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A Chance to Gaze at the Stars And See Who's in Their Orbits

Say you're the most white-hot object in the universe at this moment, and you're trying to make a speedy exit from the Kennedy Center Honors, but there's one last person you're willing to slow down to talk to -- who is it?

Well, if you're Beyoncé, you stopped for Nancy Pelosi -- but ha ha, trick question! Because the most white-hot object in the universe, Sunday night anyway, was NBC's David Gregory, and it's a shame he didn't think to bring a Beyoncé-style security detail, so mobbed was he all night by well-wishers wanting to congratulate him on landing the "Meet the Press" job.

And the lanky new superstar was in no hurry to leave, having the seat of honor at the post-show dinner next to Caroline Kennedy, engrossed in conversation with her, presumably getting the real story about her possible Senate aspirations.

The dinner: For all the fuss about the show, it's the after-party held in the KenCen's Grand Foyer that's the real hot ticket, starting at $1,500 a seat -- the center's biggest fundraiser of the year. It's a chance to see stars mingle with Washington establishment types (Beth Dozoretz exchanging chummy talk-to-you-laters with Clint Eastwood's wife at Morgan Freeman's table) and maybe even schmooze them yourself.

Also: See stars schmooze other stars. "It's always scary to meet your idols," said Jack Black, who posed for a photo (a fan's camera or his own?) with Pete Townshend.

And it's always enlightening for the stars to learn who the real fans are. George Jones, who sat next to President Bush during the tribute to the singer, told us the president sang along to the whole thing. "He knows the words to every one of my songs. I'm on his iPod. He exercises to 'White Lightning.' "

The gravitational center of the room: Barbra Streisand's table, graced by silver-fox husband James Brolin, BFF Donna Karan, Broadway star Idina Menzel and TV-cutie husband Taye Diggs. La Streisand defied all expectations by hugging, kissing and charming all weekend. "She was the warmest of all the honorees," said former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein. "She was Brooklyn."

We, however, gravitated to Dave Grohl, waiting patiently for him to stop smooching his beatifically pretty wife Jordyn, pregnant with their second child. The Nirvana drummer turned Foo Fighters frontman confirmed our investigative report of a few years ago that found he attended three (yes, three) NoVa high schools -- Thomas Jefferson, Bishop Ireton and Annandale -- in just four years.

Who else? Singer-songwriter Ne-Yo wears that hat all the time -- even to the White House, even to dinner. But you know, it's a good look for him. Randy Travis's tuxedo jacket, seen up close, is one of those excellent black-on-black embroidered deals, very Nashville.

Oh, and Beyoncé? Taller than you expect, especially next to the diminutive House speaker; dazzling diamondy earrings the size of salad plates; a glossy, side-parted, Barbra-circa-'64 bouffant that was just as apt a tribute to Ms. Streisand as her rendition of "The Way We Were."

Oprah Watch

Want to watch Oprah tape her inauguration shows at the Kennedy Center next month? Ha! Sorry: You would have had to spend strategic hours monitoring her Web site yesterday morning. Ticket information was posted at 11 a.m., and the passes (which are free) were spoken for by 12:45 p.m. Oprah rep Michelle McIntyre said the show received more than 5,000 requests, more than twice the capacity of the Opera House. Winfrey plans to tape at least two shows there Jan. 19.

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"I was thinking I'd take the next four years to lay some groundwork, but I'm throwing my hat in the ring."

Fran Drescher telling New York magazine that, after her anti-cancer advocacy work and some missions overseas, not to mention six years starring as "The Nanny," she is ready and willing to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate, which should definitely complicate N.Y. Gov. David Paterson's big decision.