Oscars Include Broadway Names, Though Hollywood Stars Take Home the Gold
A lot of theater veterans were nominated for Academy Awards this year, but very few took home Oscar gold on February 9.
Big winners with theatrical ties included Renée Zellweger, who earned Best Actress for playing Judy Garland in Rupert Goold's biopic Judy, and legendary singer-songwriter Elton John, who took home the Best Original Song "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again," which he wrote with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin for the film Rocketman. Marshall Curry won the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar for The Neighbor's Window, which starred theater greats Maria Dizzia and Greg Keller.
Nominees this year included Cynthia Erivo, who held a rare double nomination for her performance as Harriet Tubman in Harriet and for cowriting the film's Oscar-nominated song "Stand Up." Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Frozen) earned another Oscar nod for their song "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2, which was performed by star Idina Menzel and a host of international singers who've all dubbed the role of Elsa on screen.
Along with Erivo and Menzel, who both performed, there was a lot of Broadway representation in the house. Upcoming In the Heights star Anthony Ramos introduced that show's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who, in turn, introduced Eminem's surprise performance of "Lose Yourself." Billy Porter hosted the red carpet festivities on ABC and performed in the opening number alongside Janelle Monáe. James Corden and Rebel Wilson presented an award dressed as their characters from Cats. It was like "Schubert [sic] Alley at the Oscars," Frozen star Josh Gad Tweeted.
Schubert Alley at the Oscars pic.twitter.com/NBmsNk9yHg
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 10, 2020
