Wax Works

You’re part of the story at the new Madame Tussauds in D.C.

Ordinarily, you wouldn’t expect George Clooney to give you the time of day, but here he is, sitting at a table, waiting to hold your hand and gaze in your eyes.

His face is made of wax, but don’t let that get in the way of savoring the experience — and getting a photo of it — at the new Madame Tussauds in Washington.

Most museums in the nation’s capital frown on touching the exhibits. At this attraction, the attitude is please touch.

Go ahead, kiss the cheek of Jennifer Lopez. (If your hand should wander to her alluring rump, as sometimes happens, no one will give you a slap.) If you happen to mess up Hillary Clinton’s hair, it’s no big deal.

Shake hands with former Presidents Thomas Jefferson or Bill Clinton. Pretend you’re chums with President Bush. Or be inspired by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as you stand beside him and recite part of his “I have a dream” speech.

You’re part of the story at Madame Tussauds, whether dressing up as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to accept the Civil War surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee or kneeling next to Tiger Woods with a golf club to line up a putt. Exhibits are designed to take a little wear and tear.

“We have a studio person who comes in every day to do touch-up,” said Shameka Lloyd, marketing manager. Some of the glamour figures, such as J. Lo., “get a lot of groping.” Any spot that’s touched often may get dirty or need new makeup. Clothing attracts lint. Hillary’s hairdo usually needs attention. Once a week, the hair on each figure gets a shampoo.

Madame Tussauds has been a popular attraction in London since 1835, when the original Madame Tussaud set up a permanent exhibit of true-to-life wax figures.

In 1970, the first Madame Tussauds outside of London opened in Amsterdam. Washington is the seventh location — after Las Vegas, New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The $16 million Washington attraction opened in October with 27,000 square feet of exhibits.

Each location reflects its setting, so Washington has a good number of political figures. Each location also keeps tabs on popular culture, so there’s plenty of pizzazz, too.

Anybody who buys a $25 ticket is suddenly on the “A” list, hobnobbing with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp, Beyoncé Knowles, Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson and Madonna. By next year, about a dozen new figures will be added to the 50 on display now, Lloyd said.

You may learn a little history as you go through, but it’s not a hard sell. Beside each historic figure, a plaque reveals a few facts. One lasting impression comes from measuring yourself against the people you’ve read about.

Some of the history is musical history. Sit on a piano bench next to Duke Ellington, and you’ll hear a little of his music if you press the right key. His first job, you’ll learn, was selling peanuts at Washington Senators baseball games.

Since Washington is politics central, you get to play the political game, too. Take a seat in the Oval Office.

Prop up your feet on the president’s desk.

Dream a little. You deserve it.

– Katherine Calos