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Stars Fill Kodak Theatre for Oscar’s Music Rehearsals


The Kodak Theatre was filled with stars Saturday when Celine Dion, Mandy Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow and several other musicians go through the acts they will perform live at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

Moore is playing the nominated song “I See the Light” from Disney movies’ “Tangled” with Zachary Levi while composer Alan Menken, who is an Oscar winner of eight-times, is backing them up on the piano.

Showing her melodic side, Paltrow is singing “Coming Home” from her latest film “Country Song.” Another Oscar-winner composer A.R. Rahman, as well as rocker Florence Welch performed a lingering rendition of the song “If I Rise” from the movie “127 Hours.”

Singer Dion performed “Smile” while the In Memoriam package was shown on the screen located above her. However, a group of energetic 10-year-olds snatched the stage from all of those stars.

Sixty-four fifth graders arrived at the Kodak Theatre Friday wearing blue or green shirts. They composed the New York’s Public School 22 choir and will perform the song “Somewhere over the Rainbow” at the Academy Awards. They flew from Staten Island early that morning, and for most of them, that was their first plane trip.

Their shirts identify which of them is soprano or alto. They packed Kodak Theatre with elementary-kids enthusiasm. Then, they rehearsed onto the Oscar stage with so much conviction. They even stunned their Hollywood-veteran audiences.

When rehearsing, the kids were guided by Gregg Breinberg, who is their teacher, as well as the stage managers. When they sing, they certainly know what they are doing.

After a while, the kids were surprised by hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway when they appeared on stage. The artists high-fived and hugged them, and posed for a picture.

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