In the nearly two years since D.C. First Mother Virginia Hayes Williams began appearing at public events on behalf of her son, Mayor Anthony A. Williams, audiences have come to expect an Ed Sullivan-style variety show with an eclectic mix of arias, folk songs, and down-home tales about her life and those of her nine children. Adults—especially the amen chorus of senior citizens and political operatives who usually attend city political events—usually respond politely. But the D.C. elementary students attending the Everybody Wins! Rockin’ Reading Jam at the Washington Hilton on Tuesday morning weren’t so kind. Williams was slated to introduce headliner Ella Jenkins, the Grammy Award-winning children’s folk singer. Never one to pass up a chance to croon a little herself, though, Williams blasted the 1,000-plus youngsters in attendance with an Emergency Broadcast System-caliber high-octave ditty on reading. The kids immediately cupped their hands over their ears, writhed in their seats, and surveyed the room for the clown promised later in the program. —Stephanie Mencimer