STATES AND PERFORMERS Opens With the Pledge of Allegiance Read by the Presidents and Fists Ladies The States of New England Maine: Arte Johnson, New Hampshire: Betty White, Vermont: Cara Williams, Massachusetts: Richard Gilliland, Rhode Island: Bob Van Dusen, Connecticut: Arte Johnson The Middle Atlantic States: New York: First Lady Barbara Bush, New Jersey: Ben Vereen, Pennsylvania: Rita Moreno, Delaware: Arte Johnson, Maryland: Melissa Manchester, West Virginia: Rip Taylor The States of the Middle West: Michigan: First Lady Betty Ford, Ohio: Arte Johnson, Indiana: Melissa Manchester, Illinois: President Ronald Reagan, Wisconsin: Rip Taylor, Minnesota: Elliott Gould, Iowa: Arte Johnson, Missouri: Rip Taylor, Kansas: Mary Sheldon, Nebraska: President Gerald Ford, North Dakota: Arte Johnson, South Dakota: Harvey Fierstein. The Southern States: Virginia: Cara Williams, North Carolina: Melissa Manchester, South Carolina: Arte Johnson, Georgia: First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Florida: Ben Vereen, Alabama: Jean Smart, Mississippi: Harvey Fierstein, Tennessee: Jean Smart, Kentucky: Richard Gilliland, Arkansas: Rip Taylor, Louisiana: Arte Johnson, Oklahoma: John Blyth Barrymore, Texas: President George H. W. Bush, The Mountains States: New Mexico: Elliott Gould, Colorado: Jean Smart, Wyoming: Melissa Manchester, Montana: Jean Smart, Idaho: Elliott Gould, Utah: Harvey Fierstein, Arizona: Nancy Kwan, Nevada: Rip Taylor, The States of The Pacific Coast: Washington: Harvey Fierstein, Oregon: Arte Johnson, California: First Lady Nancy Reagan, Alaska: Betty White, Hawaii: Nancy Kwan, Washington, D. C. : Arte Johnson.