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Keith Lockhart: Making A Show That 'Works For As Many People As Possible'

BOSTON (CBS) -- Keith Lockhart has done the show many times, but he says one of the biggest challenges in putting on the Boston Pops Orchestra's performance at Boston's annual Fourth of July celebration is wowing the crowd year after year.

"It's like, where do you go from here?" the Pops conductor told WBZ-TV's Chris McKinnon Monday, just hours before the performance. "And I think the answer lies in keeping those deeply-rooted traditions that we all look forward to, but also bringing in new talent to join the Pops onstage, and we've certainly done that in a big way this year."

For the 2016 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, and country superstars Little Big Town will join the Pops for their performance.

"It's a collaborative effort," said Lockhart. "We try to meld what they do into what the Boston Pops does."

He said some of the ideas--such as planned tributes to Prince and the Eagles' Glenn Frey--come from the Pops.

"But ultimately, we try to make a show that works for as many people as possible, knowing that millions of people will be watching," Lockhart said.

And his favorite moment of the performance? It comes around the time the giant American flag unfurls, during the 1812 Overture.

"That's like, the home stretch," Lockhart said. "You see the finish line, that flag comes down, and I know I've only got about 30 seconds more to work, and then I can hang out and watch the fireworks."

You can watch the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular live on WBZ-TV or the CBS All Access app starting at 8 p.m., or listen to it live on WBZ NewsRadio 1030, Mix 104.1, or CBSBoston.com.

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