The artists kicked off the festivities on Saturday night at the State Department with a dinner and toasts from their friends and contemporaries. They, along with singer/songwriter Carole King and filmmaker George Lucas, were honored Sunday.
Advertisement
Sunday’s Kennedy Center Honors were filled with moments both light and moving.
The technology that George Lucas brought to movie-making came back to haunt him at the Kennedy Centre Honours.
But the star of the original Star Wars trilogy and the upcoming The Force Awakens didn’t appear in person. Instead, one of Lucas’ beloved creations, the feisty droid R2-D2, rolled onstage and projected her image.
“The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes the extraordinary and unparalleled talents of individuals whose impact and genius have left an indelible mark on civilization”, said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein in an earlier statement.
Lucas created the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” movie franchises, ushering in the age of the Hollywood blockbuster, and he broke barriers with his use of special effects and sound.
“He’s a pathfinder and a pioneer like Edison and Bell and Tesla and Jobs”, Spielberg said. Abrams-directed Star Wars film.
Lucas receives the award just ahead of the release in movie theaters of the latest installment in the saga – Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The man behind the saga set in a galaxy far, far away received his award during a gala event at the Washington, DC venue, which also honoured actresses Rita Moreno and Cicely Tyson, 1970s pop singer-songwriter Carole King and Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Seiji Ozawa. President Barack Obama attended the event with his wife Michelle after delivering a rare primetime address in the wake of a brutal mass shooting in California that he described as an “act of terrorism”.
Advertisement
Moreno, who earned an Oscar in 1962 for her performance in the film adaptation of “West Side Story”, highlighted her heritage. She was honoured for her diverse and boundary-pushing career, including memorable stints on children’s television.
