Oprah tapes 'Farewell Spectacular'

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CHICAGO, May 18 (UPI) -- Madonna, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks made appearances at the taping of the final edition of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in Chicago Tuesday night.

Winfrey decided to end her iconic talk show after 25 years so she could concentrate on her OWN cable television network.

Dozens of stars and thousands of fans turned out for the taping of "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular" at the United Center. The two-part special is to air May 23-24. The final episode of the show is to be a regular installment and will air May 25.

Among the performers for the "Farewell Spectacular" were the Black Eyed Peas, Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Groban, Jamie Foxx and Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Beyonce and Rascal Flatts, the Chicago Tribune said.

Also dropping by to salute Winfrey were Rosie O'Donnell, Maria Shriver, Simon Cowell, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Jordan, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Halle Berry, Queen Latifah, Diane Sawyer and Katie Holmes.

"Oprah Winfrey, today you are surrounded by nothing but love. Your studio wasn't big enough to hold it all, so here we are," the Tribune quoted Hanks as saying to Winfrey in front of the enthusiastic crowd at the United Center.