VOICE TWO:
At thirteen, Itzhak Perlman came to the United States. He soonappeared on television. He attended the Juilliard School in New Yorkand won a major performance prize in nineteen-sixty-four. Hisinternational fame had begun. Itzhak Perlman has received both aMedal of Liberty and a National Medal of Arts in the United States.
Here he performs Brahms’ “Violin Sonata Number Three in D Minor.”
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VOICE ONE:
Now on to classic comedy, with another Kennedy Center honoree.
Many people consider Carol Burnett one of the funniestentertainers alive. Over the years, she has performed in clubs,films, theater and television. Her work has included singing,dancing and playing serious parts. But she is best known for hercomedy. “The Carol Burnett Show” appeared for eleven seasons ontelevision.
Carol Burnett grew up in Hollywood. At the University ofCalifornia at Los Angeles, she appeared in theatrical productions –and found her life’s work. She left college to become an actress inNew York.
VOICE TWO:
In nineteen-fifty-nine, Carol Burnett became a star of theBroadway theater in the musical production, “Once Upon a Mattress.”That same year, she began to appear on “The Gary Moore Show” ontelevision.
Carol Burnett won her first Emmy in nineteen-sixty-two for herwork on that show. Five years later she launched her own televisionprogram. “The Carol Burnett Show” lasted until the latenineteen-seventies. Since then, she has appeared in many othertelevision shows and on Broadway.
Listen now as Carol Burnett sings about a theater worker whowants to become a movie star.
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VOICE ONE:
The final Kennedy Center honoree this year is Mike Nichols. Hehas performed, written, directed and produced during his many yearsin show business. His work on Broadway has earned him seven Tonyawards. And he has won an Academy Award for his work in film.
As a child, Mike Nichols and his family fled to America fromGermany. His family was Jewish, and Adolf Hitler was coming topower.
Later Mike Nichols attended the University of Chicago. He helpedform a comedy group at a theater in Chicago called The Second City.Members of this group became famous for making people laugh.
Soon Mike Nichols left Chicago with another member of the group,Elaine May. They began to perform comedy together in New York. Bynineteen-fifty-seven, Mike Nichols and Elaine May were becoming verypopular on radio and television. They opened their own Broadway showin nineteen-sixty. But a year later they stopped performingtogether.
VOICE TWO:
Mike Nichols went on to receive Tony awards for his work on playsincluding “The Odd Couple” and “The Real Thing.” His major filmsinclude “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” “The Graduate” and “CatchTwenty-Two.”
More recently, he directed the film “The Bird Cage.” Elaine Maywrote the screenplay. Some movie critics said it was one of thefunniest films of the nineteen-nineties.
VOICE ONE:
Mike Nichols, Carol Burnett, Itzhak Perlman, Loretta Lynn andJames Brown are this year’s winners of the Kennedy Center Honors inWashington.
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Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by CatyWeaver. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English programTHIS IS AMERICA.