Barbra's "Dolly!" Steals the Show

December 28, 2010
The Kennedy Center Honors was broadcast this evening on CBS with composer Jerry Herman one of this year's honorees. The prolific composer of such musicals as "Mame," "Mack & Mabel" and, of course "Hello, Dolly!" was treated to surprise on-stage appearances by Chita Rivera, Angela Lansbury, Carol Channing and others.

Lansbury spoke about her time working with Jerry Herman in "Mame." She also led the cast in the tribute's finale with "The Best of Times" from Herman's "La Cage aux Folles."

Channing, who turns 90 next month, offered a simple one line rendition of "Hello, Dolly!" that was rewritten as "Hello, Jerry!" for the occasion. Her all too brief appearance on stage was the evening's sentimental moment.

But it was Barbra Streisand's 1969 version of "Hello, Dolly!" that served as the real tribute to Herman's most memorable musical score. During the biographical video montage, a lengthy clip from the film - Barbra performing the title number with Louis Armstrong - was shown in front of the President of the United States, the show's composer and millions of viewers at home.

Barbra was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 2008.