Barbara Cook on Her 'Moving' Kennedy Center Honors Tribute From Sutton Foster, Patti LuPone and More

A slew of Broadway's top tier leading ladies, including Sutton Foster, Audra McDonald and Patti LuPone, recently made their way to Washington, D.C. to pay tribute to iconic theater legend Barbara Cook at the 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. So how did Cook feel watching the fellow Tony winners band together to take on several signature songs from her illustrious career? Broadway.com recently caught up with Cook to find out.

“It was very moving,” Cook said of the December 27 telecast. “[The producers] told me that sometimes they ask people to perform and [the stars] don’t want to, or don’t like the [honoree], or they can’t. But they told me that every single person they asked agreed, and I was very moved. I really appreciate people doing that for me.”

The performance featured Laura Osnes singing “This is All Very New to Me,” Rebecca Luker taking on “Will I Ever Tell You,” Kelli O’Hara performing “Will He Like Me,” Glenn Close singing “Losing My Mind,” Sutton Foster delivering “Everybody Says Don’t,” Patti LuPone crooning “Come Rain or Come Shine” and Audra McDonald perfoming “Til There Was You.”

The Kennedy Center Honors recognize lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts—whether in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures or television. This year’s other honorees included Meryl Streep, Neil Diamond, Sonny Rollins and Yo-Yo Ma.

Cook won a Tony Award in 1958 for originating the role of Marian Paroo in The Music Man. She was nominated again in 2010 for the Broadway revue Sondheim on Sondheim. Her other career highlights include Carousel, Candide, She Loves Me and Follies. Click below to watch the Kennedy Center tribute's medley honoring Cook’s singular Broadway career.