Stephen Colbert may have been prophetic last night as emcee of the Kennedy Center honors. Was this the last show of its kind? Possibly, as producer George Stevens Jr. was shabbily ousted after 37 years of producing the classiest TV show this side of the Tony Awards.

Colbert opined: “This is the only awards show that doesn’t have Taylor Swift. Tay-tay-don’t play play here.”

Who knows? Maybe next year the Kennedy Center will drop its salute to accomplished musicians, actors, dancers, and comedians to something like “People Under 25  with Good Marketing Campaigns.”

When I was invited to Stevens’ annual brunch at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel I didn’t know it would be his last one. No one did. This classy exclusive affair was just like the rest of the weekend including events I didn’t go to– including  a State Department dinner and a cocktail reception at the White House.

And then there was show night, with an array of stars and performers that was quite dizzying. For Al Green, Stevens lined up Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Earth Wind & Fire, and superstar legend soul singers Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave) and Mavis Staples (of the Staples Singers). The latter duo absolutely threw the audience into a funk frenzy with their rendition of “Take Me to The River.”

When Moore, 79, did a spin on stage as if it were 1966, the place went wild. Hudson and Usher may have also learned something last night– if they sang properly written classics, they’d have more hits. Singing “Simply Beautiful” and “Let’s Stay Together,” respectively, these younger pop stars got ovations. And their voices were showcased, for a change.

Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw were just a few of the A list guests I ran into during the night. Even though to you latis Kristofferson has very bad short term memory loss, he’s still absolutely charming. “I know you,” he said, and we reminisced. I told him, “I’m going to talk  to you later about Janis Joplin. You remember her, don’t you?” I asked. He smiled widely. “If I do, I’m not telling you!” he said, and laughed.

Opera great sat right behind Meryl Streep– fifth row, on the aisle. They’re like the Mount Rushmore of the arts.

I asked Tom Hanks- – after his coronation, what next? “Self loathing and dread sets in,” he quipped.

The annual Kennedy Center honors are underway in Washington DC where Sting, Lily Tomlin, Tom Hanks, Al Green and Patricia McBride will be celebrated tonight in a big ceremony and concert. Last night, the five honorees received their awards and medals of honor at an ultra exclusive dinner at the State Department, hosted by opera legend Jessye Norman. Bruce Springsteen evidently gave a spectacular speech about long time friend Sting. Kennedy Center Honors impresario George Stevens Jr toasted Hanks. Green received his kudos from legendary Soul Man Sam Moore. Lily Tomlin was saluted by Bill Irwin. There were also remarks by Kennedy Center honchos David Rubenstein and Deborah Rutter.

Meantime, using social media to break the unofficial surprise, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars let it out that they’d be at the show tonight. Springsteen (with wife Patti Scialfa) and Moore have been seen around the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the show’s headquarters. There are rumors about Jennifer Hudson as well as Earth, Wind and Fire performing. Melanie Griffith is also said to be in DC. She co-starred with Sting in “Stormy Monday,” a lost gem of a film circa 1980s. Jane Fonda was spotted around the hotel, too. She would be there for Lily Tomlin, her “9 to 5” co-star.

The Kennedy Center Honors airs December 30th on CBS.

I should have written about this three days ago, but it’s been a crazy week. Elaine Kaufman died on December 3, 2010. Four years have passed, and her friends, who were her family, have wandered like a lost tribe ever since. Elaine’s restaurant closed the following May thanks to the bad management and inattention of the woman who inherited it all. Since then the building was sold, and I’m told now it’s being flipped again. Millions have been made by other, and Elaine is gone. It’s a tragedy. And the people who really were the survivors know the real story.

Every night around 11 pm , as evening soirees wind down, I say the same thing out loud: “Let’s go to Elaine’s.” It’s said with a sigh, and I know about a dozen other people who think the same thing. Elaine didn’t come in to the restaurant until around 9pm, and when she was well and in her hey day she stayed until closing around 2am. Elaine’s was designed as a late night spot where actors and writers and police chiefs and mobsters could come in after their adventures were over and share stories.

Elaine’s was not digital. One of the big moments most nights was getting “the paper” before it was printed– whether it was the Times, Post, or News. Someone would always have an early copy, a Xerox of the front page before it hit the stands. Smart phones didn’t exist. Maybe someone would struggle to find information on one of those dark blue early Blackberrys. But really, everything was about “the paper” and maybe the 10pm news on Channel 5. What was going to happen tomorrow? We knew it in Elaine’s before anyone else did.

And the going at 11pm. You went because Elaine was there. You had no idea who else would be there. Just Elaine, sitting along the front row of tables. When you got there she was already in the middle of something great. You’d greet her, bowing down, a peck on the cheek and her usual greeting– “Where have you been?” which was not an inquiry about your health but a warning that she knew you’d eaten somewhere else two nights ago and some one had seen it and reported it back.

“Well, there was a dinner at _________ and we had to go,” I’d say. “Yeah, yeah,” said Elaine, rolling her eyes. “And now you’re back.” Because we always came back, and we were so happy to see her. “Listen,” she’d say, “DabneyColeman/Alan King/Jackie Collins/Marisa Berenson/Peter Maas”– one of them– “is back there. Go say hello.”

Her eyes, very wide and accentuated by those big round tortoise shell glasses, showed her excitement, and she was already gesturing– her right arm swung from the elbow backwards as if to say Go, go go. And you’d be plopped down with Bobby Zarem entertaining this week’s movie star, or Neil Travis regaling us with his scoop of the day, or Catherine Deneuve or Michael Caine or Phil Spector (don’t ask). And say these words: “Elaine told me to come over here.” A chair was made open immediately. And down you’d sit.

Anyway, Elaine, on Thanksgiving we had a bottle of Chateau Simard in your honor and a toast. We have no place to go at 11pm except home, which is so boring and you would hate it. Sometimes we go to Bar Centrale after theater and see a few people. But no restaurateur would ever really allow the shenanigans of jumping from table to table, coming and going, no reservations, staying for hours, total anarchy. Only you. And we miss you. A lot.