Hanks, Sting Honored At Kennedy Center
Each December, the Kennedy Center lights up with a flurry of A-list talent gracing its halls.
The Kennedy Center Honors gala is a celebration like no other, and this year was no exception.
2014 recipients Tom Hanks, Sting, Al Green, ballerina Patricia McBride and Lily Tomlin enjoyed a star-studded salute in their honor Sunday evening at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Stephen Colbert hosted the festivities.
Before the show, excitement ran high on the red carpet.
Hanks has received many awards and accolades over the years, but he says this one is different, joking that others are like “a sweepstakes competition … you get dressed up for a night, then they say someone else’s name and you feel horrible for six hours.” But “no one’s losing tonight!” Which, he joked, is a good thing, because “you can’t compete with Sting because he’s so darn good-looking!”
Green says receiving the Kennedy Center honor is “heartwarming … kind of gets you choked up.” Still, he was all smiles on the red carpet, and when asked how he felt, he joked, “How does it look like I feel?” Of President Obama’s rendition of his classic hit Let’s Stay Together, Green says, “He did a great job … he sang it better than me!”
To be honored alongside the likes of this year’s group “is something I never envisioned, and it’s extraordinary,” McBride said. “When I hung up my toe shoes, I didn’t look back, I looked forward.”
For Tomlin, meeting the president was a favorite part of receiving the honor. “Obama was so witty and funny and charming and extremely warm,” she says.
Colbert got things started with a little humor, of course: “Tonight, Washington puts the arts above politics, because no matter what party you belong to, everyone wants a selfie with Tom Hanks.”
The tributes then began, with each honoree receiving a mix of spoken words, performances and a short video showing highlights from their career.
Green’s tribute was up first, and Whoopi Goldberg took the stage to talk about the legendary soul singer. “Al Green can caress a lyric like no one else,” Goldberg said.
Earth, Wind & Fire performed a medley of his hits I Can’t Get Next to You and Love & Happiness. Jennifer Hudson sang Simply Beautiful, followed by Usher singing Let’s Stay Together and Mavis Staples wrapping things up with Take Me to the River.
Christine Baranski kicked off McBride’s tribute with a few kind words about the celebrated ballerina. “Brava to our prima American ballerina!” she said.
Dancers Tiler Peck, Jeffrey Cirio, Lauren Lovette, Misty Copeland and Jared Angl and others performed a medley for McBride.
David Letterman, a 2012 Kennedy Center honoree, spoke in honor of Hanks.
As Letterman took the podium to begin his tribute, Colbert, who will replace Letterman on The Late Show, came bounding up behind him. “Not yet,” Letterman said as the audience roared.
“We are honoring a man who was once upstaged by a volleyball,” Letterman said before telling the audience the two had been friends for decades.
“Whenever Tom is a guest on our show, I always say, ‘Again?’” joked Letterman, adding that he once asked Hanks to come on his show when he didn’t have a movie to promote. “And Tom said, ‘Dave, when people want to promote their movies, this is not the show they go on.’”
Director Steven Spielberg and Martin Short also spoke on Hanks’ behalf.
“I see him as the hardest working actor I know,” said Spielberg. “And he’s also a good man. …Tom’s art comes completely from his heart.”
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He also noted that Hanks is like most Americans, “especially when he gains 50 pounds for a role.”
Jane Fonda was among the talents who showed up to salute Tomlin, her 9 to 5 co-star (the pair are also reuniting for a Netflix comedy). Also on hand was actress Jane Lynch, Saturday Night Live cast member Kate McKinnon and singer Reba McEntire. “Two years ago I joined the cast of Saturday Night Live and now here I am honoring my comedy hero,” said McKinnon.
“From the first time I saw her on Laugh In, I said this is the person I want to be best friends with,” said McEntire.
“I approached Lily and excitedly shared my vision and she immediately said, ‘No,’” reminisced Fonda about making 9 to 5.
Meryl Streep was on hand to salute Sting.
“He’s still unsatisfied…thinking, ‘What’s next? What’s left to discover?” Streep said. “In his search for his own truth, he whispers directly into our hearts.”
Lady Gaga sang If I Ever Lose My Faith In You, followed by Esperanza Spalding’s rendition of Fragile. Springsteen, who was saluted by Sting himself when he received his Kennedy Center Honor in 2009, returned the favor to his old friend by singing I Hung My Head.
Bruno Mars kicked things into even higher gear with a medley of Sting hits So Lonely, Roxanne and Message in a Bottle, bringing the Washingtonian-filled crowd to its feet.
The 37th Kennedy Center Honors will air Dec. 30 on CBS at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
