George Lucas, 4 others to receive Kennedy Center Honors

Less than two weeks before the release of the new “Star Wars” movie, George Lucas was to receive the nation’s highest award for lifetime achievement in the arts.

Lucas was honored with a “Star Wars” tribute complete with lasers, not to mention toasts by Carrie Fisher, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Star Wars is still Star Wars, it seems, and that’s due to the foundation Lucas set with the first six episodes.

However, the Obamas will maintain a reception for the honorees on the White House late Sunday afternoon.

Lin-Manuel Miranda praised Moreno as a pioneer: “She takes the stage, she commands attention, she speaks for us and she tells the truth”, he said. “She celebrated her heritage but did not stereotype it”. Her memorable performances include “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman”, which won her an Emmy, and the groundbreaking miniseries “Roots”.

Legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, who attended the event as a victor of the award in 2013, commended Ozawa’s receipt of it this year, saying, “He conducts as though he was born with a baton in his hand”, according to a tweet from the center.

Ozawa, 80, was music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, one of the leading American orchestras, for 29 years until 2002.

The cast of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical sang the songwriter’s hits with the help of special guests Janelle Monae, James Taylor and Aretha Franklin, who performed a rendition of (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman.

King was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame almost 30 years ago for her broad influence on pop music, which helped shape the sounds of the 1960s and 70s. Stephen Colbert of CBS’ “The Late Show” hosted the gala for the second consecutive year.

The 2015 Kennedy Center Honors will air on CBS on December 29.

The president has never missed the Kennedy Center Honors, but he arrived after a short intermission, less than half an hour after his televised Oval Office address on terror.