The White House was full of celebrities Sunday evening when U.S. President Barack Obama played host to this year’s five Kennedy Center honorees. The festivities in Washington began with a White House reception, where Obama made his remarks flanked by the honorees. The actual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony takes place afterwards. Pictures can be found in the image library.
According to the president’s speech, “The sheer brilliance and breadth of Meryl Streep’s performances count as one of the most exhilarating cultural spectacles of our time.” Others attending Sunday’s events included actors Stanley Tucci, Robert DeNiro, Sarah Jessica Parker and Emily Blunt, and musician Smokey Robinson. A two-hour recap of the gala will air the night of December 27 on CBS.
Steven
December 5th, 2011
I watched President Obama’s heartfelt tribute to Meryl and the four other honorees in which he stressed the major role of the arts. He noted that Meryl continues to do the unexpected in her portrayal of so many diverse characters. I liked Meryl’s response to an interviewer who asked her to compare the Oscars and the Kennedy Center Honors. She said the Academy Award was august, but with the latter award the President was honoring her on behalf of the people of the United States.