President George W. Bush, left, listens as pop-rock band the Jonas Brothers sing the national anthem during the Easter Egg Roll.
Army Capt. Ryan Bolz does his best to try to console his frustrated 3-year-old son Andrew. – Andrew Harnik/Examiner
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Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, “Sesame Street” has yet to be an opening act for anyone (save, perhaps, Mr. Rogers).
But so it was Monday morning during the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. On the stage set up toward the bottom of the hill, Roscoe Orman (“Gordon”) entertained along with the puppets Elmo and Zoe.
But on this day, the crowd wasn’t focused on “Sesame Street.” The average age in front of the stage was a few years older than the show’s target demographic, because teen pop sensations the Jonas Brothers were in the house, ready to follow Elmo & Co. Many of the preteen girls (among the 22,000 guests at the White House for the event) had already staked out their territory in order to squeal when the brothers went on.
The pop idols, who opened for Miley Cyrus on last year’s tour, also contributed a breathy version of the “Star Spangled Banner” to open the proceedings.
Other tidbits from the Easter Egg Roll:
» The event featured some VIPs trying their hand at reading aloud: First lady Laura Bush (“Arthur Meets the President”), Jenna Bush (“Where the Wild Things Are”), the president’s mother, Barbara Bush (“Arthur’s New Puppy”) and former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman (“One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish”).
» We ran into Bo Blair, the proprietor of Smith Point and The Rookery, escorting his wife and their young daughter into the festivities. Smith Point, you may recall, was one of Jenna’s favorite D.C. hangouts. Before we could even ask him, Blair joked, “I’m gonna go say hi to my friend, Jenna.” Also spotted: House Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam with his family.
