There are Super Bowl tickets, there are front-row tickets for a U2 concert -- and then there are tickets to President-elect Barack Obama's January inauguration. There hasn't been a hotter admission slip since someone started a rumor the Beatles were going back on the road.
If anyone ever writes a history of scalping, this will be called the first must-have ticket of the 21st century. And we're not even talking about the post-parties; this is just for the swearing-in ceremony.
So when you're a star -- even a costar -- and are used to getting tables for four at 8 p.m. at Spago, you assume that there's an inaugural ticket waiting somewhere with your name on it.
It's all a matter of whom you know -- or at least having a well-connected publicist.
That's why some of Hollywood's best-known career strategists are spending a big part of their hectic days hustling inaugural tickets, which are set to be handed out next week, for clients who think they can pull them out of the air. A lot of celebs kept a low profile during the campaign because the Obama camp feared it would backfire on the Democrat's campaign (remember the Paris Hilton ad that Sen. John McCain ran?). But now that Obama has won, they're ready to step into the limelight.
You can take the star out of Hollywood, but you can't take Hollywood out of the star. In this town, when some people roll up enough screen credits, they start treating life like a catered lunch.
"I'm reaching out to everyone I know," said longtime publicist Jerry Digney, who represents celebs such as B.B. King and the Neville Brothers. "I have one client who will never forgive me if I don't get tickets. Everyone wants to be there. This is the hottest ticket of the decade. And I'm really drilling down to find a pair."
Alan Nierob, who represents A-list clients including Steve Martin and Denzel Washington, said he too is hoping to score tickets for his clients.
Meanwhile, publicist Howard Bragman said he has given up trying and is referring his clients to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who is overseeing the inauguration.
"Everyone has called me," Bragman said. "They think I know everybody. I tell them to call Feinstein. I know my limits.
"It's really hard to get tickets and it's really expensive. It's like a rock concert. People are already selling tickets to the parties for thousands of dollars on EBay."
