Celebrities Invading D.C.

In less than a month Washington, D.C. will go Hollywood. 

Dozens of A-list stars have announced their plans to be front and center during President-elect Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremony on January 20th.

Tickets to Obama’s inauguration ceremonies are harder to come by than 20-degree days in Hawaii.  Aretha Franklin will sing, the Rev. Rick Warren will pray and more than 11,000 U.S. troops will be watching over the public as President-elect Obama makes history next month. 

According to reports, as many as 4 million visitors are expected to be on hand when Obama takes the noontime oath from Chief Justice John Roberts on the steps of the Capitol.  The program is also slated to feature poet Elizabeth Alexander; the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a veteran civil rights leader; the U.S. Marine and Navy bands; and the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.

In addition, people who show up in person or who plan to watch the events unfold live on TV will be treated to original works by some of the world’s most gifted artists from a wide range of backgrounds and genres.  Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill will reportedly perform a new work composed by John Williams (of “Star Wars” and “Jaws” fame), who also provided music for Obama’s election night rally in Chicago’s Grant Park. 

Once the sunsets the real party really begins—dozens of them, in fact.  Converging on D.C. for the inauguration celebration will be singer Dionne Warwick, who is hosting the American Music Inaugural Ball and Lou Gossett Jr., who is hosting the Purple Ball.  Other big name celebs planning to commemorate the auspicious occasion include Oprah Winfrey, Patricia Arquette, Cindy Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Sting, Elvis Costello, Marcia Cross, Jane Krakowski, Spike Lee, Ron Howard, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins.

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