Names and faces

LITTLE ROCK — A spokesman for the U.S. Marine Band told news outlets Tuesday that Beyonce lip-synced the national anthem at President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Master Sgt. Kristin duBois said the band was notified at the last minute that Beyonce would use a prerecorded voice track. But by late afternoon, the Marine Corps backed off that statement. Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf said that because there was no opportunity for Beyonce to rehearse with the Marine Band, it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised. Instead they used a prerecorded track for the band’s part of the song. “Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter’s vocal performance,” Wolf’s statement continued, “no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded.” A representative for Beyonce did not respond to requests for comment. DuBois declined to answer further questions.Earlier in the day, she told The New York Times that the rest of the inaugural performance was live and she did not know why a recorded track was used for the national anthem. “It’s not because Beyonce can’t sing. We all know Beyonce can sing. We all know the Marine Band can play,” she said. Kelly Clarkson’s representative said she sang “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” live. Inaugural organizers did not respond to requests for comment. All inaugural music is prerecorded in case weather conditions or other circumstances interrupt the program.

Galina Stepanenko, a former principal dancer withthe Bolshoi Ballet, was named the company’s acting artistic director Tu e s d a y, taking over for Sergei Filin, who wasseverely burned last week when a masked man threw acid in his face. In an interview published Tuesday, Filin said he regretted not accepting protection after receiving threats in mid-December. Anatoly Iksanov, the theater’s general director, said Filin would undergo a second eye operation today. He said he was certain Filin would return to his post and that doctors would be able make a prognosis about his vision in 10 days to two weeks, Interfax reported.