Winfrey, Letterman join Michelle Obama tour
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP)
Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman and Ellen DeGeneres are among the celebrity moderators joining former first lady Michelle Obama on tour for her upcoming book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times.”
Other guests include Conan O’Brien, Tracee Ellis Ross, journalists Gayle King and Michele Norris, “Today” show host Hoda Kotb, poet Elizabeth Alexander and advocate Heather McGhee.
“For me, ‘The Light We Carry’ book tour will be about starting important conversations and digging deeper into the questions that all of us are grappling with as we live through uncertain times,” Obama said in a statement released Wednesday by her publisher, Crown, and the tour’s producer, Live Nation. “I can’t wait to get back on the road and dive into it with such a thoughtful, impressive group of moderators.”
On Wednesday, Crown and Live Nation also announced that Obama has added seven stops to her monthlong, six-city tour, which begins at Washington’s Warner Theatre on Nov. 15, the book’s publication date. Additional appearances have been scheduled in Washington, along with Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco.
Some of the moderators, including Winfrey and Alexander, spoke with Obama when she promoted her 2018 memoir “Becoming.” For the current tour, DeGeneres will be on stage for the first two nights, in Washington, with Perry scheduled to interview her in Atlanta, Letterman in Chicago and Winfrey for the last stop, in Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater on Dec. 13.
Michelle Obama plans a six-city tour this fall in support of her new book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times,” beginning mid-November in Washington. D.C. and ending a month later in Los Angeles.
“I’m looking forward to making some new connections — and of course, seeing some familiar faces from the last tour,” the former first lady said in a joint statement Wednesday released through her publisher, Crown, and tour promoter Live Nation.
“This book means so much to me — it’s a collection of perspectives and practices I’ve used to keep me afloat amid uncertainty. On this tour, I’ll be sharing some personal stories and lessons that have helped me along my path, and I can’t wait to tell you more.”
Obama will open at the Warner Theatre in Washington on Nov. 15, the publication date for her book. She will then travel to Philadelphia’s The Met, Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, the Chicago Theatre and San Francisco’s Masonic, before closing at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.
The venues have seating capacities ranging roughly from 2,000-6,500. The settings are far bigger than for most book events, but smaller than Obama’s stops on the first leg of her tour for the 2018 memoir “Becoming,” when she appeared at the United Center in Chicago and other arenas holding 15,000 or more.
“Becoming” was a near-instant million seller and went on to sell more than 17 million copies worldwide, making it the most popular book in modern times written by a former White House resident.
As with “Becoming,” Obama will speak at each city with guest moderators, to be announced later. Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross and Sarah Jessica Parker were among those who joined her for “Becoming.” In partnership with Live Nation, Obama will also set aside tickets at each venue for a select number of community members.
