With word the three Oscar nominated songs would be getting 90 seconds each in a collective montage Peter Gabriel, nominated for his song "Down to Earth" from WALL•E, backed out of the show saying, "I don't feel that is sufficient time to do the song justice." The fact the nominated songs were going to get such little time on stage still has all of us wondering just what exactly will be seen as everything is supposed to be on the QT and very hush, hush. Well, that is as far as everything that doesn't appeal to the online tween crowd as E! brings yet another Oscar scoop to the table.

Beyoncé, High School Musical stars and real-life couple Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens and Mamma Mia!'s Amanda Seyfried. Dominic Cooper, Seyfried's costar and rumored boyfriend, are all expected to appear in a song-and-dance routine with host Hugh Jackman and directed by Australia helmer Baz Luhrmann.

I can only assume High School Musical, Mamma Mia! and Cadillac Records tunes will be included and it makes me wonder why they didn't do a big Bollywood number for "Jai Ho" and "O Saya" and then allow Gabriel to perform "Down to Earth" in another highly produced number. That is, instead of focusing on films that weren't nominated in the musical categories. I get the idea of "putting on a show," and Baz handling this certainly ups the ante, but I guess I would just assume the nominees would come first and ratings grabs second. After all, it isn't as if the Slumdog tunes don't lend well to a musical performance. The way things are going the Pussycat Dolls "Jai Ho" remix will get more time on the Academy stage than will the movie version.

It also makes me wonder if this show is targeting a movie loving audience or the screaming MTV teen crowd? Oh well.

Related post categories: Oscar News : Amanda Seyfried, Baz Luhrmann, Beyoncé Knowles, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Zac Efron

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