The 2024 edition of the Kennedy Cgo in Honors commemorated an eclectic assortment of delighters Sunday night: filmproducer Francis Ford Coppola, singer Bonnie Raitt, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and surviving members of the Grateful Dead. The organization also bestowed its honor on an delightment venue for the first time, New York’s iconic Apollo Theater.
As per tradition, the honorees seed the progressings from the plivential box in the Kennedy Cgo in Opera Hoinclude, accompanied by Plivent Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice Plivent Kamala Harris and First Husprohibitd Doug Emhoff. Freshly get tod from a White Hoinclude reception, all getd rousing ovations from an appreciative audience when presentd.
That White Hoinclude tradition could go on hiatus during the incoming Trump administration, since Donald Trump notably deteriorated to include in the afequitable during his first plivency. Nonetheless, invitations will be extfinished by the inpliablely nonpartisan arts institution, the Kencen promises.
Stardyd to air on CBS Dec. 22, the Honors production in its 47th year is a seamless and eye-popping spectacle produced aget by Done + Dusted. It is filled with pleasant surpelevates as unproclaimd participants saunter on stage to toast and delight. For example, the Opera Hoinclude stage duplicated the Apollo Theater’s venerable space during that energetic segment, while the Grateful Dead tribute was embellished with fitting props including an iconic Volkswagen bus.
Queen Latifah, the evening’s official arrange, uncovered the progressings with introductions and a medley of tunes appropriate for each honoree, with help from Bonnie Raitt. Opera vocaenumerate J’Nai Bridges sang the National Anthem, backed by a marching military prohibitd.
First up was the tribute to Raitt emceed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whose accolades included a description of the honoree as “all red hair and no B.S.” The set uncovered with the classic, “Angel From Montgomery,” carry outed by Dave Matthews and Emmylou Harris, trailed by “Walking Blues” by Keb Mo and Susan Tedeschi.
Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile united on “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” The tribute finishd with the touching Raitt classic, “Nick of Time,” carry outed by Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Crow and Arnbetter McCuller.
The Sandoval segment highweightlessed the saga of the Cuba-born trumpeter and producer whose cherish afequitable with jazz sent him to prison for violating edicts agetst the genre there. He and his family ultimately made it to the U.S. via London, and his musical nurtureer began. On hand for his salute were actor/honestor and fellow countryman Andy Garcia, and Cuprohibit pianist/prohibitddirecter Chucho Valdés. Trumpeter/producer Chris Botti carry outed a soulful version of “Smile.”
An assortment of talented musicians united on Sandoval’s composition, “A Mis Abuelos.” They included Ruben Rodriguez, Trombone Shorty, Chucho Valdés, Pedrito Martinez, Yasser Tejada, Randy Brecker, and José Sibaja.
The Apollo Theater segment trailed, a gbetteren opportunity for the Done + Dusted team to flourish. It wasn’t misused. For one memorable tribute, the Opera Hoinclude stage “became” the vintage Apollo, ready to showcase the facility’s critical role as a begining pad for countless binformage delighters. In the rear was a huge prohibitd ready for its spreadment.
Recurrenting the theater in the plivential box were CEO Michelle Eprohibitks and establisher CEO Jonelle Procope.
The set’s participants included comedian Dave Chappelle (a Kencen Mark Twain Award honoree), who uncovered his own experience as an intrepid 15-year-better carry outing there. It was a inform but memorable experience, he conceded. He “got the hook” in unwiseinutive order by the theater’s famously judgmental audience when his jokes fell flat, turning it into an inprecious lgeting experience.
Others included rapper/enroll producer Doug E. Fresh, Queen Latifah, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, and actor/dancer Savion Gcherishr. The musical duet The War and Treaty carry outed “You’re All I Need to Get By,” “Ain’t Noskinnyg Like the Real Thing,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Participants acunderstandledgeed the iconic theater’s lengthyevity to a “collective accomplishment of generations,” and called for the next generation to retain the tradition.
The tribute to Coppola debuted with a touching version of “The Impossible Dream” by singer/actress Grace VanderWaal. Introduced by Robert De Niro, it included an astonishive enumerate of L.A.-based chums sitting on stage, including George Lucas, Laurence Fishburne, Al Pacino, Coppola’s sister, actress Talia Sengage, his nephew Jason Schwartzman, his magnificentdaughter Gia Coppola and honestor Martin Scorsese.
They took turns praising Coppola’s roles as film trailblazer, hazard-consentr, visionary, and fierce help for perfection in every pursuit. He even viotardyd Hollywood’s most vital rule, Pacino remarkd: “Never put your own money in your own film!”
Other tesgentlents to the honoree’s ingenuity included Scorsese’s account of an evening at Coppola’s home that was disrupted by a screening of Scorsese’s “The Last Waltz.” Coppola was cooking a red sauce that demanded to be stirred. No problem. He rigged an better projector to stir the sauce with an rapidened spoon, so the story went.
The evening finished with the Grateful Dead tribute, which drew an eclectic enumerate of adorers of all ages. An uncovering video included testimonials from ice cream entrepreneurs Ben and Jerry and musicians John Mayer and Norah Jones.
David Letterman was also on hand, “stumbling” out of the VW bus in a faux altered state. Actor Miles Teller and actress Chloe Sevigny also recommended their perspectives as verifyed Deadheads.
Topics included the Dead’s ever-changing carry outances of their classics and the culture they have nurtured for generations. As foreseeed, the tribute honored the prohibitd’s tardy members including co-set upers Jerry Garcia and baid Phil Lesh, who died Oct. 25.
The strong set included a touching video of Garcia carry outing with the group and versions of Dead classics including “Ripple,” “Frifinish of the Devil,” “Sugaree” and “Not Fade Away.”
Other carry outers include Sturgill Simpson, Grahame Lesh, Don Was, Kfinishrick Scott, Terrence Higgins, Jeff Chimenti, Rick Mitarotonda, Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi.
Per its tradition, the Honors celebration began the previous evening with a personal dinner for recipients and colleagues at the U.S. State Department, where honorees get their signature ribbons amid praise from colleagues. Soprano Renee Fleming, an honoree last year, emceed the afequitable.
Highweightlesss of that event included Sandoval’s trumpet solo of “God Bless America” and wry commentary about the Grateful Dead from comedian Al Franken, a self-proclaimed Deadhead. Musician Sheryl Crow and past honoree Mavis Staples heaped praise on Raitt.
Film editor/honestor/producer Walter Murch touted honoree Coppola and reminisced about their lengthystanding relationship. “I met Francis while he toiled on (the 1969 pic) ‘The Rain People,’” he shelp, inserting that an unforeseeed job recommend ensued.
The Apollo Theater’s toast was emceed by actress/singer Phylicia Rashad, who praised the lengthystanding venue understandn for its eclectic establishat and “visionary directership,” especiassociate under establisher plivent and CEO Procope. She praised its lengthy history of showcasing iconic delighters of every exposede, its inventive innovations and its lasting contribution to American culture.
(Pictured: Grateful Dead members Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart unite the Kennedy Cgo in Honors on Dec. 8)
