‘Inaugural Gala’ a Star-Studded Performance

Mikhail Baryshnikov. Julio Iglesias. Loretta Lynn and her sister, Crystal Gale. Frank Sinatra, who sang at both inaugural galas for Ronald Reagan. Violinist Yo-Yo Ma. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose marriage to Maria Shriver affiliates him with the Kennedy clan. Nell Carter. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

These are some of the stars studding “The Presidential Inaugural Gala,” a two-hour performance to be held in the nation’s capital tonight, on the eve of the Inauguration of President-elect George Bush and Vice President-elect Dan Quayle.

CBS will televise the event from the Washington Convention Center (8 p.m., Channels 2 and 8).

Others participating include: Anita Baker, Hinton Battle, Gregg Burge, Walter Cronkite, Susan Jaffe, the Joint Services Honor Guard, Cheryl Ladd, Cissy Lynn, Chuck Norris, the Oak Ridge Boys, Robert Peters, Randy Travis, Tommy Tune, U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club, Peggy Sue Wright and Chuck Yaeger.

“We are all very excited about the quality of talent that will be performing in the Inaugural Gala,” said Penne Percy Korth and Bobby Holt, co-chairmen of the American Bicentennial Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Bush’s Inauguration marks the 200th anniversary of presidential Inaugurations, beginning with George Washington’s in 1789.

“The selections of who was going to be on the show was made by many people; it was kind of a group effort,” said Don Mischer, producer of the TV gala. “I had input, so did the talent people and Penne Korth and Bobby Holt, (along with) Joe Canzeri, our executive producer. . . .”

And George and Barbara Bush? “We received no direct directives from them. We did receive a list of people--some are on, some are not.”

“We tried to work out an entertaining show that represented many types of entertainment and performance in America,” Mischer added. “We wanted country music, popular music, Broadway represented, classical music. . . . It’s extremely difficult, an excruciating task. We have on the show 13 performance slots, and six to seven people speak for 45 seconds. Hundreds of artists could well have been part of of this.”

Because the performance airs from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., the producers lacked the flexibility they would have had if the show had gone from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., Mischer said. “At 11, the local news starts and we could have run over a bit, but (at 10) we’re jumping right back into CBS’ prime time.”

So Randy Travis was trimmed back. And the Mormon Tabernacle had a song cut in half.

But inaugurals do have their compensations. “No one really turned us down,” Mischer noted.