The White House has taken the pizazz down a notch for Wednesday’s state dinner. But more than 300 guests from politics, business, government and beyond turned out to celebrate close U.S. ties to ally Australia while striking a measured tone in a time of suffering in the Middle East. The celebrity quotient was lower than usual for the fourth state dinner of President Joe Biden’s term, but actor John Leguizamo was happy to represent Hollywood. Instead of party music performed by the B-52s, as originally planned for the after-dinner entertainment, first lady Jill Biden opted for instrumental music provided by U.S. military bands. Members of the B-52s instead were attending as guests.
