Obama parties with Beyoncé on his birthday

WASHINGTON— If there’s one thing the first lady knows how to do well, it’s throw a big ol’ party with a bunch of celebrities.

And that’s exactly what Michelle Obama did Friday night when a host of Hollywood A-listers, politicos and Obama insiders gathered at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to celebrate the president’s 55th birthday, his last in the White House.

Whispers of a big bash began to swirl early Thursday morning (on the president’s actual birthday), but the White House, which is typically tight-lipped about the first family’s personal party plans, did not confirm the event until just hours before guests were set to arrive.

At about 4 p.m. a brief statement was released revealing just the barest of details, checking off all the necessary boxes (who, what, where, why and how) for the next day’s news.

And just who are these “friends,” you ask?

On the guest list were NBA legend Magic Johnson and his wife, Cookie; Today show host Al Roker and his wife, journalist Deborah Roberts; talk show queen Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi; former basketball star and Obama’s golfing buddy Alonzo Mourning; music icon Stevie Wonder; singer Usher; rapper Kendrick Lamar; fashion designer Jason Wu; actress Alfre Woodard; media mogul Oprah Winfrey; actress Sarah Jessica Parker; singer Jennifer Hudson; rapper Jay Z and some singer named Beyoncé, perhaps you’ve heard of her.

Rounding out the list crowded with celebrities were politico types like Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (Obama’s former chief of staff ), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Perhaps you’ve heard of her, too.

Now the lack of star power at the state dinner in honour of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong makes a lot more sense.

The optics of having two star-studded bashes at the White House in one week would have been far from ideal.