Kennedy Center Announces A Week Of Free Performances That Pay Tribute To The 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces a week of free Millennium Stage performances that pay tribute to the 2019 Kennedy Center Honorees. Events include a film screening in honor of Sally Field (December 3), a Michael Tilson Thomas tribute concert (December 4 at 8 p.m.; note alternate time), a showcase of Linda Ronstadt's most beloved songs (December 5), The Earth, Wind & Fire tribute band (December 6), and a sing-along in honor of Sesame Street (December 7).

Each evening through December 22, capital visitors and Washingtonians alike will witness the iconic Kennedy Center building lit in the rainbow ribbon colors that have signified the Kennedy Center Honors since 1978. All performances take place at 6 p.m. in the Grand Foyer of the Kennedy Center, unless otherwise noted.

Honors Tribute Week begins December 3 with a screening of Norma Rae, the 1979 film starring 2019 Honoree Sally Field. The film, a true story about a female union organizer, earned Field her first Academy Award for Best Actress. With a career that has spanned more than five decades, Sally Field is a two-time Academy Award-winning and three-time Emmy Award-winning actress, who has portrayed dozens of iconic roles on both large and small screens and the stage. The screening of Norma Rae will be held in the Justice Forum of the Kennedy Center's new expansion, the REACH, on December 3.

A Michael Tilson Thomas Journey will take place December 4 at 8 p.m., celebrating the musical world of the famed conductor who is affectionately known as MTT. From his relationships with Stravinsky and Copland to his own compositions and collaborations with artists such as James Brown, Tilson Thomas has had an exceptionally diverse and influential career as a conductor, composer, pianist, educator, and musical role model. The performance will feature world-class musicians, including soprano Susanna Phillips, cellist Oliver Herbert, the Sixth Floor Trio, and alumni of the New World Symphony, the orchestral academy that Tilson Thomas co-founded and continues to lead as artistic director. The program is curated by his protégé, conductor Teddy Abrams.

Tony Award -nominee Ann Hampton Callaway performs on Thursday, December 5, in celebration of one of America's most beloved artists, Linda Ronstadt. Callaway, one of the leading pop/jazz singers of our time, has created a night of songs and stories in The Linda Ronstadt Songbook. This show features the many faces of love in Ronstadt's iconic songs, including "Different Drum," "You're No Good," "Desperado" and "Am I Blue."

On Friday, December 6 at 6 p.m., The Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute Band takes the Millennium Stage, honoring the iconic nine-time Grammy Award-winning band with hits including "September," "Let's Groove," and "Sing A Song."

The week of tributes concludes December 7 with a Sesame Street Sing-Along, an event that children and former children can enjoy together. Local musical theater performers and surprise guests will salute Sesame Street by singing along to 50 years of songs and musical segments from the show.

The 42nd annual Kennedy Center Honors will take place on Sunday, December 8, when the 2019 Honorees will be saluted by today's leading performers. The Honors Gala will be recorded for broadcast on the CBS Network for the 42nd consecutive year as a two-hour primetime special airing on Sunday, December 15 at 8 p.m. ET.