Cynthia Erivo, Brian Stokes Mitchell to Perform on Tonight's KENNEDY CENTER HONORS

Tonight, CBS will present the 39th KENNEDY CENTER HONORS as a two-hour primetime special beginning at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). Stephen Colbert will return for the third consecutive year to host the special. As previously announced, the recipients of the 2016 KENNEDY CENTER HONORS will be Argentine pianist Martha Argerich, rock band the Eagles, screen and stage actor Al Pacino, gospel and blues singer Mavis Staples, and musician James Taylor.

Broadway's Brian Stokes Mitchell will perform the "Star Spangled Banner" on the broadcast. During the segment honoring Martha Argerich, Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo will perform "The Impossible Dream" from the Broadway musical "Man of La Mancha". Bobby Cannavale will give a spoken tribute and Broadway's Lily Rabe performed during the segment honoring Al Pacino. Click here for the full line up of presenters and performers.

The KENNEDY CENTER HONORS is one of the most awarded programs in television history, having received the Emmy® for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program 10 times. The Honors recipients recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts-whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television-are selected by the Executive Committee of the Center's Board of Trustees. The primary criterion in the selection process is excellence. The Honors are not designated by art form or category of artistic achievement; the selection process, over the years, has produced a balance among the various arts and artistic disciplines.

The KENNEDY CENTER HONORS Founding Producer is George Stevens, Jr.

Image courtesy of CBS