In a Stage Of Suspense

"The crazy thing is, nobody knows," said Robin Bronk, executive director of the nonpartisan Creative Coalition, an arts advocacy group that's throwing an inauguration night bash with headliners Elvis Costello and Sting. "You have your secretary of defense, your secretary of education. We need the secretary of Hollywood."

The creative logistics for the official performances have fallen to Democratic communication strategists Erik Smith and Jim Margolis, who did not return calls yesterday. But at this inauguration, the showbiz world has noticed something: "There is no Harry Thomason," Bronk said. "Even people in entertainment are calling me and saying, 'I want to be their Harry Thomason.' "

Thomason, a film and TV veteran, chaired Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration with his wife, Linda Bloodworth, and produced Clinton's second. "We brought in people who booked concerts and that made it relatively easy to book the talent," he said yesterday. "I don't know how the current inaugural people are doing it, but I wish them all the luck in the world. It's a hard job."

Pulling off an inauguration is a monumental task, said Thomas Baer, vice chairman of a television production and distribution company. Baer helped run the talent division for Clinton's 1993 inauguration, which ranks as the mother of them all in terms of entertainment, with a lineup that included Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Al Green, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, Etta James, Elton John, LL Cool J, Barbra Streisand and Tony Bennett. Coordinating the entertainment at George W. Bush's first inauguration -- which included performances by Destiny's Child, Lee Ann Womack, George Strait, ZZ Top, Clint Black, Brooks & Dunn and Ricky Martin -- was no less of a logistical feat for its producers.

So much contractual fine print, so many details: Hotel rooms have to be booked; backup musicians brought in; transportation arranged; handlers and security hired. "If Beyoncé says, 'I wanna perform in the inaugural,' that has to be the subject of a lot of administrative and contractual and advance activities," Baer said.

(Incidentally, Beyoncé said after Election Day: "Whatever they want -- if they need me to volunteer, they need me to sing, I'm there and I'm ready." Asked yesterday whether the star would perform at an inaugural event, the hip-hop star's publicist said: "Her D.C. plans have not been confirmed.")

The showbiz/political dynamic has shifted since the Clinton era. "I have noticed one key difference in our culture: Clinton basked in the glow of celebrities. Now celebrities bask in the glow of Obama," said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist for 25 years. "Somehow he has become the sun and we're rotating in his orbit."

So while other unofficial events have announced major talent, some of the biggest names in music may have found themselves waiting by the phone like high schoolers hoping for a prom date. Would Barack call?

Plenty of speculation about the lineup buzzed through the industry. Would the Boss play? Stevie Wonder? Billy Joel? (All have been big Obama supporters.)

Committee officials wouldn't confirm anything. Spokeswoman Douglass says the official entertainment schedule will finally be unveiled on, well . . . that's TBD, too.

"I think we're very close," she said.

On Tuesday, the Presidential Inaugural Committee put out a generic announcement about the Jan. 18 event, saying HBO would broadcast the show on a free, open signal to anybody with cable. "The Opening Celebration will be a marquis [sic] event, featuring some of the biggest acts in the world of entertainment to celebrate our common heritage and our new direction," it said. "President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden will both attend the event, which will be free and open to the public."

One way to figure out who won't be performing at any of the 10 official inauguration-night balls is to survey the lineups for all those peripheral parties. Along with Sting and Elvis Costello, the soul-singing great Sam Moore is booked at the Creative Coalition gala. Hip-hop singer Rihanna will be at the Recording Industry Association of America Ball, Melissa Etheridge at the Human Rights Campaign's Equality Ball. The pop-opera quartet Il Divo has the Inaugural Purple Ball on its Jan. 20 itinerary, while Wyclef Jean will be at the BET Inaugural Ball. Joan Baez, Graham Nash and Jackson Browne? They'll be at the Inaugural Peace Ball. George Clinton, Chaka Khan, Kirk Franklin, T-Pain, Fantasia, the Cheetah Girls and Peter, Paul and Mary are among the acts scheduled to appear at the two American Music Inaugural Balls.

If you're planning on attending one or more of the official events, you might be frustrated by the sheer number of TBDs. But probably not for long, Baer predicted.

"President Obama's inaugural is going to be spectacular, simply because it's President Obama's inaugural," he said. "The talent booking and preparation is a footnote to the larger point. And that is that the American people are excited about this inaugural, and it will come off just fine."