Stars Begin Booking Their Places For Obama Inauguration

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 aren’t announcing their 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 NE. Barnes has booked T.I. and Young Jeezy to show at the club, plus some “major people” he’ll announce next 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 trick will be figuring out who’s where, and how to cadge a ticket or crash a party to see them.

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.

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.

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