Revealed: schedule for 'Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear'

Whew! The permit for the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert Washington rally this Saturday has finally been issued – today, making their “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” legit just in time. After receiving the necessary $10,000 in recovery costs, the National Park Service (NPS) issued the 60-plus-page document – and made it publicly available.

So, while the folks at Comedy Central keep their cards close to the chest (“We just aren’t releasing any details,” according to spokesman Tony Fox), here is what is known, according to a single page of the permit, read aloud to the Monitor by NPS representative Dena Lowe.

In Pictures: Who will be at the Rally to Restore Sanity?

• 10:00 a.m.: The pre-pre-show begins with videos and music on the jumbotron to keep the gathering crowd friendly and entertained.
• Noon: The pre-show starts with a performance from The Roots.
• 12:40: A comedian (to be determined) warms up the audience.
• 12:57: A video countdown with a show introduction.
• 1:00: The show kicks off with the national anthem by a musical guest (to be announced).
• 1:05: Mr. Stewart welcomes the crowd – whose projected size is ballooning daily. Currently, there are 200,000 sign-ups on the official Facebook page alone.
• 1:20: Mr. Colbert enters, and two actors – Don Novello and Sam Waterston – perform readings.
• 1:40: Jeff Tweedy and Mavis Staple perform for 10 minutes, followed by Stewart and Colbert until 2 p.m.
• 2:15: Sheryl Crow performs for five minutes, followed by speakers and guests (to be determined).
• 2:30: Musical guests (also still being lined up) come on.
• 2:40: The show turns to a pre-taped sequence – The Sanity and Fear Awards. (Noting the intense media interest in this event as she reads through the rundown, Ms. Lowe says, “I’d like some sanity, myself.”)

To round out the three-hour production, Stewart and Colbert will make their final statements. Then, adds Lowe, “They all hurry up and clean up after themselves.”

All of this is of course, subject to change and revision right up to the final moment. But one thing is for sure, the official events won’t be the only show on the National Mall this Saturday.

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