Kennedy Center Honors for 2006: Lifetime Achievement in the Performing Arts

The Kennedy Center has crossed genres and cultural lines for the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors given for lifetime achievement in the performing arts. While the Kennedy Center hosted the event on Dec. 3, the actual awards were presented on Dec. 2 at a State Department dinner, hosted by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

The honorees cross several backgrounds, to say the least. The group includes film, theatre and song, from country to Motown to classical. How do you limit this people to one introductory paragraph? Well, it's almost impossible, and perhaps that's the ONE thing these people have in common, besides unadulterated talent in their chosen fields.

Steven Spielberg, age 58. Are there cinema fans in the United States who have NEVER seen ANY of Spielberg's films? Chances are people have seen a Spielberg production without even knowing it. He's received Academy Awards for best director for Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. Spielberg was honored with the "Bundesverdienstkreuz mit Stern" (the highest civil distinction the Federal Republic of Germany has to give away) for Schindler's List. Other notable gems have included: ET, Jaws, Poltergeist, An American Tail, Encounters of the Third Kind, and the Indiana Jones movies. Stalwart fans will remember his stints on the tiny screen, directing for Marcus Welby, and Rod Serling's Night Gallery.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, age 58 was knighted 1992 in honor of his achievements. Webber has forged together a career full of Cats, Phantoms, political figures (Evita) and the spiritual (Jesus Christ Superstar). Webber has seven Tony awards to his name, as well as three Grammy awards.