When one of the globe's premier artists of "explosive events" teams up with a fifth-generation member of "America's First Family of Fireworks," you knew there are going to be some serious sparks. This richly detailed multimedia package from The Kennedy Center follows along as gunpowder artist Cai Guo-Qiang and pyrotechnics whiz Phil Grucci plan a Washington, D.C. spectacle in the early '90s. Included in the show: a 500-foot high, 150-foot wide "tornado"; a mortar-affixed barge on the Potomac River; over 2,000 of the Gruccis’ patented "Pixelburst" shells; thousands of spectators; and more than one jumpy safety official. This wasn't a Fourth of July celebration. But with fireworks booming overhead tonight, we thought it was the perfect time to gape in wonder at what happens when two guys versed in sparklers take the artistry of explosions to a thunderous new level.
