Democratic National Convention Schedule: Celebrties (And Joe Biden) Will Take The Stage

Charlotte, N.C., will become party central Thursday night as the 2012 Democratic National Convention ends with President Barack Obama accepting his party's nomination, following speeches by Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and Caroline Kennedy.

How the events will play out as the evening's festivities kick off at 6 p.m. EDT is being kept under wraps by coordinators who want to get as many viewers hooked before the president takes the stage at around 10 p.m.

Eva Longoria has been quiet about her confirmed DNC address Thursday night except to say on MSNBC's "Today" show she will not be hauling an empty chair on stage as a prop. She is one of many that have poked fun at 82-year-old actor, director and producer Clint Eastwood's awkward but refreshingly unscripted, borderline-performance-art ramble to an empty chair at last week's Republican National Convention.

"I've been very, very nervous," the 37-year-old "Desperate Housewives" actor told POLITICO on Tuesday. "But it's a good nervous, it's exciting. It's the biggest stage I've ever been on and probably the most important."

Gabrielle Giffords will likely out-shine the glam, when the former House Representative from Arizona's 8th congressional district -- shot in the back of the head by a deranged lunatic less than two years ago -- delivers the Pledge of Allegiance.

The DNC musical lineup is secured, according to numerous media reports.

Foo Fighters will appeal to the Gen X rockers, Mary J. Blige to the soul-diva fans, James Taylor to the Baby Boomers and Earth Wind & Fire to anyone with a pulse. Nuyorican pop star Marc Anthony will sing the National Anthem, a shout out -- one of many we've seen from the DNC convention stage -- to the growing population of Hispanic-American patriots.

CNN claims a leaked memo has Scarlett Johansson, Kerry Washington and Natalie Portman as slated secret celebrity speakers, but The Daily Beast's Marlow Stern said Portman's representative denied she would be in attendance.

An enthusiastic Facebook campaign has been asking for months to bring beloved octogenarian Betty White on stage, but so far there is no confirmation of an appearance. Considering the heavy emphasis on youth at the DNC, it's hard to imagine some coordinator hasn't picked up the phone to consider delivering up a Golden Girl -- especially after Eastwood's borderline senile presentation last week.

"Harold & Kumar" actor Kal Penn, the 35-year-old former associate director at the White House Office of Public Engagement, addressed the DNC on Tuesday, so he probably won't be on stage tonight. He is scheduled to host a livestream of the convention on Thursday at BarackObama.com. Actors Elizabeth Banks, 38, and Olivia Wilde, 28, are expected to be guests.

"Fantastic Four" actor Jessica Alba, 31, and husband Cash Warren will be hosting an after-party somewhere in Charlotte, though details are understandably hard to find.

Other famous people who have been seen at the DNC so far include Rosario Dawson, America Ferrera, Zach Braff and Russel Simmons.

Rapper, songwriter and musician Will.i.am, author of the ham-fisted pro-Obama political album "Change Is Now: Renewing America's Promise," was seen at an unemployment panel on Wednesday, but he has not been mentioned as a performer at the event.

Ashley Judd may be the only celebrity at the event who is attending as an actual delegate (from her home state of Tennessee) rather than as a gawker, presenter, social butterfly or any combination of the three.

On the sidelines at the convention has been Jeff Bridges, performing with his band The Abiders, a reference to his character from the film "The Big Lewbowski." Bridges also performed on the fringes of last week's RNC on a personal non-partisan crusade to raise money for the No Kid Hungry campaign.