The final preparations for the 95th Academy Awards are underway, and everyone involved wants to make sure Sunday night goes smoothly. While unplanned disruptions like last year’s slapstick are inevitable, final rehearsals are meant to ensure that the actual production of the show goes off without a hitch.
However, the unusually bad weather in Los Angeles recently made things difficult on Saturday, when the ceremony site was briefly canceled due to the rain that has plagued the city for the better part of two weeks. Species reported that Ovation Hollywood, the entertainment complex that includes the Dolby Theater, was completely blacked out in several areas Saturday afternoon.
In addition to the rehearsal space, the storm also reportedly caused a power outage at the Roosevelt Hotel – where many Oscar nominees go to prepare for the red carpet. The outages affected several authentication and security offices, which will be crucial to the smooth running of Sunday’s event.
The report says power was eventually restored and rehearsals resumed Saturday afternoon. But with various Los Angeles homes and businesses continuing to lose power sporadically over the weekend, moviegoers should continue to keep an eye on the weather in hopes that tomorrow will be okay.
A power outage during the show would be the last thing anyone needs, as this year’s Oscars are set to restart after last year’s chaotic (and critically panned) presentation. Veteran awards show producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner and host Jimmy Kimmel have all been open to creating a back-to-basics telecast that evokes the traditional glamor that the Academy Awards have long been synonymous with.
“We’ve just been focused on going forward overall,” Weiss told IndieWire in a recent interview. “We don’t try to relive a lot. Jimmy, who is so engaged, so wonderful, is interested in doing an entertainment show. We’re not necessarily looking for something that’s backwards or malicious. Usual (me) – as in his promo – self-deprecating, funny, but not at anyone’s expense.”
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