SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2017

l if e st yleF E A T U R E S

Donald and Melania Trump were feted at theirinaugural balls by the Rockettes and by singerTony Orlando, who sang his famous "Tie a Yellow

Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree." Meanwhile, earlier inthe day, it was 16-year-old singer Jackie Evancho whohad the spotlight, singing the national anthem in a soft,solemn voice. "Great job, Jackie!" the new presidentcalled out. In the evening, Trump and his wife first hitthe Liberty Ball, where the new president told thecrowd how much he had enjoyed his first day as com-mander in chief.

"People that weren't so nice to me were saying thatwe did a really good job today," he said. "It's like Godwas looking down on us." The couple danced to "MyWay," joined by Vice President Mike Pence and his wife,Susan, as well as Trump family members. "My Way" wasalso the couple's song of choice at the next stop, theFreedom Ball, where Trump asked the crowd playfullywhether he should "keep the Twitter going?" The crowdroared in apparent approval.

Trump, who was given a second, POTUS Twitteraccount on Friday, said his all-hours tweeting to hismore than 20 million followers is "a way of bypassingdishonest media." Melania Trump stood by his side in anelegant ivory column gown reportedly designed byHerve Pierre, former creative director of CarolinaHerrera. "Now," the president added, "the fun begins." At

the Trumps' final stop, the "Salute to Our ArmedServices Ball," the evening began with a solemn prayerand a moment of silence in honor of soldiers killed inthe line of duty.

The arts, an easy targetTony Orlando was introduced to the crowd as

"America's most loved and enduring entertainer." WhenTexas musician Josh Weathers took the stage, on theother hand, he quipped: "I know that nobody in thisroom knows who I am." Upon arrival, the Trumpsdanced to "I Will Always Love You," with Mrs. Trumpsinging along and smiling. The couple then separatedto dance with service members. Mrs. Trump also spoke,delighting the crowd when she told them: "I'm honoredto be your first lady. We will fight, we will win, and wewill make America great again."

Not all the entertainment Friday night was in celebra-tion of the new president. The Grammy-winning groupBlues Traveler headlined the quadrennial gala thrown bythe Creative Coalition, a nonpartisan advocacy group forthe arts. TV actors like Tim Daly, Christina Hendricks andCheryl Hines spoke of the urgent need to keep pushingfor arts funding. "The arts is an easy target," said DeanNorris, who played DEA agent Hank Schrader on"Breaking Bad." "Some people think it's an extra. Wethink it's more essential than the politicians feel."

Earlier in the day, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang"America the Beautiful" at Trump's swearing-in ceremo-ny, and the Missouri State University Chorale sang "NowWe Belong." It was a ceremony that featured decidedlyless star power than in 2013. At President BarackObama's second inauguration, Beyonce sang theanthem, James Taylor sang "America the Beautiful," andKelly Clarkson sang a powerful "My Country, 'Tis ofThee." The various inauguration performances havebecome a hotly debated topic and have reflected theobvious divisions in the country following the electionof Trump, who is deeply unpopular in Hollywood.

A number of top artists declined the opportunity toperform, and Broadway singer Jennifer Holliday evensaid she'd received death threats before she pulled outof her scheduled appearance. On Saturday, artistsJanelle Monae and Maxwell were scheduled to performat the Women's March on Washington. Also slated toattend were Katy Perry, Julianne Moore, ScarlettJohansson, Amy Schumer and Cher. — AP

President Donald Trump, left, dances with Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Catherine Cartmell as First Lady Melania Trump is spunby Army Staff Sgt. Jose A. Medina during a dance at The Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball in Washington.

President Donald Trump kisses First Lady Melania Trump as they dance at The Salute To Our ArmedServices Inaugural Ball in Washington.

Tony Orlando per-forms at The Salute To

Our Armed ServicesInaugural Ball, Friday

in Washington.

Trump feted by Tony Orlando, Jackie Evancho at inauguration

The Rockettes perform at the Freedom Ball in Washington, at the Washington Convention Center during the 58th presi-dential inauguration. — AP photos

Singer Jackie Evancho arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.