Ronstadt, Earth Wind & Fire, Sally Field celebrated at Kennedy Center
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| Front row from left, Susan Pompeo, 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees Michael Tilson Thomas, Linda Ronstadt, Sally Field, Joan Ganz Cooney, Lloyd Morrisett and Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter, back row from left, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, and characters from "Sesame Street," Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, and Elmo, and Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein, pose for a group photo following the Kennedy Center Honors State Department Dinner at the State Department on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in Washington. (Source: AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) |
Sesame Street earns TV's first Kennedy Center honor as cast remembers puppeteer Caroll Spinney
KOLD
WASHINGTON (AP) — Actress Sally Field, singer Linda Ronstadt and the disco-funk band Earth Wind and Fire shared the spotlight Sunday night as part of the latest group of recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime achievement in the arts.
Also in this year’s class were conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and long-running children’s TV show “Sesame Street.”
Sunday’s event featured a genuinely unique event for the Kennedy Center as Big Bird walked the red carpet along with fellow “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie, Abby and Cookie Monster, accompanied by their respective humans.
Together at last—your 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees!
Tune in Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET as we celebrate these incredible luminaries during the #KCHonors broadcast on @CBS & streaming with a free trial of @CBSAllAccess.
John Paul Filo for CBS
The massive yellow avian’s appearance held a particular resonance as Caroll Spinney, Big Bird’s original puppeteer, died earlier Sunday at age 85. [See below]
“I’m heartbroken that this happened on this particular day,” said Sonia Manzano, who played Maria for decades on “Sesame Street.” “But I’m glad we’re all together.”
As she entered the building, Field, who has won two Academy Awards and three Emmys, reflected on the unique nature of the Kennedy Center Honors medallion.
“It’s not about one performance. It’s not about being the flavor of the month,” she said. “It recognizes artists whose body of work has resonated over the years.”
Once again, the attendance of President Donald Trump was a topic of speculation until the White House said Friday that neither he nor first lady Melania Trump would attend. Trump skipped the past two celebrations; in 2017, multiple recipients threatened to boycott the event if he attended.
Tom Hanks, as he entered the building, pointed out that this annual tension seems unique to the Trump administration.
“We’ve been here for Republican presidents and we’ve been here for Democratic presidents,” he said. “We were all celebrating the arts in America.”
.@sesamestreet knows how to dress for a #KCHonors red carpet.
Bert, Ernie, @BigBird, @elmo, @AbbyCadabbySST, and @MeCookieMonster!
Last year’s ceremony contained very few overt political references. But this year, several signs of the country’s divisive political mood bubbled to the surface. During the annual Saturday night gala dinner for honorees at the State Department, Ronstadt, a longtime liberal activist, reportedly had a testy exchange with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo introduced Ronstadt by referencing one of her signature hits — “When Will I Be Loved” — and wondered aloud when he would be loved. Ronstadt, according to multiple attendees who posted on social media, responded, “When you stop enabling Donald Trump.”
On Sunday night, Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein noted that half a dozen members of Trump’s Cabinet were in attendance, and the camera focused on Pompeo to polite applause. Then he introduced House Speaker, who received a spontaneous, extended standing ovation.
Each recipient is honored with a personalized presentation that in the past has included surprise guests. Last year, Cher was shocked to find her friend Cyndi Lauper walking onstage to deliver a tribute; Lauper had told Cher she would be out of town.
Don Henley, who received his own Kennedy Center Honor in 2016 as a member of the Eagles, praised Ronstadt’s “curiosity about multiple music styles” that led her to explore early country-rock, mainstream pop, Broadway and Mexican folk ballads.
“And Linda owned each and every genre she explored,” Henley said.
Carrie Underwood, Aaron Neville, Trisha Yearwood and Flor de Toloache, an all-female mariachi band, performed. No less an authority than Emmylou Harris described Ronstadt’s voice as “the most stunningly beautiful of our generation.”
Ronstadt, who retired from performing in 2011 due to the effects of Parkinson’s disease, wept openly in the honorees box as Harris spoke.
Hanks and Steven Spielberg, both previous Kennedy Center Honorees, paid tribute to Field. Hanks, who memorably played Field’s son in “Forrest Gump,” drew a laugh when he walked onstage by donning a familiar southern accent and drawling, “Hi Momma.”
Maura Tierney recalled working on the television show “ER,” where Fields’ played her unstable mother.
“Watching how she works had a profound effect on me as a human and as an artist,” Tierney said. “Thank you for being one of the most righteous kick-ass women I have ever had the pleasure to work with.”
The co-founders of “Sesame Street,” Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, accepted the honor on behalf of the show, but the presentation included familiar cast members. For starters, Big Bird strolled down the aisle and basically sat in Hanks’ lap. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt had an extended chat with Cookie Monster and the segment ended with a mass rendition of the show’s signature tune, “Sing a Song.”
Tilson Thomas, widely known simply as MTT, was repeatedly praised for pushing musical boundaries while serving as music director of the San Francisco Symphony for the past 24 years.
Lars Ulrich, drummer for the venerable Bay Area metal band Metallica, recalled working on a joint project with Thomas’ orchestra, calling it “one of the most exhilarating and creatively rewarding experiences of my career.”
Actress Debra Winger praised Thomas’ “contagious child-like exuberance” and willingness to forge unusual collaborations.
“Taking his friends to unusual musical places is who Michael is and what he does,” Winger said.
Earth, Wind and Fire’s segment largely consisted of an extended all-star tribute concert. John Legend, Cynthia Erivo, Ne-Yo and the Jonas Brothers all performed the band’s hits and illusionist David Copperfield recalled how the band recruited him to introduce illusions into their famously flashy stage show.
The night ended with a packed stage performing “September” with the entire audience on their feet and Hanks leaping from his seat, arms waving, to lead his whole section in dancing.
The event will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 15.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Sesame Street turned 50 years old this year, and what better way to celebrate the milestone than with a Kennedy Center honor? On Sunday, the iconic children’s show became the first television program to receive the prestigious honor. The annual celebration recognizes artists who have made lasting cultural impacts on society. This year the Kennedy Center also recognized Earth, Wind & Fire; Sally Field; Linda Ronstadt, and Michael Tilson Thomas.
Together at last—your 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees!
Tune in Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET as we celebrate these incredible luminaries during the #KCHonors broadcast on @CBS & streaming with a free trial of @CBSAllAccess.
The co-founders of Sesame Street, Joan Ganz Cooney and psychologist Lloyd Morrisett, accepted the honor on behalf of the show, Henson, Muppets artists Caroll Spinney and Frank Oz, and all the artists who helped expand the show. On the red carpet, the cast wore pinned yellow feathers in remembrance of Spinney, who died earlier today and was the puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.
Premiering November 1969 on PBS, Sesame Street featured Jim Henson’s Muppets teaching children the ABCs of life — from the literal ABCs, to physical and mental health, to lessons about hope and overcoming adversity. Kids have grown up alongside famous characters like Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Bert, Ernie, Rosita, and more.
From its inception, Sesame Street has been praised by parents and critics alike for its progressive and inclusive content, and some of its most poignant episodes touched on topical cultural subjects.
In 2010, Segi, an African-American Muppet, made her first appearance singing about loving her natural hair; Julia, a Muppet with autism, debuted in 2017. Additionally, homelessness, incarceration, Hurricane Katrina, and HIV are all topics that Sesame Street has tackled over its tenure.
The Kennedy Center Honors will broadcast the ceremony on Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and CBS All Access.
Related content:
- Sesame Street legend Caroll Spinney, who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, dies at 85
Sesame Street legend Caroll Spinney, who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, dies at 85
GARY MILLER/GETTY IMAGESTYPE- TV Show
Legendary puppeteer Caroll Spinney, who brought to life Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street, has died at the age of 85. Sesame Workshop confirmed the news on Sunday morning, saying Spinney had been living with the movement disorder Dystonia for some time.“Caroll was an artistic genius whose kind and loving view of the world helped shape and define Sesame Street from its earliest days in 1969 through five decades, and his legacy here at Sesame Workshop and in the cultural firmament will be unending,” Sesame Workshop wrote in a statement.“His enormous talent and outsized heart were perfectly suited to playing the larger-than-life yellow bird who brought joy to generations of children and countless fans of all ages around the world, and his lovably cantankerous grouch gave us all permission to be cranky once in a while.”
Caroll Spinney, the legendary puppeteer behind beloved Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, died today, December 8th 2019, at age 85 at his home in Connecticut, after living with Dystonia for some time. m.sesame.org/2P3EhIh
In addition to Sesame Street, Spinney voiced Big Bird in 1979’s The Muppet Movie, Oscar the Grouch in 1981’s The Great Muppet Caper, and both beloved characters in 1985’s Follow That Bird.Spinney received four Daytime Emmy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on Sesame Street, and two Grammy Awards for related recordings. He was also named a Library of Congress Living Legend in 2000.As Spinney’s condition caused him greater discomfort, he handed over Big Bird duties to his apprentice Matt Vogel in 2015 before fully retiring from voice acting completely in 2018. That’s the same year Eric Jacobson was tasked with taking over the role of Oscar the Grouch.“Through his legendary work as the world’s best-known, most lovable yellow bird, Caroll left an indelible mark on public television, and he touched the hearts and minds of countless children,” PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger wrote in a statement. “We are so very grateful for the inspiration, compassion and good humor that he brought to PBS audiences throughout his extraordinary career on SESAME STREET. He will be deeply missed.”The official Muppets Twitter account also posted a message following the news of Spinney’s death, tweeting, “Whether as a Big Bird filled with wonder or a grouch named Oscar filled with complaints, Caroll Spinney filled all of our lives with joy, laughter and learning. Forever in our hearts.”Spinney leaves behind his wife Debra, his children, grandchildren, and a legacy of laughs via the characters he portrayed with great humor and creativity for so much of his life.
