2024 Kennedy Center Honors

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 11:46am

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced the next five honorees who will receive the 47th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements.  

Director and filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather, Apocalypse Now)

Rock band The Grateful Dead (Mickey Hart, Billy Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Bobby Weir)

Blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, Bonnie Raitt

Jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval

The Apollo, which will receive a special Honors as an iconic American institution.

A pretty solid group, but surprisingly, no theater or dance honoree this year.  And no CBS-centric smh honoree like Tom Selleck or Cedric the Entertainer.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 11:50am

Cue the "But what about Liza" contingent!

Seriously though -- what ABOUT Liza??

 

 

Updated On: 7/18/24 at 11:50 AM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 12:01pm

At this point I tend to think Liza turned it down? What other reasoning is there?

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 12:06pm

JSquared2 said: "Cue the "But what about Liza" contingent!

Seriously though-- what ABOUT Liza??"

Same goes for the Patti, Audra, and Bernadette contingents.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 12:13pm

Ask any non-theater savvy person who Audra McDonald is and they have no idea who she is. Even those who watch THE GILDED AGE. Heck, I know countless people who go to Broadway regularly and have no idea who she is. Even when you point her out to them. I know many film/TV industry people who had no idea Ana Gasteyer was on Broadway and can even sing. Audra may have 75 Tony Awards, an Emmy Award and several nominations, but she’s not known my the mainstream masses. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 12:15pm

Coppola makes a ton of sense this year. It'll give him a late-December moment in the spotlight after MEGALOPOLIS crashes and burns at the box office and with critics ;)

I guess Apollo sort of covers theatre, dance, and live music. It's a deserving winner and I'm not against an organization receiving it, given that they'll hand the Honor to all members of a rock band.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 12:24pm

Liza will never get one, but if for whatever reason she does, I’m going to run on stage and steal it just so we can continue to have the same conversation every year. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 12:33pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "Liza will never get one, but if for whatever reason she does, I’m going to run on stage and steal it just so we can continue to have the same conversation every year."

You one phunny girl. They are given the medal in advance and are wearing them around their necks in their box seats at the start of the ceremony. They never ever walk down and on to the stage.  

[SisterGeorge]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 12:53pm

JSquared2 said: "Cue the "But what about Liza" contingent!

Seriously though-- what ABOUT Liza??

Seriously though -- what about classical music and/or opera? They used to be the backbone of the Honors. 


"

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 1:06pm

As long as the Honors are on CBS, there will be a level of populism to them, whether that's the actual honoree (a band, a celeb actor, a major music artist) or a person who can attract boldfaced names performing in the tribute. The KC and the selection committee are probably also looking at things holistically: not just this year's honorees, but examining what the past decade of honorees have been, to ensure that they've checked an appropriate number of boxes for performing artists of all arenas.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 4:05pm

“ You one phunny girl. They are given the medal in advance and are wearing them around their necks in their box seats at the start of the ceremony. They never ever walk down and on to the stage.”

Thank you for explaining something that didn’t need to be explained. Did you also explain this to your parents in South Florida? 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 4:07pm

Another missed opportunity who should have been recognized decades ago...

Bob Newhart RIP

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 4:11pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "“ You one phunny girl. They are given the medal in advance and are wearing them around their necks in their box seats at the start of the ceremony. They never ever walk down and on to the stage.”

Thank you for explaining something that didn’t need to be explained. Did you also explain this to your parents in South Florida?"

I most likely would have had to but luckily, they are both dead now so that saved lots of time.  Phew, I tell ya.  

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 5:23pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Ask any non-theater savvy person who Audra McDonald is and they have no idea who she is. Even those who watch THE GILDED AGE. Heck, I know countless people who go to Broadway regularly and have no idea who she is. Even when you point her out to them. I know many film/TV industry people who had no idea Ana Gasteyer was on Broadway and can even sing. Audra may have 75 Tony Awards, an Emmy Award and several nominations, but she’s not known my the mainstream masses."

To be fair, do you think the mainstream masses know who Arturo Sandoval is? It’s not as though every honoree is always a household name. 

[LuckyDipster]

Posted: 7/18/24 at 5:30pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Ask any non-theater savvy person who Audra McDonald is and they have no idea who she is. Even when you point her out to them."

I am proof of this.  Despite being someone who has been going to the theatre (in the UK) since the early 90s, I did not recognise Audra when she was the guest producer at the final night of Gutenberg! which I attended.  I mentioned it on here and was mocked by a couple of people so I am pleased to hear that I am far from alone in being unfamiliar with her work (and face).