Oscars secrets revealed! Well, some were, anyway

LOS ANGELES — Psst: Have you heard that the Oscars are going to be a little ... well, different this year? Oh. You have. The worst-kept secret in Hollywood this awards season has been how first-time producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon, in a bid to build buzz and bounce back from last year's ratings nadir, are keeping their Oscars overhaul plans a secret. From promising sweeping format changes without elaborating to shrouding presenters' identities and shutting the press out of rehearsals, they've largely succeeded. At the secrecy part, anyway. "When (the producers) told me what they were going to do, I said, `Look, if it works, you're geniuses, and if it doesn't, you're the putzes who sank the show,'" longtime Oscars show writer Bruce Vilanch said. But lest cloaks and daggers become this year's hot red carpet couture, here are the details about the show that _ whether by design, or loose lips _ have come to light over the past week: ___ SONG-AND-DANCE (JACK)MAN: "Hugh (Jackman, the host) is going to come out and say a few things, but he's not going to do a 10-minute monologue ... He's going to be doing a lot of musical stuff, so that will have a different feel to it." _ Vilanch, in an interview with The Associated Press. ___ NEED A MONTAGE: The original song nominees will be presented together in a medley-style performance, rather than sprinkled throughout the show and played in their entirety. _ Nominee Peter Gabriel, who announced in a video blog on his Web site that he was declining to perform "Down To Earth" from "WALL-E" to protest the one-minute limit for his part. ___ I'M WITH THE BAND!: The band will be onstage for at least part of the show, rather than in the orchestra pit. A circular ministage juts into the audience. The set is surrounded by a glittering circle of white lights and crystals, and is flanked by enormous chandeliers. _ Seen in renderings released by the firm of architect and first-time Oscars set designer David Rockwell.
	Published: 2009-02-21 Provider: Huffington Post