L.A. to mark Lincoln’s bicentennial
Actor Mickey Rooney will recite the Gettysburg Address at the Los Angeles National Cemetery on Thursday in ceremonies commemorating the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
The noon event at 950 S. Sepulveda Blvd. also will include speeches and musical performances honoring the legacy of the 16th president. Guests will include government students from Lincoln, Hollywood and Birmingham high schools and actress Gigi Perreau as mistress of ceremonies, organizer Duke Russell said.
The commemoration has been an annual event since Russell, a retired Hollywood lighting technician, stood and recited Lincoln’s famous address from a copy of the Harvard Classics at the Hollywood Bowl 17 years ago.
The vast amphitheater that year was empty, except for Russell’s daughter Colleen and the late Times columnist Jack Smith.
On Thursday, a large tent will be available in case of rain -- or a hot sun, Russell said.
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