Oscars 2014 Nominees & Predictions: Academy Hosts First-Ever Oscar Concert; See Lineup Here
For the first time in 86 years the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as part of its annual Oscar Week events, present a live "Oscar Concert" celebrating this year's nominated scores and songs.
According to the Oscar's official website, on Thursday, February 27, at 8 p.m. at UCLA's Royce Hall, the program will feature an 80-piece orchestra performing suites from each of the nominated original scores, conducted by their composers.
The concert seeks to celebrate the nominated songs and scores that will be done ahead of the main awards show. The concern, that will be open to the public, will feature all five original scores plus performances of the four original songs up for Oscars this year, says USA Today.
The nominated original scores include:
- William Butler and Owen Pallett, "Her"
- Alexandre Desplat, "Philomena"
- Thomas Newman, "Saving Mr. Banks"
- Steven Price, "Gravity"
- John Williams, "The Book Thief"
The concert also will feature this year's nominated original songs, including "Let It Go" from "Frozen," performed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and "Happy" from "Despicable Me 2," performed by Jill Scott. Other special performers and guests will be announced on www.oscars.org.
"We expect to have a full house very quickly because it's really a one-of-a-kind concert," said Charles Fox, governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' music branch. "It's never been done before and it's featuring some of the world's best composers."
Fox states that the Academy plans to make this an annual event that will be globally broadcasted: "We hope it's going to be an annual thing because every year there's such a great level of quality music being written for film, and it goes out to the whole world," said Fox.
In addition to hearing the original songs, imagery from each of the films associated with the music will be displayed on the big screen. However, clips from the film will not be shown so as to keep the attention on the performances. Fox says that on concert night, it's the mustic that will be front and center.
The Oscar Concert is "Oscar's celebration of music," Fox said which will set a festive tone for show week. "This is the lead-up to the Oscars. It's going to feel like it's part of an Oscar show, but it's just a preamble to help build up all the excitement."
Show tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster for $75 or $100.