Politics Takes Front Seat at Kennedy Center Honors - New York Times
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Al Drago/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — There was a wistful air to the 39th annual Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, as the Capitol took a break from preparations for the incoming Trump administration to observe Washington’s cultural event of the year.
Hosting the gala for the third time, Stephen Colbert, the host of “The Late Show” on CBS, saluted President Obama as “passionate, intelligent and dignified.”
“Sir, I don’t know why you stood up,” Mr. Colbert said after an extended ovation for the president. “I was talking about Michelle.”
The celebration’s tone was considerably more political than in previous years, with Mr. Colbert including “endangered swamp dwellers” among the tuxedo- and gown-clad guests he welcomed to the event.
That tone had permeated much of the weekend, dotted with activities before the gala, including an annual, intimate dinner at the State Department on Saturday hosted by the actor Kevin Spacey. Along with another actor, Sean Penn, Mr. Spacey took direct aim at President-elect Donald J. Trump, making him the butt of several jokes.
Many in the room during the dinner were brought to tears when Secretary of State John F. Kerry, without mentioning the president-elect directly, spoke of the significance of the arts in moments of national “turbulence” as a reminder of the human spirit’s “utter refusal to give in to darkness.”
“The light,” Mr. Kerry said, “is always there.”
There were moments of great exuberance as well, as when Mavis Staples became the second gospel singer to be recognized with the Kennedy Center’s annual lifetime achievement award. (The first was Marion Williams in 1993.)
“Oh my God, I feel like I could do a couple of cartwheels,” Ms. Staples said as she swung her arm around one of her recent musical collaborators, Jeff Tweedy, during the State Department dinner. “I just feel happy.”
Her fellow honorees included the actor Al Pacino, the singer-songwriter James Taylor, the Argentine pianist Martha Argerich and the country-rock band the Eagles.
The Eagles, known for producing chart-topping songs like “Hotel California,” were on hand to belatedly accept their accolades after deferring last year, when the guitarist Glenn Frey underwent surgery. Mr. Frey, 67, died in January.
The band had been the sixth honoree last year as the Kennedy Center briefly flirted with expanding their traditional five-honoree slate — part of its response to criticism about the opaque selection process for an artistic award that also comes with an official ceremony at the White House and a seat with the president at the gala. (A board of trustees picks the recipients with the help of nominations from the public.) But the center abandoned the six-honoree plan this year, citing the limitations of an already lengthy show.
Former President Bill Clinton on Sunday paid tribute to Mr. Taylor, whom he called “the sweet voice of our better angels” in the country’s darker times.
“It’s deep,” Mr. Taylor said at the dinner. “I’ve been somehow or other involved with the Kennedy Center Honors five different times. This is — well, this is less work.”
The Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 27 at 9 p.m. The center also announced a new contract with CBS to air the annual honors gala through 2025.
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