WASHINGTON — Barbra
Streisand, Morgan
Freeman, George Jones, Twyla
Tharp and Pete
Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the
Who this weekend became the latest recipients of the Kennedy
Center Honors for lifetime achievement in the performing arts.
The ceremony, now in its 31st year, is one of Washington’s few red carpet
events. Celebrities came from New York, Los Angeles and Nashville to pay tribute
to the honorees.
The weekend celebration included a dinner hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice on Saturday at the State Department. On Sunday, stars including the
musician B.
B. King and the actor Denzel
Washington appeared on stage at the annual gala at the John F. Kennedy
Center.
The gala will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 30.
Mr. Freeman, 71, was nominated for three Academy Awards before winning in
2005 as best supporting actor in “Million Dollar Baby.” At the dinner, Ms. Rice
noted his work in “Glory” and “Driving Miss Daisy,” but joked that she preferred
the actor in the 1998 disaster movie “Deep Impact.”
“I know that when you played the African-American president of the United
States, most people thought that would happen when a comet hit,” she said to
cheers. “But wonder of wonders, fiction has become true.”
Mr. Jones, 77, a Texan known for his plaintive baritone as well as his
tumultuous personal life, has 166 singles on Billboard’s country music chart,
including 14 No. 1 hits.
Mr. Townshend, 63, and Mr. Daltrey, 64, of the Who, were honored for their
role in helping to revive interest in American blues music with songs like “My
Generation.”
“This country has done so much for us,” Mr. Daltrey said Saturday night.
Ms. Tharp, 67, has created more than 135 dances, bringing together ballet and
modern dance, high art and pop culture. She said Mr. Townshend could be a future
collaborator. “He’s a good jumper,” she said Saturday.
Ms. Streisand, 66, said, “I’ve won the Legion of Honor, but it’s nice to be
honored when it’s your own country.”
Still, she said Saturday that she would not have minded waiting another year
for the honor — when President Barack
Obama would have been watching from the balcony of the Kennedy Center.
“Would have been nice,” she said. “I’m just glad he’s in.”