White House State Dinner Beyonce Sings – President Obama and first lady Michelle held their second State Dinner at the White House in Washington on Wednesday (May 19).
Formal suits and lavish gowns didn’t seem to hinder the president, his staff and guests – as the evening wore on everyone seemed to get more relaxed. Even Mr. Obama loosened up.
“I know we just had a very formal dinner,” Obama said as guests reassembled in a tent on the South Lawn for dessert and after-dinner entertainment. “But we heard that this was the place for the real party.”
And party they did, to the music of guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela and then to the sounds of an artist whom Obama referred to as “somebody some of you may have heard of – named Beyonce.” And, yes, her husband Jay-Z was in the house too.
After the brouhaha that erupted after a couple of party-crashers penetrated the Obamas’ first state dinner in November, there was an eagerness to pull off a flawless evening. The White House promised tighter security this time – and it delivered. Among the hundreds who lined up to get in, at least one woman was turned away for lack of proper ID, reports the Associated Press.
The dinner guest list of 200 had an ample celebrity quotient, including Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Longoria Parker, George Lopez and Olympic speed skater Shani Davis.
Goldberg said it felt like she was “coming home after a long drought.” She’d been invited frequently during Bill Clinton’s years, but not during the George W. Bush years. Lopez, a comedian, joked when asked about the security. “The guy with the glove was nice,” he said.
The evening’s fashion report was heavy on women in bright, vibrant colors and strapless or one-shouldered gowns. Mrs. Obama set the tone with a one-shoulder, shimmery, cobalt blue floor-length gown by Peter Soronen.
For their second state dinner, Mrs. Obama recruited Chicago chef Rick Bayless – one of the couple’s favorites – to prepare the meal. The main course of Oregon wagyu beef came with an Oaxacan black mole sauce with more than 20 ingredients that takes days to come together.
For all the world-class food and entertainment, deft touches and elegance of the evening, the Obamas’ second state dinner was as notable for what didn’t happen as what did.
