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'Growing Up Evancho': Sisters Jackie, Juliet & family land TLC special | TribLIVE.com
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'Growing Up Evancho': Sisters Jackie, Juliet & family land TLC special

Natasha Lindstrom
Natasha Lindstrom
ptrevancho01030317jpg
Andrew Russell | Tribune-Review
Jackie Evancho, the Pine Township singing phenom, takes a break from shooting a video at WPXI's studios in the North Hills to sit for a portrait, Thursday, March 2, 2017.

America is about to get a glimpse into the daily lives of one of Western Pennsylvania's most high-profile families: the Evanchos.

The family of six from Richland is known mostly for sisters Jackie Evancho, 17, the opera-turned international pop teen singing sensation; and Juliet Evancho, 19, a transgender activist who has received attention from Donald Trump and sued Pine-Richland School District over its controversial bathroom policy.

"Growing Up Evancho" (pronounced ee-VAYN-ko), a one-hour TV special, is scheduled to debut at 10 p.m. Aug. 9 on TLC, the channel announced Thursday.

"What I hope people take away from it is that they'll just see that I'm a normal human being, and they'll see that Jackie's a normal human being," Juliet told the Trib on Thursday. "It's just that our circumstances are very different."

Jackie first won over reality TV fans after wowing judges on "America's Got Talent" as a 10-year-old with an astoundingly powerful voice.

She has since skyrocketed into international stardom as a teen pop sensation and youngest ever solo platinum artist. Jackie has sung alongside music legends Barbara Streisand, Andrea Bocelli and Tony Bennett, and performed for world leaders such as the Obamas, Japan's Imperial Family and Pope Francis.

Her older sister, Juliet, entered the national spotlight last fall when she joined two fellow transgender high school students in a legal battle to get Pine-Richland School District to continue letting transgender students use the bathroom that matches their gender identities.

Juliet just graduated from Pine-Richland High School — where she made the homecoming court — and plans to spend the next year traveling the country as an LGBTQ rights activist while pursuing a modeling career.

Both girls say that despite all the attention and chaos fame can bring, their family has remained close, supportive and relatively down-to-earth.

In addition to Jackie and Juliet, the program features their siblings, 13-year-old Rachel and 15-year-old Zach, and parents Lisa and Mike Evancho. The group recently returned from a weeklong vacation to Delaware, an annual tradition.

Between lounging at home with their six dogs and juggling Jackie's singing gigs with Juliet's transgender activism, the special's producers have quipped that the Evanchos are "like the average American family on steroids."

"There's quite a few heartfelt moments that really show how tight-knit our family is," Juliet said. "People should watch because it gives insights on our family that people haven't seen or heard before."

Lisa Evancho added, "We're trying to represent our hometown and hope that they tune in."

Earlier this year, Jackie faced public backlash over her decision to sing the National Anthem at Trump's inauguration, then again when she spoke out against the Trump administration's decision to rescind Obama-era guidelines intended to support transgender students in schools.

Jackie has emphasized she's not anti-Trump, or even all that political; she just wants to stand up for her sister and help others understand what Juliet confronted while coming out as transgender.

"Just because I disagree with the president doesn't mean that I despise him," Jackie told the Trib in March , when the Trump administration expressed interest in meeting with the sisters. "I'm American and have the right to disagree with my president."

In March, Jackie released her eighth studio album, "Two Hearts" ­— featuring her first attempt at songwriting. Juliet spent the spring walking in her first fashion shows, including one in the Strip District and one in Vancouver. She hopes to move to New York City.

"The sisters are at a crossroads individually and within themselves," a release announcing the TLC special said. "Both girls utilize their platforms to speak out against Trump's rollback of transgender rights while still trying to maintain a balance within their careers and family life."

Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@tribweb.com or on Twitter @NewsNatasha.