Partying till the big day

WASHINGTON, D.C. - For some celebrities, like Lindsay Lohan, the red carpet can be a chore, even at a party celebrating the historic Obama inauguration.

LiLo, it's safe to say, was paid a bundle of dough to appear at Norman Lear's "Declare Yourself" bash the other night, but the actress would only play peek-a-boo. Looking wan and rail thin, Lohan arrived late - after almost everyone else - and then posed for just a minute before waltzing away in her spike heels. (She did reappear later, sitting on stage while her girlfriend Samantha Ronson DJ'd.)

Other celebs, though, are soaking up the circus-like atmosphere, and even having some fun. Pausing to talk to reporters at the same star-studded shindig, Jamie Foxx broke into song, doing a dead-on sample of Ray Charles's "What'd I Say." The Oscar winner then started in on "Shout!," offering $100 to anyone who could name the song's writer.

"The Isley Brothers," someone yelled.

Foxx tilted his head and grimaced.

"Damn, I need $100 over here," he called out to a buddy, who promptly handed over the Benjamin.

Other stars celebrating the youth vote at the Renaissance Hotel included Ben Affleck, Sarah Silverman, Maria Shriver, Bootsy Collins, Hayden Panettiere, John Cusack, Olivia Munn, "Top Chef" Spike Mendelsohn, McCain supporter Rick Schroeder, Herbie Hancock, John Legend and glamorous girlfriend Christine Teigen, and host Jessica Alba and her husband, Cash Warren, who seemed humored when a reporter referred to Alba as his girl-friend.

"She used to be my girlfriend," said Warren, grinning. "Now she's my wife."

The choreography on the carpet was temporarily interrupted when Maroon 5's muscle man accused a paparazzo of trying to take video of Adam Levine relieving himself. To the amusement of everyone, a loud argument then ensued and the videographer was made to erase any evidence of the band's bathroom break.

With so many parties and so little time, many guests bolted before Maroon 5 hit the stage. Some, including Foxx, went to catch Usher and Nelly perform at Fur, and some dropped by the Latino Ball, where Rosario Dawson was rocking a floor-length purple gown. (Others there included Shakira, in a fluffy green number, and, of course, JLo.) Still others made their way to Young Jeezy's Presidential Status party, where the crowd included Jay-Z, Akon, Bow Wow, and Wale, among others.

We also ran into one of the 44th President's biggest fans, Amber Ettinger, better known to most Americans as "Obama Girl." A YouTube sensation since her "I Got a Crush . . . on Obama" video went viral in '07, Ettinger is bouncing all around town, reporting on the inauguration for a satirical website. Last night, she was at a party at Ibiza.

"It's been really amazing and flattering to hear people say I helped him get elected," said Obama Girl, who's managed to parlay her 15 minutes into a CD, a jewelry line, and a radio show but not a one-on-one meeting with the president-elect. "I just think he had an amazing campaign from start to finish. . . . I don't think my video could have that kind of impact."

Yesterday started early with an Entertainment Industry Foundation breakfast attended by Martin Luther King III, "Spiderman" actor Tobey Maguire, "Superman" actor Brandon Routh, and Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Maguire was hosting a party of his own last night at Cafe Milano - an Artists and Athletes Alliance/ Service Nation soiree - and the guest list was believed to include Leonardo DiCaprio and Jessica Alba, among many others. (Maybe Bill Murray got the time wrong because he was in for lunch yesterday, along with Sharon Stone and Bo Derek.) The bash didn't disappoint: We spotted Maguire, a Chanel-wearing Jennifer Lopez with husband Marc Anthony, Moore, Kutcher, David Arquette, Fran Drescher, Luke Russert, comedian Jeffrey Ross, Isaiah Washington, Queen Noor of Jordan, Washington Redskins QB Jason Campbell, and retired baller Jalen Rose in the crowd.

Meanwhile, director Spike Lee hosted a daylong symposium at Howard University yesterday with a panel that included Sean Combs, Queen Latifah, Rev. Al Sharpton, congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., Harvard's Henry Louis "Skip" Gates and Charles Ogletree, and former Harvard prof Dr. Cornel West. As for Oprah, we spied the talk show queen at the Four Seasons yesterday after her sold-out show, which she taped at the Kennedy Center.

The itinerary for Bay State bigshots included several events, but none bigger than the optional black tie bash hosted by John Hancock at the Willard Hotel. In addition to Boston Mayor Tom Menino, boldfacers making the scene included Hancock bigwig John DePrez, Red Cross CEO Deb Jackson, Home for Little Wanderers chief Joan Wallace-Benjamin, former Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston head Linda Whitlock, Boston chamber prez Paul Guzzi, WCVB producer Karen Ward Holmes, veteran news anchor Liz Walker, Tufts Health Plan CEO John Roosevelt, and attorney Fletcher "Flash" Wiley.

The hottest tickets last night were the Manifest Hope and Huffington Post hoohas. The former was hosted by It artist Shepard Fairey, who'll have a solo show soon at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Also expected to attend were REM singer Michael Stipe, actress Heather Graham, and performers Moby and Santagold. The Huffpo party, described as the first-ever interactive ball - whatever that means - was held at the Newseum, and the Twittering tumult included Sheryl Crow, will.i.am, Sting, Halle Berry, and Tom Hanks.

Berklee music professors Oscar Stagnaro and Mark Walker had a close encounter of the Obama kind, while playing a private indoor BBQ with Cuban bandleader Paquito D'Rivera for about 30 of the president-elect's family members and close friends at Blair House Sunday. "I first met his daughters running down the hall and then we saw Oprah, and she gave us a thumbs up," said Walker, a percussionist. "I had read somewhere that Obama was a jazz fan and he likes Miles Davis. So we played 'So What' and he came over and said . . . 'You know I like Miles Davis?' " Obama was relaxed and fun in person, he said. "He told us we had a great sound." Walker was just disappointed that he didn't manage to tell Obama that they share a common ancestor - Chief Justice Gabriel Duvall. "We're distant cousins," he said, laughing. "I just didn't have time. . ." The two professors also played with D'Rivera at the Kennedy Center, in an all-star concert honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. last night. The show was hosted by Wynton Marsalis and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and stars on the roster included Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Bela Fleck, and Dave Brubeck. Berklee student and sax player Grace Kelly was also on the bill, as was the Foxborough High Jazz Ensemble, and two New England Conservatory undergraduates, jazz pianist Alex Brown and baritone Demetrius Don Subayar.

Benicio Del Toro did a marathon of question-and-answer sessions for his new movie, "Che," at the Kendall Square Cinema this week, filling the theater to capacity both Sunday and last night. The actor also spent some time on Boylston Street, browsing vintage music at Looney Tunes and eating pizza at Little Stevie's yesterday afternoon. Last night, he told moviegoers how he prepped for his role as Argentinean revolutionary Che Guevara by studying old photographs, traveling to Cuba to do research, and consulting with Guevara's nephew. Afterward, he signed autographs and chatted with fans.

We hear wedding bells rang again for Tom Stemberg. The Staples founder celebrated his 60th birthday at the Mandarin Hotel with friends Saturday, and revealed he and girlfriend Katherine Chapman tied the knot that afternoon in a small ceremony. Stemberg was formerly married to Maureen Sullivan Stemberg and Dola Hamilton Stemberg. Stemberg and Chapman cofounded children's shoe company Olly together in 2001 and have a 3-year-old son.

Our favorite supermodel, Gisele Bundchen, is back in her home country, Brazil, this week, strutting the runways for Sao Paolo's fashion week. And we hear she had dinner Sunday night with ex-boyfriend Ricardo Mansur, at his restaurant, the 3x4. After the Colcci runway show, "Rico" (as he's known) hosted a dinner party for Gisele and a few friends in a VIP area surrounded by bodyguards. Gisele's boyfriend, Tom Brady, reportedly didn't make the trip.

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.