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I’m with the band! Oscars stage design revealed

Renderings of this year’s Academy Awards set show an onstage bandstand, situated behind a circular ministage that juts into the audience. The whole thing is surrounded by a glittering circle of cascading white lights and flanked by enormous chandeliers.
/ Source: The Associated Press

Now when the Oscars musicians play winners offstage, they might get the chance to glare a little bit, too.

Renderings of this year’s Academy Awards set show an onstage bandstand, situated behind a circular ministage that juts into the audience. The whole thing is surrounded by a glittering circle of cascading white lights and flanked by enormous chandeliers.

The images were released by the firm of architect David Rockwell, the designer of the Kodak Theatre who was chosen by new producers Laurence Mark and Bill Condon to design the sets for this year’s telecast, airing Sunday on ABC.

Rockwell, the first architect to get the job, set out to “craft an immersive environment evocative of an intimate club” as opposed to a formal gathering, according to a press release earlier this week.

But that’s only one part of the elaborate plan: The sets will change and evolve, “powered by a visual narrative that will unfold through 12 transforming sets throughout the night,” the release said.

At least one of those sets has the band onstage, rather than down in the traditional orchestra pit.

Other elements include a proscenium curtain made up of some 100,000 crystals and LED screens that will move, transform and reconfigure to fit the sequence. Head telecast writer Bruce Vilanch confirmed that general game plan Thursday while talking about the revamped show, details of which have been kept largely secret.

“The show’s got a narrative line this year, so all the awards are grouped around that,” Vilanch said. “The sequence in which they’re given is dictated by this narrative.”