Itzhak Perlman Performs at White House State Dinner Honoring Australian Prime Minister

White House releases guest list for state dinner honoring Australian PM
By Donald Judd and Nikki Carvajal
CNN
October 25, 2023

The White House on Wednesday shared a guest list ahead of the state dinner in honor of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which included Australian performers Vance Joy and Kid Laroi, and actor John Leguizamo.

It also included North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, President Joe Biden’s campaign co-chair and Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, AT&T CEO John Stankey and Republican Sens. John Thune and James Risch.

Biden delivered brief remarks in a toast during the dinner, detailing the strength of the bilateral relationship with Australia and the United States, dating back to World War II. “My own son, Maj. Beau Biden in the National Guard, spent a year in Iraq – he told me how you can always count Aussies to have your back,” the president told Albanese.

“Ladies and gentlemen, a great deal of the history of our world will be written in Indo-Pacific in the coming years,” Biden said. “Australia and the United States must break that story together. We must continue to advance freedom, security and prosperity for all, continue the vital work of both our nations of building strong partnerships, upholding nation-to-nation commitments, and to native peoples, continue to defend the values of creative democracies – freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and freedom from fear, and continue to build a future worthy of our highest hopes, even when it’s tough, especially when it’s tough – we know that’s when it matters the most.”

Biden, in closing, asked those gathered to join him in “a toast, to our partnership, our mateship and the future we’ll create together.”

A number of the president’s family members were on the guest list, including granddaughters Naomi, Finnegan and Maisy, sister Valerie, and nephew Cuffe. Conspicuously missing on Wednesday night, however, was the president’s son, Hunter – though he attended the state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June, his first public appearance after it had been revealed that he reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors on tax charges.

That plea deal later fell apart and Hunter Biden earlier this month pleaded not guilty to three firearms charges brought by special counsel David Weiss. He has been charged with lying on federal firearm forms and illegally possessing a firearm while using illicit drugs.

Members of The B-52s, of “Love Shack” fame, attended the dinner as guests after their scheduled performance at the dinner was canceled on Tuesday.

“While we had initially planned for the legendary B-52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain,” First Lady Dr. Jill Biden said on Tuesday. “So we’ve made a few adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening.”

The announcement came as the first lady and White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo offered a preview of the decor and dishes ahead of the state dinner, which is the fourth held at the Biden White House.

Biden said the decor for the event, which included light blue and purple tones tablescapes and florals, was inspired by “the vibrant Australian spring and crisp American autumn as the seasons ripple across our great painted landscape.” The First Lady tapped Bryan Rafanelli, the event planner who crafted her granddaughter Naomi’s wedding at the White House last year, to help with the décor and guest experience for the event.

The First Lady developed the menu with guests Chef Katie Button, a James Beard Award nominee who owns a popular tapas restaurant Cúrate in Asheville, North Carolina, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford, and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison.

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