President Obama's first state dinner is a test of commitment to public outreach

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State dinners and their notable diners

Few honors rival that of being invited to dine at the White House. Through the years, presidents have used state dinners as a means of bringing dignitaries, celebrities and -- most important -- countries together.

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The first lady declared that she would raise up American culture -- dancers, musicians, poets and designers -- and make clear its importance. Might a poet give a reading to open the meal? The first lady's gown for the evening will be scrutinized, in part because fashion makes great water-cooler chatter, but also because her clothes have, in the past, been used to further the theme of an event. When Stevie Wonder received the Gershwin Prize at the White House earlier this year, for instance, she wore an emerald-green dress created by his wife, Kai Milla, who is a designer. Perhaps the first lady will wear a gown by Naeem Khan, a New York-based designer who grew up in India and moved to the United States as a teenager. Or maybe she will choose a dress by Rachel Roy, another designer with Indian ancestry. Or she could select some other designer who has been inspired by India or who capitalizes on the country's expertise in embroidery and who manufactures there.

And the White House Kitchen Garden, that much-discussed vegetable patch, has been the fulcrum for conversations about sustainable farming and healthy eating. Recently harvested produce will, no doubt, have a starring role at Tuesday's dinner -- the prime minister is a vegetarian. And if current restaurant trends are any indication, their illustrious provenance will be revealed with a flourish and in great detail.

The Obamas have decided to eschew the traditional State Dining Room, which holds about 130 people, and even the East Room, which can seat some 200. The dinner for Singh will not technically even be in the White House. Instead, guests will be dining on the lawn under a tent. The new configuration can accommodate about 400 people. And while that is, by no means, the largest state dinner in recent memory -- the Clintons hosted one with well over 700 guests -- it remains a detail that can be, must be, dissected in myriad ways. After all, when the White House hosted a celebration of Latin music -- not exactly a political minefield of an event -- a tent was constructed on the lawn, and host George Lopez ribbed the president for inviting everyone over to his yard.

The Times of India took pains to point out that the dinner was on the lawn, but also noted that it called to mind a shamiana, a decorative circus-style tent used for outdoor weddings.

As for the White House, a spokesperson says the tent is a matter of practicality. It allows the Obamas to accommodate more people. And more people is a good thing because that is a reflection of the administration's desire to make the White House feel more accessible.

Four hundred people down. Only 304,059,324 more Americans to go.

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Does anyone have any fun at these events if every carrot comes under a microscope? Buffy Cafritz, philanthropist, Kennedy Center trustee and woman about town, has been to countless state dinners going back to Gerald Ford. She was a regular on the guest lists during the Reagan and Clinton eras. "There's a little nervousness beforehand," she says, "but you're just proud to be included among the chosen few." Pause.

"Although this isn't the chosen few with 400 people. This is huge." Pause. "But I'm sure it will be beautiful."

Cafritz says that she is not on the guest list for this dinner -- no connection to India, no reason she should be on the list, and there's always a reason for every name on that precious list. But Cafritz attended the celebration for Wonder at the White House and has nothing but raves for that occasion. "It's a young, exciting administration," she says. "We have high hopes."

Those who have attended state dinners agree that the greatest sparks of creativity have come in the choice of entertainment, from Lou Reed to Earth, Wind & Fire to the aforementioned tardy Ms. Houston. In 2008, the Bushes hosted the president of Ghana and opted for a performance by the cast of "The Lion King," an astonishingly provincial decision, the mind-boggling puppets and dancers notwithstanding. Highlighting Disney's version of an African parable seems a bit like asking Olive Garden to cater lunch for a group of Italian diplomats.

If Barry Landau, who seems to have known every modern president, been to countless state dinners and even recalls guests at a Kennedy dinner doing the Twist, had his way planning the upcoming gala, he'd bring the cast of "West Side Story" down from Broadway. "It's appropriate because you show all these racial connections," he says, "and you have wonderful dance music. American dance music."