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PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Tuesday 8 December 2015

Feel the Force: R2-D2 helps honor Lucas at Kennedy Center

BEN NUCKOLS had a part in seven of the ored for her performance Jones in “The Gin Game.” Songwriters’ Hall of Fame
Associated Press top 10 grossing movies of as Anita in “West Side Sto- Ozawa, who was born in nearly 30 years ago for her
WASHINGTON (AP) — The all time. ry.” She was honored for China to Japanese par- broad influence on pop
technology that George “He’s a pathfinder and a her diverse and boundary- ents, began conducting as music, which helped shape
Lucas brought to mov- pioneer like Edison and pushing career, including a teenager in Japan after the sounds of the 1960s
iemaking came back to Bell and Tesla and Jobs,” memorable stints on chil- World War II. He went on to and 70s. Her compositions
haunt him at the Kennedy Spielberg said. “George Lu- dren’s television. lead the Boston Symphony include “The Loco-Motion,”
Center Honors. cas’ ‘Star Wars’ absolutely Moreno is one of a hand- Orchestra for 29 years. Vio- ‘’One Fine Day” and “I’m
As the tribute to Lucas be- changed films forever.” ful of artists to win an Os- linist Itzhak Perlman and so- into Something Good.”
gan at Sunday night’s gala “The Force Awakens,” the car, Emmy, Grammy and prano Renee Fleming paid Obama said King’s first solo
honoring him and four seventh movie in the fran- Tony. At an earlier White tribute to him during Sun- album, “Tapestry,” was one
others for contributing to chise and the first made House ceremony for the day’s honors, which also in- of the first albums he ever
American culture through without Lucas’ involvement honorees, Obama said she cluded a performance by bought; it’s also one of the
the arts, the crowd was as director, producer or pushed back against Holly- past honoree Yo-Yo Ma. highest-selling albums of
asked to welcome Carrie writer, opens Dec. 18 and wood typecasting. King was inducted into the any genre.q

2015 Kennedy Center Honors honorees from left, actress and singer Rita Moreno, filmmaker

George Lucas, and singer-songwriter Carole King, react as President Barack Obama speaks

about Lucas during the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors reception in the East Room of the White

House in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Fisher. But the star of the is expected to be one of “She’s still a leading lady
original “Star Wars” trilogy the highest-grossing films of her era, a trailblazer with
and the upcoming “Star in history. As the crowd of courage to break through
Wars: The Force Awakens” Washington power brokers barriers and forge new
didn’t appear in person. and Hollywood celebrities paths,” Obama said.
Instead, one of Lucas’ be- stood and applauded, Lu- Tributes to Moreno came
loved creations, the feisty cas waved from a balco- from her “Jane the Virgin”
droid R2-D2, rolled onstage ny, wearing the honorees’ co-star, Gina Rodriguez,
and projected her image. signature rainbow-colored and Rosie Perez, who sang
Fisher said she wanted to garland. Next to him were “Fever” with the overzeal-
be there in person to honor first lady Michelle Obama ous Animal of “The Mup-
Lucas, “but since you in- and his fellow honorees: pets” on drums — a perfor-
vented video voicemail, I singer-songwriter Carole mance Moreno originated,
didn’t have to.” King, actress and singer winning an Emmy. They
Steven Spielberg and Mar- Rita Morena, conductor said Moreno paved the
tin Scorsese, fellow direc- Seiji Ozawa and actress way for themselves and
tors who along with Lucas Cicely Tyson. other Latino actors.
brought new energy to President Barack Obama “She was herself,” Perez
American cinema in the was a late arrival to the said. “She celebrated her
1970s, offered more con- event after delivering a heritage but did not stereo-
ventional tributes to the rare televised address in type it.”
“Star Wars” creator, hailing which he said America Tyson, a longtime star of
him for his technological would overcome the threat stage and screen, has said
wizardry and his commit- posed by Islamic State mili- the honor validated her de-
ment to storytelling. tants. cision to turn down many
Lucas also created the “In- Moreno, a native of Puerto roles as she tried to find
diana Jones” franchise, di- Rico who started dancing meaningful work as a black
rected by Spielberg, and at age 9, became the first woman. At age 90, she’s
his special-effects compa- Latina to win an Academy currently starring on Broad-
ny, Industrial Light & Magic, Award when she was hon- way alongside James Earl