But Ferguson no-showed without much notice, a move that didn’t sit well with theater owner Tim Clark. “He just should have done the right thing and given these people a show. I don’t care why he couldn’t make it,” an angry Clark told us.

(“Daily Show” correspondent Rob Riggle played the Drafthouse on Saturday, as Ferguson was entertaining the tuxedoed crowd.)

Ferguson, in fact, didn’t even make time for the president. A source close to the dinner tells us that in past years, the entertainer has typically gotten a few minutes with the president at the White House earlier in the day. But not Ferguson. A White House spokeswoman tells us that the entertainers don’t always come to 1600 Pennsylvania. “I can say that the President enjoyed Ferguson’s performance — and they did chat for a good amount of time in the reception prior to the dinner,” she said.

Speaking of backing out of obligations, John Cusack must be on talk-show host John McLaughlin’s list by now. For the second year in a row, the actor was slated to be McLaughlin’s guest at the Correspondents’ Dinner. And for the second year in a row, he no-showed.