Lin-Manuel Miranda Is Yet Another Star Added to Packed Inauguration Lineup
Lin-Manuel Miranda won’t be missing his shot to perform in front of the President of the United States.
The Tony, Emmy and Grammy-winning creator of Hamilton has been added to the star-studded lineup for the inauguration of Joe Biden. Miranda has also won a Pulitzer Prize for his work. Miranda will recite a classical work during the event on Wednesday, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced in a statement.
Basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is the NBA’s leading all-time scorer, chef Jose Andres and Kim Ng, the first female leader of an MLB team, have also been added to the bill. Also recently added was Sarah Fuller, the first woman to play and score in a Power Five college football game.
They will join musicians Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato, Ant Clemons, and John Legend, all scheduled to appear at the ceremony.
Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem as Mr Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are sworn in to office, with Jennifer Lopez also giving a musical performance.
There will be an event specifically for kids, too. On Wednesday, actress Keke Palmer is set to host an inaugural first: a curated program for youth titled “Our White House: An Inaugural Celebration for Young Americans” which will take place before and during the inauguration ceremony starting at 10 am Eastern time. The event will also feature a message from Dr Jill Biden.
Later that day, Tom Hanks will host a prime-time inaugural special. Mr Biden, the incoming 46th president of the United States, generated a playlist of 46 songs by artists including Dua Lipa and Mary J Blige which will be played during the ceremony.
“As we bring Americans together for a historic and inclusive inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, we want to ensure that we are engaging folks of all ages and bringing families together in their homes to celebrate a new beginning for the country and an America united,” Inaugural Committee CEO and Delaware State University President Tony Allen said in a statement.
For obvious reasons, viewing the event in-person won’t be an option for most. Attendance at the inauguration will be off-limits to most, due to both the pandemic and fears of continued violence, following the recent siege of the Capitol building.
There will be myriad ways to view the 90-minute Celebrating America special, which airs on Wednesday evening at 8:30pm, on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC. It will also be available to stream on the Presidential Inauguration Committee’s YouTube and social media pages, plus Amazon Prime Video, Twitch, and Fox’s NewsNOW.