The next White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner may still be a long way off—April 27, 2013, to be exact—but there’s some early news for the dedicated, hardcore attendees who swarm to the big media weekend’s parties and after-parties. Vanity Fair and the French Embassy have once again made a deal to team up for an after party at the ambassador’s residence, according to a member of the embassy’s staff.
The French Embassy first hosted the party with Vanity Fair and Bloomberg in 2009. It instantly became the most coveted after-party invitation, because the soiree draws most of the out-of-town celebrities and moguls who have come to Washington for the WHCA dinner or the dinner at the Washington Hilton. It’s also in a beautiful setting with lavish buffets and ample supplies of Champagne, wine, and cocktails. There are other after-parties, but this one continually ranks at the top.
In addition to a who’s who of Washington power, the guests at the French residence in the past have included George Clooney, Jon Hamm, Demi Moore, Jon Bon Jovi, Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman, Amy Poehler, Ludacris, Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford, Ashton Kutcher, Goldie Hawn, John Corbett, Viola Davis, Kevin Spacey, Rosario Dawson, Kate Hudson, Donatella Versace, Bradley Cooper, James Franco, Sophia Vergara, Tony Romo, Bill Maher, Morgan Freeman, Kathryn Bigelow, Jeremy Renner, Adrian Grenier, Ashley Judd, Claire Danes, Matthew Morrison, Sean Penn, Charlize Theron, Julianna Margulies, Anna Kendrick, Seth Myers, Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johannsson, and Augie the dog.
Based on those names alone you can probably understand why this party prompts some people to beg, cajole, demand, negotiate, bribe, and otherwise embarrass themselves in order to get on the tightly controlled list.