Obama Praises Lincoln's Legacy at Ford's Theatre

President Barack Obama praised Abraham Lincoln for his conviction that a divided nation could be made whole at a gala Wednesday night celebrating the $25 million renovation of Ford's Theatre.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama joined a crowd of Hollywood stars and Washington heavy-hitters for the celebration on the eve of Lincoln's 200th birthday. The theater where Lincoln was assassinated is reopening after an 18-month facelift that included new, more comfortable seats, a modern lobby and new dressing rooms.

Calling the theater "hallowed space" where Lincoln's legacy thrives, Obama praised him for restoring a sense of unity to the country.

"For despite all that divided us — North and South, black and white — he had an unyielding belief that we were, at heart, one nation, and one people," Obama said. "And because of Abraham Lincoln, and all who've carried on his work in the generations since, that is what we remain today."

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The Obamas entered the theater to the tune of "Hail to the Chief" and the enthusiastic clapping of audience members who stood and turned to watch the first couple make their way down the aisle.

Violinist Joshua Bell opened the show, playing a traditional spiritual on a violin that was last played at Ford's Theatre the night Lincoln was shot in 1865. The gala also included scenes from a play about Lincoln's life, along with other spoken tributes and musical performances.

Before the event, guests ranging from Cabinet members to movie producers strode down a red carpet in sharply cut tuxedos and colorful gowns. Talk included prime-time television plotlines and opinions of the economic stimulus package being hammered out in Congress.

Many were inspired by Obama.

"I still get a tear in my eye every time I see him on television," said Kelsey Grammer, though he added that he didn't always agree with Obama's politics. Grammer later took the stage to speak of Lincoln's love of Shakespeare.