U.S News

CHICAGO – Hollywood's A-list celebrities bid a star-studded going to Oprah Winfrey on Tuesday in a double-taping of her speech exhibit that included messages from her fans around the world.

"I see the fuck and I impart you for it," Winfrey told the gathering at Chicago's United Center. "Thank you for existence a conception of this great night, this occasion of what you hit finished for `The Oprah Winfrey Show.' You hit prefabricated it doable for us to defence for 25 years."

Winfrey's producers prefabricated good on their prospect of the biggest stars of movies, penalization and broadcasting for "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular." The 13,000 fans who attended the circumstance gave the speech exhibit patron a stagnant ovation.

Aretha historiographer herb "Amazing Grace." Tom Hanks acted as patron for the evening. Michael river told Winfrey she inspires him. Tom Cruise, famous for his seat jumping on Winfrey's show, was there. Jerry Seinfeld gave a comedy routine and vocalist said she is among the jillions of grouping who are inspired by Winfrey.

"She fights for things she believes in, modify if it makes her unpopular," vocalist said.

Winfrey announced in Nov 2009 that she would modify her favourite speech exhibit after 25 years. Tuesday's recording module expose May 23 and 24, before Winfrey's test exhibit on May 25.

"You always had the power, and that is the message you brought into our lives," Cruise told Winfrey after travel in to the "Mission Impossible" music.

The exhibit highlighted Winfrey's benevolence efforts over the years. About 300 Morehouse College scholarship students walked along the United Center aisles as Kristen Chenoweth herb "For Good" from the singable "Wicked." Grammy succeeder Evangelist Legend was beamed in from a New metropolis school and Winfrey's aggregation edifice was lauded for getting jillions to read.

Josh Groban and Patti LaBelle herb "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as Winfrey sat in a albescent chair onstage. Jamie Foxx and Stevie Wonder herb "Isn't She Lovely" to Winfrey. Wonder followed with his possess song, singing to her, "Oprah impart you for using your gifts to uplift so whatever hearts." Simon Cowell prefabricated an appearance; Rosie O'Donnell herb a Broadway-style song.

Winfrey's longtime partner Stedman choreographer introduced historiographer after telling Winfrey he loved her and was proud of her.

"It rattling does astound me that I get to be around a blackamoor who changes people's lives every period and who also takes her possess meal to work," choreographer told the crowd. "You undergo what rattling is amazing? You hit finished this, sweetheart, finished every of the sacrifices you've made, feeling you hit and finished God's amazing grace."

That's when historiographer took the initiate in a one-shouldered albescent eveningwear to sound "Amazing Grace." She after connected Usher for the show's finale song, "Oh Happy Day," as sparkly confetti filled the arena.

Maria Shriver, the TV writer and President heiress, appeared on the same period it was revealed her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, fathered a someone with a blackamoor on his home body more than a decennium ago. Shriver did not mention her husband during the taping. Shriver was introduced with Winfrey's best friend, Gayle King.

"You hit given me love, support, good and most of every the truth," Shriver told Winfrey. "And I undergo I'm not alone in receiving those gifts from you."

The recording of the ordinal exhibit began with Will adventurer and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who thanked Winfrey and told her she mothered jillions and "that puts you in the status of a goddess."

Actresses metropolis Berry, Queen Latifah, Katie author and Siouan Fanning every appeared, along with newswoman Diane Sawyer.

Beyonce herb her strain "Run the World (Girls)" hardback by mountain of dancers. Rascal Flatts performed too.

"Oprah Winfrey because of you women everywhere hit mark to a newborn level of discernment of who we are, of what we are and most of every who we crapper be," Beyonce said before play her performance.

The structure was decorated with pictures of Winfrey at seminal moments over the instruction of her speech show. Boxes of tissues were on sporadic way throughout the audience.

Harpo Productions received more than 154,000 listing requests for way to Tuesday's event. Tickets were free and distributed to fans finished a lottery.

Winfrey also received messages from whatever not-so-famous admirers. Female dweller soldiers gave a recorded message from Irak and three someone fans from countries around the concern came on stage. The exhibit was interspersed with clips of Winfrey's fans and flashbacks of previous episodes.

Fans started covering up outside hours before the recording started.

Cathy Deters, 52, of Cincinnati, drove to metropolis without a ticket, but someone outside the structure gave her one.

"I don't conceive anyone could replace Oprah Winfrey," said Deters, an energy broker. "Not whatever grouping module hit the chance to undergo this."

Celebrities such as Lisa Ling, environmentalist Kressley, Jessica Seinfeld, Ally Wentworth, Bob Greene and former metropolis Mayor Richard Daley sat in the audience.

The content of the test episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is still under wraps.

___

AP communicator Alicia Rancilio contributed to this report.

Source