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Stars Eager To Impress At Inaugural Events

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By ROXANNE ROBERTS

The Washington Post

Published: December 21, 2008

WASHINGTON - Forget the millions on Metro, and the bus caravans inching in from beyond the Beltway. Barack Obama's inauguration is destined to create the greatest red-carpet gridlock in the history of the Federal City.

Oprah at the Kennedy Center. Yo-Yo Ma at the swearing-in. Sting at the Harman Center.

Consider all the stars circling The One: Aretha Franklin, Spike Lee, Melissa Etheridge, Lou Gossett Jr., Ashley Judd, Dick Gregory, LL Cool J and T.I., for starters. And the rumor mill is loudly buzzing that Bruce Springsteen, Kanye West and Will.I.Am just might drop by.

That doesn't count all those waiting for his people to call their people: A bunch of really big names isn't announcing plans because they're hoping the Obamas want them at an official inaugural event.

"If they need me to volunteer, they need me to sing, I'm there, and I'm ready," Beyonce shamelessly hinted to reporters the day after the election.

Oh, please! You couldn't keep her away if you tried. This extravaganza is like the prom: A-listers are holding out for their dream date but will go with their backup rather than miss the party of the year.

"There's not a star in the country that's not going to be here," said Marc Barnes, owner of Love nightclub off New York Avenue Northeast. Barnes has booked T.I. and Young Jeezy to show at the club, plus some "major people" he'll announce this week. But he's having a hard time getting final commitments: "When you're competing with the president of the United States, there's no competition."

All this star power is a bonanza for entertainment reporters, autograph seekers and paparazzi who usually ignore D.C. as too "political" (aka boring, unattractive, stuffy).

The Presidential Inaugural Committee probably won't release the names of any celebrities attending official events until after the new year. On Wednesday, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies said Aretha Franklin, Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma will perform at the swearing-in ceremony. No chance for tickets there (unless you're "political"), but you can see them on television. (Franklin also is giving a free concert at the Kennedy Center on Martin Luther King Day, with tickets available that afternoon at the venue.)

Also on television: performers at MTV's live "Be the Change Inaugural Ball" on Jan. 20 at the Ronald Reagan Building. The cable music network will have "several leading artists, celebrities and government officials" but hasn't nailed down names. BET plans a live midnight performance by a very big star for its Jan. 20 ball at the Mandarin Oriental hotel but hasn't released the very big name yet. BET has nabbed Mary J. Blige, Magic Johnson, Tyler Perry, Judith Jamison, Gabrielle Union and B. Smith for its second BET Honors on Jan. 17 at the Warner Theatre.

Most of the celebrity names already announced are attending the unofficial inauguration: all those benefits and balls carving a slice of the Obama pie.

First out of the gate: The Creative Coalition, which lobbies for government support of the arts, announced its Jan. 20 ball at the Harman Center before the election - both to get a jump on fundraising and to preserve its rep as a bipartisan organization. Sting, Sam Moore and Elvis Costello will perform; Susan Sarandon, Anne Hathaway, Spike Lee, Alfre Woodard, Dana Delany and Maggie Gyllenhaal are among the dozens of celebrity hosts.

The ball is the group's major fundraiser ("It's what allows us to keep our doors open"), but given the economic meltdown, the prices - starting at $10,000 for two tickets - seemed unrealistic. But it sold out all 800 tickets three weeks ago.

A close second out of the gate: Oprah, who's absolutely, positively going to be here. Tickets for her Jan. 19 taping at the Kennedy Center were snapped up in a couple of hours, and her yet-to-be-announced party will instantly become the primo must-attend event in Washington.

Dozens of other parties are scrambling for attention and talent. The first Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball on Jan. 19 at the Harman Center boasts Russell Simmons, LL Cool J, Young Jeezy and T.I., plus a "surprise" performer, with tickets starting at $500. On the same night but (we're just guessing here) quite different in tone, Lou Gossett Jr., Ashley Judd, Kate Walsh and Patricia Arquette will host the Purple Ball (purple velvet, crystals and champagne) at the Fairmont Hotel to end racism and honor troops.

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