NPH!! Doogie Dazzles In Surprise Oscar Opening Number

Well this one we didn’t see coming: The Oscars opened with the Best Actor and Actress nominees smilingly arrayed on the stage — a glittering tableau broken by the showstopping opening number, starring…Neil Patrick Harris? NPH hosted the Emmys, back in September; this awards show is being hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Well, whatever — obviously Oscar high commandant Adam Shankman wanted a sassy, spectacular opening number, so NPH it was. And, it was — a big, showstopping be-sequined number, complete with feathery showgirls, and cute lyrics about the state of Hollywood (though not nearly as zingy as they might have been, alas). It was short and sweet, and a way to introduce “the biggest pair since Dolly Parton” — Baldwin and Martin, descending from the ceiling into a jokey comedy routine that, alas, lacked the energy of the preceding act. Was it a good move? Yes to open with NPH; no to not push Martin and Baldwin to be part of it. Ceding this huge moment was them playing it safe — and if there’s one place to play it safe, fine, it’s the Oscars, but still. Wish we could have seen their descent from the sky as a lead-in to something larger. NPH is a crowd pleaser galore, but what would have pleased the crowd more: An opening number by the actual hosts. Anyhow — here’s NPH with the oddly-titled, “No-one Wants To Do It Alone.”

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