Oscar 2008 telecast producer Gil Cates and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis have announced the names of presenters and performers who will take part in the February 24 Oscar show at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center.
To date, the presenters are last year's four acting winners, Alan Arkin, Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren (right, at the 2007 Oscar ceremony), and Forest Whitaker, as well as Amy Adams, Jessica Alba, Cate Blanchett, Josh Brolin, Steve Carell, George Clooney, Penélope Cruz, Miley Cyrus, Patrick Dempsey, Cameron Diaz, Colin Farrell, Harrison Ford, and Jennifer Garner.
Also, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl, Jonah Hill, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, James McAvoy, Queen Latifah, Seth Rogen, Martin Scorsese, Hilary Swank, John Travolta, Denzel Washington, and Renee Zellweger.
The veteran-est among those are Alan Arkin, Helen Mirren, and Martin Scorsese, all of whom began their film careers in the 1960s. (Arkin actually had one small film credit in the late 1950s.)
Amy Adams will sing "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted (music by Alan Menken and lyric by Stephen Schwartz). Also from Menken and Schwartz's Enchanted repertoire will be "That's How You Know," sung by Kristin Chenoweth and Marlon Saunders, and "So Close," to be performed by Jon McLaughlin.
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, whose Oscar nomination was threatened a few weeks ago, will perform their nominated song, "Falling Slowly," from the Irish romantic musical Once. Jamia Simone Nash will sing "Raise It Up," from August Rush, with the IMPACT Repertory Theatre of Harlem headed by Jamal Joseph. Joseph shares the song's music and lyric credit with Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas.
Also scheduled to take part in the Oscar telecast are writers Hal Kanter, Buz Kohan, Jon Macks, and Bruce Vilanch, in addition to host Jon Stewart's own writing team.
In the US, the Oscar show will be televised live by ABC beginning at 5 p.m. PT.
Photo: © AMPAS