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THIS IS AMERICA - Kennedy Center Honors
By Jerilyn Watson
Broadcast: December 2, 2002
VOICE ONE:
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate the work of five
famous performing artists on Sunday, December eighth. They will be honored for
many years of excellence. I'm Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Steve Ember. We tell about the winners of this year's Kennedy Center
Honors on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
((MUSIC: “MARCH” FROM “AIDA”))
VOICE ONE:
The lights of the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D-C, will shine next Sunday on five famous
performing artists. The Kennedy Center will honor orchestra conductor and pianist James Levine (lah-VINE),
actress Elizabeth Taylor and actor James Earl Jones. Other honorees are singer and songwriter Paul Simon and
actress, dancer and singer Chita Rivera.
VOICE TWO:
Musical conductor and pianist James Levine (lah-VINE) is the youngest Kennedy Center Honors
winner this year. The artistic director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City is fifty-nine
years old. For thirty of those years Mister Levine has helped make the Metropolitan Opera one of
the best in the world. He also will direct the Boston Symphony Orchestra beginning in two-
thousand-four.
James Levine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. At age ten, he played piano with the Cincinnati
Symphony. He led his first Metropolitan Opera performance at age twenty-seven. In just four
more years he became the opera’s musical director. Listen as James Levine leads the Metropolitan Orchestra
and Chorus in music from “Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi.
((MUSIC))
VOICE ONE:
James Levine
The Kennedy Center also is honoring actress and humanitarian Elizabeth Taylor. She has been
acting for sixty of her seventy years. She has appeared in almost sixty movies.
Mizz Taylor has won two Academy Awards for best leading actress from the Motion Picture
Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also has received many other honors from the film industry.
Elizabeth Elizabeth Taylor was born in London, England. But her American parents took her to live in
Taylor California before World War Two.Elizabeth first gained widespread fame in the movie
“National Velvet”
when she was only twelve years old. Later she gave outstanding performances in great films
like “Giant,”“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” Her first appearance in
the theater earned her honors and critical praise. Mizz Taylor appeared in “The Little Foxes” in nineteen-
eighty-one.
Two years later a close friend of Mizz Taylor, actor Rock Hudson, died of the disease AIDS. This death led her
to support and establish several organizations for AIDS research and treatment. Elizabeth Taylor has raised more
than one-hundred-million dollars for the struggle against AIDS.
((MUSIC BRIDGE)
)
VOICE TWO:
The Kennedy Center is also honoring James Earl Jones. Mister Jones is known for his
commanding acting presence and deep voice. Over the years he has played in theater, films and on
radio and television. In the nineteen-sixties, he was one of the first African American actors to
have a continuing part in daytime television dramas. Critics have praised his work in plays by
William Shakespeare and as the voice of Darth Vader in the first “Star Wars” movies.
James Earl Jones was born in the state of Mississippi in nineteen-thirty-one. He grew up in
Michigan, cared for by his grandparents. As a child he suffered from a severe speech problem. Jones
This prevented him from talking much. He began to develop his voice with acting lessons at the University of
Michigan. He had gone there to study medicine. Instead, he decided to become an actor.
Here is James Earl Jones reading from “Lincoln Portrait”
by Aaron Copland.
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.” That is what he said. That is what Abraham Lincoln said.
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in
spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial
through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. We -- even we here --
hold the power and bear the responsibility.
”
VOICE ONE:
James Earl
Paul Simon
The Kennedy Center also is honoring singer and songwriter Paul Simon. His beautiful melodies
have deeply influenced American music. Paul Simon has won many Grammy awards for the finest
single records and collections of songs.
Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey in nineteen-forty-one. He went to high school in
New York City. There he met Art Garfunkel, another student deeply interested in music. Paul
Simon art Art Garfunkel soon began creating music together. At age sixteen, they recorded a song
called “Hey Schoolgirl.” It sold many copies. The song led to an appearance on the popular
television program “American Bandstand.
”
The two musical friends combined their voices again in nineteen-sixty-four on the song “Wednesday Morning,
Three A-M.” Simon and Garfunkel were a successful singing team for several years. Their songs in the
nineteen-sixty-seven film “The Graduate”
became especially famous.
In the early nineteen-seventies, Paul Simon started working alone. Since then he has produced many new songs.
Some have included musical traditions and musicians from South Africa and Brazil. In nineteen-ninety he was
named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here are Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel singing Paul Simon’s song,
“Missus Robinson.
”
((MUSIC))
VOICE TWO:
The Kennedy Center is honoring Broadway and nightclub star Chita Rivera for many years of
outstanding acting, singing and dancing. Chita Rivera was born in Washington, D-C, in nineteen-
thirty-three. Her father was a musician who was born in Puerto Rico. He died when Chita was a
young girl. Her mother supported her five children by working in a government office.
In nineteen-forty-nine, Chita won money to attend George Balanchine’s School of American
Ballet. Chita Rivera first earned fame on Broadway singing and dancing in the musical “West Chita Rivera
Side Story” in nineteen-fifty-seven. She also has starred in Broadway musicals like “Can-(Photos
Can,”“Bye Bye Birdie” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” She has won praise and major Kennedy
awards for her work in theater. Here Chita Rivera sings “America” from “West Side Story.
”
Center)
((MUSIC)
)
VOICE ONE:
James Levine, Elizabeth Taylor, James Earl Jones, Paul Simon, and Chita Rivera are special performers. The
Kennedy Center will honor them for sharing their gifts with people around the world.
((THEME)
)
VOICE TWO:
This VOA Special English program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced by Cynthia Kirk. I’m Steve
Ember.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Mary Tillotson. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on our VOA
Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
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