This is the 25th anniversay of the Kennedy Center Honors. Five performers were honored, including James Earl Jones:

James Earl Jones possesses one of the most instantly recognizable voices in entertainment history: a commanding basso profundo with a built-in echo chamber that is the very sound of authority. Jones' great range as a performer has made him a legendary American artist. He is a major classical stage actor-his performances as Lear and Othello are towering achievements-but as the voice of Darth Vader, he is evil incarnate to the billions of Star Wars fanatics. At once he is recognized by theatergoers as one of the foremost interpreters of great contemporary playwrights such as August Wilson and Athol Fugard, and loved and respected by a generation of youngsters as the lion patriarch Mufasa in Disney's animated film, The Lion King. A giant of a man physically, Jones' reputation as an actor is of roughly the same proportions. In The Washington Post, theater writer David Richards wrote: "It's not just his physical size that is imposing, what clinches the impression is the elemental force he brings to his roles. Jones' resonant voice is capable of moving in seconds from boyish ingenuousness to near-biblical rage and somehow suggesting all the gradations in between."...

My acting teacher in college was a former Broadway star-turned teacher, and she was good friends with Jones. He came and spoke to our class at Wittenberg in the late '70s - very friendly but powerful figure and fully in charge of that voice. Wow.

James Levine:

He has led American opera into a glorious golden age, establishing the Metropolitan Opera as the world's beacon of operatic splendor through his three decades with the company. James Levine made his Met debut in 1971, became principal conductor in 1973, music director in 1976 and then the company's first artistic director in 1986. With commitment and distinction that are rare in any opera company anywhere, Levine has given his life to making music and drama of unparalleled excellence and sublime
beauty.

His genius belongs to the world and the world has honored him often. Levine is a regular guest of the Vienna Philharmonic, of the Dresden Staatskapelle and of London's Philharmonia Orchestra, and he has directed major productions at the Salzburg and Ravinia Festivals. He is presently director of the Munich Philharmonic, and there is great anticipation of his coming directorship of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2004....

Chita Rivera:

There is no one like Chita Rivera. Indomitable, vibrant and sexy, she has been called the ultimate crossover performer, as an actress, singer and above all dancer. From West Side Story to Kiss of the Spider Woman, from Can-Can to The Rink she has been the inspiration for our theater's most electrifying creators, including Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb. She has triumphed on stage on both sides of the Atlantic. "My body is the sum total of all the choreographers who have trained me," Rivera has said, but she adds up to much more. She once led a crowd of 50,000 dancing the macarena at Yankee Stadium, and she has spent more than half a century entertaining millions. The New York Times has called her "the most exciting night club performer in the business," but it is as a Broadway baby that the world loves her best.