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