Mandy Mooreās choreography for Ryan Goslingās at last yearsā stole the show. This year, she aimed to once again āmake something that makes people feel,ā she told The Associated Press over the phone ahead of the Oscars.
The a-list choreographer whose credits include monumental had a real challenge for the 2025 Oscars. The original song nominees would not perform. But under her stewardship, the quality of the performances would not wane.
That was clear from the energetic opening: Ariana Grande launched into āThe Wizard of Ozā classic āSomewhere Over the Rainbow,ā following a visual package celebrating the city of Los Angeles. She was followed by Cynthia Erivo nailing āHomeā from āThe Wizā and the pair teaming up for a dynamic duet of āDefying Gravity.ā
āItās everything you want it to be. It's simple. Itās them. Itās their voices and itās just them as artists, you know? And I will say, I just got out of the way," she laughs. āI just told them where to stand on stage and do their thing.ā
There was a four-part tribute to James Bond, opening with and dancers, followed by serenade of āLive and Let Die,ā Doja Cat's āDiamonds Are Forever,ā and RAYE's āSkyfall.ā
āIt's such an incredible, cinematic performance,ā said Moore. āWeāre really using camera in a way thatās really fun and in line with, I think, something that would be in a great Bond film. You know, those films are so iconic. So, we had to do something pretty major.ā
In preparation, she said she rewatched every Bond film āto find shapes and visuals and transitions that feel like a Bond film.ā
Later in the evening, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah introduced a joyful tribute to featuring 32 dancers, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Queen Latifah doing āEase on Down the Road,ā from āThe Wiz." Jones supervised the adaptation of songs from the Broadway musical for the 1978 film starring Michael Jackson. Jones and Jackson met while working on the film, leading to one of of all time.
For Moore, the first question was, āAre we doing āThe Wizā?ā She quickly agreed that the tribute shouldn't feature talent āplaying the characters,ā and instead focus on the larger-than-life music of Jones. āI just wanted to make a visual representation of what I hear and feel in his music, when I listen to that. So, in order to do that, the music is big. Itās layered. Thereās a lot going on with it."
The solution? Choreography that felt just as large. ā32 dancers that fill the stage, plus the iconic Queen Latifah in the middle. And these beautiful, ten background vocalists that fill out the vocal parts,ā she said. "Itās huge.ā
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Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
