By Cindy Clark, USA TODAY  WASHINGTON  Tina Fey can certainly make people laugh. She has, after all, made quite a career out of it.  But the tables were turned on Tuesday night when Fey's friends and colleagues gathered at the Kennedy Center to fete the funny lady herself. The reason? Fey was the recipient of the 13th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, following in the footsteps of great comedians including Richard Pryor, Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Newhart, Lily Tomlin, Lorne Michaels and last year's honoree, Bill Cosby. Fey, 40, is the award's youngest recipient to date.  A star-studded lineup of entertainers including Michaels, Fred Armisen, Steve Carell, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Hudson, Jane Krakowski, Steve Martin, Seth Meyers, Tracy Morgan, Amy Poehler and Betty White were all on hand to pay tribute to Fey, an alum of NBC's Saturday Night Live.  The executive producer, head writer and star of NBC's comedy 30 Rock is no stranger to prizes — the series and her performance on it as Liz Lemon have earned Emmy awards.  Fey is also an Emmy winner for her work on SNL for her guest portrayal of GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. She previously was head writer and cast member of SNL for nine seasons.  So it was only fitting that Tuesday night's ceremony started with SNL-style music and cast announcements. The final name shouted, White's, received the loudest round of applause.  But before the show, White was the one paying tribute to the honoree. "Her intelligence along with her sense of comedy" makes Fey special, White said, and added jokingly, "too bad she's not good looking, too."  It was White's second event that day at the Washington cultural center for the performing arts: A ceremony was held in the morning by the U.S. Forest Service which named her an honorary forest ranger. The experience was the "biggest personal thrill in the world," the veteran actress, 88, said before she walked in to the Fey tribute.  Meyers, who now anchors "Weekend Update" on SNL, noted that it was a huge deal "to have a contemporary win the Mark Twain award." He said Fey's impact is "just what you learn from her. You can't learn talent but you can learn work ethic."  Poehler, Fey's pal and former partner on SNL's "Weekend Update" anchor desk, couldn't be happier. "I'm genuinely thrilled and not at all surprised," said Poehler, who noted that Fey's impression of Palin was her favorite. "That one's a keeper," she said.  During the ceremony, Poehler poked fun at the whole affair. "I am so honored to be able to attend your comedy Bat Mitzvah. The food has been good so far, and your Evitatheme seems to be working," she said, referencing the classic scene in the musical where Evita Peron addresses the crowd from a balcony. Fey was in the theater balcony seated with husband Jeff Richmond.  Before the tributes, Fey seemed quite humbled by the honor. Wearing a black dress by Oscar de la Renta, the actress was very soft-spoken on the red carpet as she described how she was feeling: "Overwhelmed."  "All of the other people who have received this prize are heroes of mine," Fey said. "I keep thinking (I have) to tell them they've made a terrible mistake."  Comedian Martin would disagree. A past recipient of the Twain Prize and a Kennedy Center Honoree, he knows a thing or two about tributes. When reminded about those awards, Martin said, jokingly, "Yes, I've been demoted."  In fact, his duty was to kick off festivities. He started the night: "We in the comedy community recognize genius when we see it, and Tina, you are."  Fey's fellow SNL alum Fallon took to the stage to sing. He addressed Fey: "We have great chemistry. We're like Sonny and Cher. We're like Bono and The Edge. Reminds me of the song Bono once wrote for Tina: And I'd like to sing it to you." And then he launched into a comedic rendition of U2's Beautiful Day.  Still, just like an episode of SNL, there was a real musical guest on Tuesday night. A break in the laughter occurred when a svelte Jennifer Hudson performed Respect on stage.  Tina Fey: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize will air on Sunday on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings).  You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference.
The '30 Rock' star is humbled by the honor and the praise of her peers, who gathered to salute her on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.