Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw are slated to host the event for the fifth consecutive year. Annually attended by the President and First Lady and other Washington VIPs, this concert is a holiday music celebration benefiting the National Children’s Medical Center. CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON will be taped at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and will premiere on TNT Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). It will be followed by a special presentation of the TNT Original A Christmas Carol, starring Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge.

“We are proud that TNT is home to this extraordinary holiday concert benefiting the National Children’s Medical Center,” said Michael Wright, senior vice president in charge of the content creation group for TNT, TBS and TCM. “This year’s slate of performers is guaranteed to make the 2008 edition of CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON a holiday treat the whole family can enjoy.”

Casting Crowns is a Christian music group headed by frontman/principal songwriter Mark Hall, youth minister of Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church near Atlanta. The Grammy-winning group has sold more than 4 million records and has earned Dove Awards and American Music Awards. They also ranked as the top-selling group of 2007 on Billboard’s Christian/Gospel year-end chart and headlined the top-grossing Christian music tour of the 2007-08 season. When they released their third studio album, 2007’s The Altar and the Door, the record immediately became the No. 2 selling CD of any kind in America. Casting Crowns’ most recent album is the holiday-themed Peace on Earth, currently available in stores.

Kristin Chenoweth can currently be seen in her Emmy-nominated role on the ABC series Pushing Daisies. She has released three albums, including the recent A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas. She has also written a candid chronicle of her life that will be released in spring 2009. Chenoweth’s extensive Broadway credits include a Tony-winning performance in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown and a Tony-nominated role in Wicked. She co-starred in The Apple Tree, Epic Proportions, Kander and Ebb’s Steel Pier, Moliere’s Scapin and Stairway to Paradise. She holds a master’s degree in opera performances and has performed a sold-out solo concert at Carnegie Hall, with other events at Sam Mendes’s Donmar Warehouse, Metropolitan Opera House and The Walt Disney Concert Hall. She is scheduled to make her Metropolitan Opera debut in March 2010 as Samira in John Corigliano’s The Ghost of Versailles and recently appeared in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide at Lincoln Center. Her other credits include an evening at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, The Washington National Opera’s 50th Anniversary Gala with Placido Domingo and collaborations with several internationally renowned orchestras. Chenoweth’s television credits include The West Wing, The Music Man and Annie, along with her own series, Kristin. For the big screen, she is developing a feature film based on the life of Dusty Springfield. Other movie credits include Space Chimps, Deck the Halls, RV, Bewitched, Running with Scissors, The Pink Panther and Stranger than Fiction, as well as Four Christmases, which is due out in November.

Julianne Hough is a Mercury Nashville recording artist and two-time Dancing with the Stars champion. Hough (pronounced “Huff”) recently topped both the country and Top 200 charts with her self-titled album, as well as with the infectious debut single “That Song in My Head.” This year sent Hough on tour with Brad Paisley, earned her an Emmy® nomination and led her to the stages of Good Morning America and The View. She also topped Maxim’s Hot 100 list, was featured in USA Today and graced the covers of CosmoGirl, Shape and People. Hough sings “The Taste Is Gonna Move Ya” jingle for Wrigley’s™ Juicy Fruit gum and supports Clothes Off Our Back, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and St. Jude. Her current single is “My Hallelujah Song,” and her first holiday record, entitled The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, is currently available exclusively at Target.

Darius Rucker’s album Learn to Live, on Capitol Records Nashville, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s country album charts and instantly established the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter as a major force in country music. The album’s bittersweet centerpiece, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” spent two weeks at #1 on the country singles chart. Rucker’s new single, “It’s Won’t Be Like This for Long,” is already a Top 30 hit on country radio. Rucker first came to prominence as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the group Hootie & the Blowfish, whose 1994 debut, Cracked Rear View, sold more than 16 million copies to become one of the best-selling albums in history. As a student of great songwriting, South Carolina native Rucker earned his advanced degree while working on Learn to Live.

Straight No Chaser is a men’s a cappella group that was originally formed 12 years ago by students at Indiana University. The group was suddenly thrust into the limelight ten years after their inception thanks to an enormously popular YouTube video of “The 12 Days of Christmas,” which received nearly 8 million viewers last year. Balancing musical brilliance with self-deprecating humor, Straight No Chaser has now reunited and recently released their Atlantic Records debut, Holiday Spirits, a captivating collection of holiday songs.

Dr. Phil McGraw has galvanized millions of people to “get real” about their own behavior and create more positive lives. Dr. Phil, his syndicated series now in its seventh season, is the second highest-rated daytime talk show in the nation. The show has been making headlines and breaking records since its September 2002 launch, when it garnered the highest ratings of any new syndicated show since the launch of The Oprah Winfrey Show 16 years prior.

Through his show, Dr. Phil helps guests solve their problems by stripping away their emotional clutter and providing them with the tools they need to move confidently ahead in their lives. He also champions those who suffer from such silent epidemics as domestic violence, child abuse, depression, racism, substance abuse and other health issues.

Dr. Phil is also the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers: Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters; Relationship Rescue: A Seven-Step Strategy for Reconnecting with Your Partner; Self Matters: Creating Your Life From the Inside Out; The Ultimate Weight Solution: The Seven Keys to Weight Loss Freedom; Family First: Your Step-by-Step Plan for Creating a Phenomenal Family; and Love Smart: Find the One You Want, Fix the One You Got. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller The Ultimate Weight Solution Cookbook: Recipes for Weight Loss Freedom, as well as The Ultimate Weight Solution Food Guide. His books have been published in 39 languages with more than 24 million copies in print. His latest book, Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life, gives readers a solid plan on how to cope with the most demanding days in their lives.

The Dr. Phil Foundation (http://www.drphilfoundation.org/), a nonprofit charitable organization committed to helping children and families at risk, is also devoted to rewarding remarkable children who are working hard to overcome tremendous obstacles and give back to their family and community. The Foundation is another tool in Dr. Phil’s arsenal to fight problems that cripple our society in subtle but undeniable ways. In addition, Dr. Phil and his wife Robin also serve as the official spokespersons for the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association’s Forgotten Children campaign. This effort helps to raise awareness of foster children and to aid in the recruitment of much-needed CASA volunteer advocates who work together with the court system in the best interests of foster children.

Dr. Phil holds a B.A. from Midwestern State University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from North Texas State University with a dual area of emphasis in clinical and behavioral medicine.

Robin McGraw, wife of best-selling author and television talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw, has made “family first” her mission. Married for 32 years to Dr. Phil, she has made her marriage and raising their two sons her priority in life.

A constant presence on the Dr. Phil show since the very first episode, Robin McGraw has won viewers over by discussing her experiences as a mother and wife or dealing with issues that women face in the many phases of their lives. She has also made several guest appearances on Rachael Ray and hosted White House Christmas 2006 on HGTV. In addition, she has co-hosted many television events with Dr. Phil, including The JC Penney Jam Concert for America’s Kids and The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. The couple has also been featured on such shows including Larry King Live, The View, The Academy of Country Music Awards, The Early Show, Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, The Late Show with David Letterman and The Hour of Power with Dr. Robert S. Schuller.

Robin McGraw has also been one of the most sought-after authors within the publishing world. In September 2006, her first book, Inside My Heart: Choosing to Live with Passion and Purpose, debuted at #1 on the New York Times best sellers list. Her next book, entitled What’s Age Got to Do With It?, will be released in January. Additionally, she is a featured speaker at select Women of Faith events across the country and a board member of The Dr. Phil Foundation.

CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON, a two-time Emmy-winning program for Musical Direction and six-time nominee overall, is executive-produced by 11-time Emmy-winner George Stevens, Jr. and directed and produced by Michael Stevens for The Stevens Company. For TNT, Ricki Rosenfeld and David Bryant serve as executives in charge of production, with Mark Shimmel returning for his fourth year as music talent consultant.

Artists performing in past years have included Ne-Yo, Vanessa Hudgens, Alan Jackson, Andrea Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Heather Headly, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Gretchen Wilson, Il Divo, Chris Brown, Corinne Bailey Rae, Bianca Ryan, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Ciara, Vanessa Williams, Ruben Studdard, Kenny Chesney, Joss Stone, Hootie & the Blowfish, Ashanti, Tony Bennett, Reba McEntire, Usher, Marc Anthony, Christina Aguilera, B.B. King, Chris Isaak, 98 Degrees, Kenny Loggins, Alison Krauss, Luther Vandross, Faith Hill, Brooks & Dunn, Gloria Estefan, Brian Setzer, Aaron Neville, Patti LaBelle, Lee Ann Womack, CeCe Winans, Neil Diamond, Vince Gill, Jane Monheit and The Click Five.

Turner Network Television (TNT), television’s destination for drama and one of cable’s top-rated networks, offers original series, including the acclaimed and highly popular detective drama The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter; Raising the Bar, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Trust Me, with Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh. TNT is also home to powerful one-hour dramas, such as Bones, Cold Case, Law & Order, Without a Trace, ER and Charmed; broadcast premiere movies; compelling prime-time specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

 

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