Sarah Palin, Matthew Perry, and a monkey: NBC Press Tour party

Chris Haston/NBCMatthew Perry and the cast of "Go On," at the NBC party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Tuesday night. From left, Brett Gelman, Karey Nixon, Perry, Laura Benanti, Tyler James Williams.

Sarah Palin was on hand, as was Matthew Perry, and a notoriously scene-stealing capuchin monkey named Crystal.

The NBC cocktail party beside the pool at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Tuesday night may have been casual, but the guest list was glitzy and pretty darn varied -- as the trio above will indicate.

The appearance of Sarah Palin was a bit of a surprise: she was there not for any show of her own, but to support her husband, Todd Palin, who's among the celebs participating in "Stars Earn Stripes," a new NBC show in which people known for other things (Nick Lachey, Dean Cain, Laila Ali) tackle the physical challenges members of the armed forces must face.

Before the ""Stars Earn Stripes" panel and NBC the party that followed it, I was walking to my room at the hotel and passed a slender brunette in a fitted olive-green dress, wearing sunglasses and rather important shoes (covering the whole foot in a high-heel/bootie style you might find on a "Project Runway" competition). At first, I thought, boy, she looks like Sarah Palin.

But then I thought, well...she looks thinner than I'd expect, judging from photos. And the form-fitting dress didn't seem as Sarah Palinesque as her more familiar suits. And those shoes! As I passed, she and I exchanged bland, ! stranger s-passing-in-a-corridor smiles.

Turned out that was Sarah Palin herself, as she was at her husband's side for the end-of-the-day NBC poolside party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. They answered some questions, and posed for photos.

Before that, I had a nice chat with Matthew Perry, who was representing his new show, "Go On," a comedy that represents Perry's return to starring in a comedy on the network where he became a star as part of the "Friends" ensemble. The show is promising, and Perry, looking fit and slim, was as funny and quick-witted as you'd imagine.

Adding to the atmosphere was Crystal, the capuchin monkey who has stolen scenes in "Community" and "The Hangover Part II," just to name a few of her credits. People crowded around to watch as Crystal's handler directed her to jump on people's heads, lick their cheeks and give them little "you knucklehead" taps on the side of the head. Crystal was a total crowd-pleaser, whose cuteness invariably prompted open-mouthed "Ahhhhh!" reactions among everyone who gathered to watch.

It was a lively group, that's for sure.

-- Kristi Turnquist on Twitter