From left: Kennedy Center Honors recipients Debbie Allen, Joan Baez, Dick Van Dyke, Garth Brooks, and Midori. Photo: Astrid Riecken / The Washington Post
“In the six months since it was postponed because of the pandemic, the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors evolved from wishful thinking into a beacon of hope for the country and its decimated arts sector,” writes Peggy McGlone in Saturday’s (5/22) Washington Post. “Singer Joan Baez, country musician Garth Brooks, dancer-choreographer-actor Debbie Allen, violinist Midori and actor Dick Van Dyke are in Washington this week for a reimagined celebration of the annual award for lifetime achievement in the arts. The Honors is being taped in segments over five days, including three presented before small and socially distant audiences. A stitched-together version will be broadcast June 6 on CBS…. President Biden welcomed the five artists to the White House on Thursday morning… A 75-minute tribute concert was held Thursday night in the Concert Hall…. Friday night’s presentation of the medallions was moved from the State Department to the Opera House Stage, where 128 guests—including top infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci, who accompanied Baez—were seated at small and distanced tables…. The Kennedy Center plans to return to a traditional celebration in December, when the 44th annual Honors are scheduled.”
