A peek into Oscar rehearsal
On Oscars Sunday, audiences can expect to see stars reunited from some of their favorite films.
“Four Weddings and a Funeral” co-stars Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell will stand beside one another to present an award at the show, as will
Harrison Ford and
Glenn Close, the president and vice president of the United States in “Air Force One,” and “Creed III” frenemies Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors.
Saturday morning, Oscar presenters made the trek to the theater as a light, chilly rain fell outside, to run through their lines and practice handing out awards.
It’s one of several rehearsals in the lead-up to the show culminating with a full run through that stretches late into the night
The theater, populated by a few dozen people from Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to the stagehands and camera operators practicing their movements, had an air of calm and anticipation.
“I hope I say everything correctly,” MacDowell said while opening the envelope. “I hope I pronounce everything correctly. I wish Hugh was doing this part.”
The awards are fake and so are the winners — working actors are hired to play nominees, sit in their seats, take the stage and give acceptance speeches. The same person might be playing everyone from “Tár” director Todd Field to composer John Williams. And all are ready to go.
The presenters all have different approaches. Jordan discussed the font size on the teleprompter with show producer
Glenn Weiss. Mindy Kaling had her director's hat on, rewriting and reworking some of her and John Cho’s remarks on the spot.
Florence Pugh and
Andrew Garfield had the giggles running through their lines. Garfield got up to the mic and cleared his throat.
“Maybe don't do that,” Pugh said.
Halle Berry practiced with a small brunette woman playing Jessica Chastain and Kate Hudson made a dramatic entrance, theatrically extending her arms as if to say “I’ve arrived.”
Though all will be dressed to the nines in 24 hours, rehearsals are a more casual affair. Jordan was dressed in a matching black sweatsuit, while Grant opted for a more professorial look with a blazer, sweater, Oxford shirt combination. The women all wore their show heels with their jeans and daywear.
Most of what goes on in the theater is strictly off the record, however — from the look of the stage to who is handing out which award and what they’re scripted to say.
Those behind the show, which airs live at 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC, want to preserve some surprises.
Springsteen, band cancel Sunday show
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band have canceled a second show due to illness, postponing a Sunday night performance in Connecticut that takes place two nights before the tour’s scheduled stop in Albany.
The decision to postpone the show at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., comes two days after Springsteen postponed a show in Columbus, Ohio.
So far, there is no official word about which member of the band is ill.
“We hope to learn more from the promoter tomorrow regarding the status of the Albany date,” MVP Arena General Manager Bob Belber said Saturday. “The postponement of the Mohegan Sun concert was due to continued illness of a band member.”
Tuesday night’s show at the MVP Arena in Albany is Springsteen’s first scheduled show at the arena in more than six years.
Getting to the arena Tuesday could pose problems for the band and concertgoers: A coastal storm is expected to move into the Capital Region on Monday, potentially dropping more than a foot of heavy snow on eastern upstate New York before pulling out on Wednesday.
“I am in contact with the promoter and we have advised them on the pending storm coming Monday — Tuesday,” Belber continued. “As soon as we hear more from the promoter, which is Live Nation, we will update you and all others.”
Springsteen on Saturday urged people to hold onto tickets and promised that Sunday’s show at Mohegan Sun Arena would be rescheduled. Nationwide Arena in Columbus made a similar promise Thursday.
The 73-year-old rocker is on his first tour with the E Street Band in six years. He’ll play shows in Europe during the spring and summer before returning to the U.S. for stadium concerts in the late summer and fall.