National Treasures: Celebrating Broadway at the Kennedy Center Honors

By: Aug. 22, 2017
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The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual celebration held to honor those in the arts for a lifetime of contributions to American culture. Beginning in 1978, the honors are held annually in the Kennedy Center Opera House.

Broadway has a long and happy relationship with the honors and the star-studded gala that celebrates its honorees. With numerous recipients among our ranks, Broadway's finest actors, singers, dancers, playwrights, composers are among the most notable Kennedy Center Honorees in history. These honorees include Richard Rodgers, Tennessee Williams, Stephen Sondheim, Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones, Kander & Ebb, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Lena Horne, among many, many others. The latest addition to the Broadway legacy at the honors will be the subject of the hit musical, On Your Feet!, Gloria Estefan.

Though the honor itself is the star of the show, the lengthy tributes showcasing highlights of these luminous careers are often the best part of the evening. Singing the songs that made them famous and dancing dances that made them soar, the stars of today pay loving tribute to the legends of our history.
Throughout the years, many Broadway greats have graced the stage of the Kennedy Center to salute these legends. As we gear up for this year's ceremony, let's take a look back at some of the most memorable tributes in Kennedy Center history and enjoy the stars of today, before they become tomorrow's honorees.

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