Tyler Perry with his date in a photo dated Oct. 4, 2007. The two were described as “very close” at the Grand Opening of Tyler Perry’s Studio tonight.  Photo: Wireimage/Getty

Tyler Perry Studio’s Grand Opening is being called the party of the year by those lucky enough to be in attendance tonight.

It was a veritable who’s who of Hollywood stars such as Oprah (who brought along Stedman AND Gayle), Will Smith (who came solo), Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson and Ruby Dee (who were honored by Perry), Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Barry Bonds, Lynn Whitfield, Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker, Mary J. Blige (who performed after the sit down dinner), Rockman Dunbar, Jennifer Lewis, Johnny Gill, Kimberly Elise, Tracy Edmonds, L.A. Reid, Melinda Williams and her husband D-Nice, Kirk Franklin, Malik Yoba, Hank Aaron, and so many more!

The studio was described as “amazing!” My source said the studio blew his mind. “This [party] was so elegant and sophisticated and high end. You wouldn’t understand how much money he put into this thing!,” gushed my source.

“When they get a load of the magnitude of [the studio], people are going to be flocking here and not going to Hollywood to film movies! That’s what this man has done! My mouth literally dropped when I went out there and looked. He had fire works going off. You would have thought it was like the World Series! He had lights throughout the woods reflecting on the lake.”

As for the Crocs that Perry was rumored to offer female guests in exchange for their stilettos, my source said the ladies were offered “comfortable shoes” to substitute for their heels because there was “a lot of walking” around the 200,000 square foot facility.

My source also said Tyler’s rumored, fiancee Taraji P. Henson, was not at the party. But he said Tyler’s old flame (the chick pictured above in a photo taken last year) was Tyler’s date.

He said the couple were “very close” during the party. “They were holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes,” said my source.