Kennedy Center Honors 2018 Highlights: Adam Lambert and 'Hamilton'

The Kennedy Center Honors is my favorite awards show of the year. The most extraordinary performances happen here. And this year is no exception. Cher was honored for her contribution to the musical and performance world and I was so excited to see that Adam Lambert was going to be part of that tribute. He did not disappoint with this gorgeous, heartfelt rendition of "Believe".

I do love about a good cover. You take a good song, that might have had some era appropriate bells and whistles of the time (hello auto-tune, wow I can't believe you stuck around for as long as you did!) and pull its soul right out. A talented artist can present it in a new way, and viola! 

He starts sweet and gentle, altering the melody here and there. I love the moment when he pulls his ear piece out, he's just that comfortable and confident up there. He makes Cher shed a tear! The emotion builds and he ends in a dramatic Lambert moment of holding out high note. 

The co-creators Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Alex Lacamoire he creators of 'Hamilton' were also honored, and we were treated to a live performance of the The Schuyler Sisters" by original cast Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Phillipa Soo. 

While there are so many memorial tracks in 'Hamilton', there's nothing better than a female three-part harmony number that pretty reminiscent of Destiny's Child. Especially that run at the end! Work!