STORY:
US Planning National Millennium Party

Washington DC to be centerpiece of nation's official Year 2000 events

The US official millennium party will be a mixture of American culture and Hollywood. The celebration, billed as a "family event," will go from Dec. 31 through Jan. 2. On all three days, educational events on the National Mall will include performances and talks by artists, writers, sports stars, and others.

Quincy Jones, one of Hollywood's legendary big-time producers is producing the Washington DC's celebration. He's already planning a light and laser show with the possibility of creating a simulated dawn.

Highlighting the New Year's Eve event will be a film by Steven Spielberg recounting the last thousand years edited down into 17 minutes. President Clinton will narrate the film and Boston Pops conductor and film score composer John Williams is writing the score.

Nine Smithsonian Institution museums and five outdoor pavilions will each host four different shows a day, directed mostly at children. The National Air and Space Museum, for example, will feature appearances by astronauts.

Officials with the Washington DC's utility companies have assured organizers that they are Y2K ready, still most of the outdoor events are going to be run off generators.

Outside of the national celebration, Washington DC will host several millennium parties and some outlandish hotel packages.

DATE: 8/27/99

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