Are Levy & O'Hara performing at the Academy Awards?
Hitman of Las Vegas
Kaylum
Here's the scoop from http://www.ktvu.com/entertainment/2863499/detail.html
McKean, O'Toole Blow 'Kiss' To Levy, O'Hara For Oscars
Couple Enjoys Song's Oscar Nom As McKean Preps For 'Hairspray'
Tim Lammers, Web Staff Editor
POSTED: 7:02 p.m. EST February 20, 2004
To say that it's already been a whirlwind year for star couple Michael McKean
and Annette O'Toole on the career front is a mighty understatement.
January brought the married songwriters an Oscar nomination for one of their
songs from the Christopher Guest comedy-style documentary "A Mighty Wind" and
earlier this month, McKean won a Grammy as co-writer of "A Mighty Wind" and was
cast as Harvey Fierstein's replacement in the Broadway smash "Hairspray."
McKean and O'Toole's Oscar nomination is for the wistful love song "A Kiss at
the End of the Rainbow," performed by Mitch & Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine
O'Hara) in the film.
As anybody familiar with Guest's films would know, the characters in "A Mighty
Wind" feel real.
Because of that, the song will have surrealistic feel on Oscar night, because
much like the concerts of spawned from "This is Spinal Tap," "A Mighty Wind"
will take on a life of its own beyond the screen. That's because McKean and
O'Toole told me in an @ The Movies interview Friday that Levy and O'Hara will
perform the song at the Oscars -- in character as Mitch & Mickey.
"That's the right way to do it," O'Toole explained. "The song is nominated
because of how it's used in the movie. To get them to sing it at the Oscars is
absolutely perfect and the way it should be."
And, that also means McKean and O'Toole don't have the pressure of performing
onstage themselves.
"We don't have to get stressed out," she added with a laugh. "We can just sit
there and enjoy it."
Playing the song in public is nothing new for Levy and O'Hara, given the fact
that they along with McKean, Guest and several other cast members reassembled
the three folk groups from "A Mighty Wind" to do quick concert swings through
the East and West Coasts last fall.
But this time around, Mitch & Mickey are playing to a slightly bigger crowd.
"It's funny, Eugene has this kind of 'condemned look' on his face these days --
but he's smiling, though," McKean chuckled. "It's a complex emotion to know
that you're going to perform in front of a billion people."
O'Toole did point out, though, that playing in character does have its
advantages.
"He's has the character to hide behind, who is a deer-in-the-headlights
anyway," she said.
The next big question is, like in "A Mighty Wind," will there be a kiss at the
end of the rainbow?
"I think it's going to be a surprise," O'Toole said. "I'm actually more
interested in Catherine's autoharp playing. She told me that they have to get
the song's time down to 2 minutes and 20 seconds and the song is 2 minutes and
32 seconds.
"She said, 'I think I'm going to have to cut my autoharp solo, but it sounds
just fine' -- she was passing this all by me and I'm just sitting here thrilled
that she's doing it."
Hazel
> Yep! Is anyone else as excited as I am about this??
Oh yeah, definitely! It's the only reason I'm tuning in!
Hazel
Justin Pate
"Kaylum" <kay...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040228064407...@mb-m07.aol.com...
> Yep! Is anyone else as excited as I am about this??
>
Sometimes I wonder if they people that get those Oscars get them because
they actually gave good performances, or just because the Academy has a
famous actor/actress they just feel like giving the award to. If merit
isn't the sole factor, the whole thing just seems like a sham to me.
Besides, 9 times out of 10 I can't tell the difference between a good movie
and a bad one, so I'll leave the Oscar stuff to those people that actually
care.
John Stroud
> Sometimes I wonder if they people that get those Oscars get them because
> they actually gave good performances, or just because the Academy has a
> famous actor/actress they just feel like giving the award to. If merit
> isn't the sole factor, the whole thing just seems like a sham to me.
Come on! Of course it's a sham. Oscar = sham. Merit seldom has anything
to do with who wins the awards. Those things are auctioned off to the
highest bidder years in advance. The People's Global Golden Choice Awards
have more credibility as far as I'm concerned. Skip Bittman deserved his
award more than Russell Crowe did.
At least this year, you know there will be at least 2 minutes worth watching
when Mitch & Mickey perform. Hopefully near the beginning, so I don't get
stuck watching 3 hours of that crap.
Mpoconnor7
>when Mitch & Mickey perform. Hopefully near the beginning, so I don't get
>stuck watching 3 hours of that crap.
>
>
I'll be Tivoing the Oscars and the Kiss song if the only part I'll pay any
attention to. I think it will win the Oscar for Best original song.
Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man
"The likelihood of one individual being correct increases in a direct
proportion to the intensity with which others try to prove him wrong"
James Mason from the movie "Heaven Can Wait".
Kaylum
nominated songs were better than the one from ROTK that won. My guess is that
the Academy voters just lemminged and picked ROTK for every category it was
nominated for. That kind of laziness just irks me.
But even so, weren't "Mitch and Mickey" adorable? :)
"Kay"
Hazel
Mitch and Mickey were perfect. Such an afterlife for two wonderful
characters-- makes you wonder what they're up to now! I'm waiting for
the after interview that will probably never come... Levy and O'Hara
(and McKean and O'Toole) are to be thanked for being a true highlight
in the dullest Oscar year in recent memory.
And yes, every other song was better than ROTK's. Complete and utter
lemmings.
Justin Pate
That "Kiss At The End of the Rainbow" song always reminds me of the John
Denver song he used to sing in those Arbor Day Foundation commercials:
"Plant a tree, trees for America."
Rocketman
wrote:
>If merit
>isn't the sole factor, the whole thing just seems like a sham to me.
Tha Academy Awards is a trade show. The awards are no more meaningful
than the typical awards they pass around at trade shows in many other
fields - that is, they aren't meaningful at all.